The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-06-11

meeoo0lnDs No. Wy JoAaAA mo4or4ok.
A square in the ~mexsufing unit" The
amount of Ill surfaces is determined by square
measure. This amount may be expressed in
miles, furlongs, rods, yards, feet, inches, or any
other specified measure. No matter what the
shape Of . quantity Of land, boards, cloth, paper,
glass, or any other article, the amount of surface
" always ascertained and expressed by the num-
Der OF squares and parts Of squares it contains,
either in miles, feet, or some other known mca-
sure. The properties and uses Of this most
simple Of all figures, save one, are Of course
important to be understood most Familiarity by
every person. No one thing, probably is at
once so important and 80 little understood AZ
the figure with four equal sides and angles
Very many Of the most intelligent members Of
society have no clear apprehension of the differ
encs between ak miles square and six square
miles. A person Of much intelligence contended
= few days ago that in the District Of Columbia
in It's original dimensions, there were only ten
square miles, and could not be convinced of his
error until shown il by q checker board. Not
long since painter Of some twenty years, ex-
perence named price per sheet for painting
paper. On being asked what would be his price
for sheets OF double the length AMI breadth,
replied, double the price; Offering Of course. to
do four-times the work for twice the money.
Cases of similar character might be named
almost without number. Of intelligent expe-
rienced business men making blunders attended
with far greater Inconvenience and loss than
working at half price, and simply from the want
Of littls knowledge, entirely within the COM
prehension Of every child Of five years old, at
tended with high degree Of pleasure in acquir-
ing.
II children should occupy the first hour ever
spent in shool-room by drawing upon their
states square with its different divisions, they
might have proof positive that in an inch square
are four haf-inch squares; that in ten miles
square there are one hundred square miles
They would also come to proof positive that
by the diagonal division Of n square, they would
form two right angle isosceles trangles, or
figures with one right angle and two equal
sides; they would thus acquire at this early age
positive practical knowledge which would
greatly aid them in "squaring their work"
during the whole Of their future lives, whatever
might be their pursuits. Those becoming ed
tors would not be likely to make the mistake
of one of the most able editors in the country,
who, in speaking Of fire in Boston, stated
that it burnt about one hundred and fifty square
feet that is, a surface equal to room of fifty
feet by ten. If the space burnt was one hun
dred and fifty feet square, it contained more
than twenty thousand square feet--rather a
mistake far m intelligent and able editor in
the literary emporium of our Union.
ExPERIMENT.-If the schools Of New York
and Washington and all other places 30 dis
posed. should have their attention directed, for
the few weeks before the August HOLIDAYS, to
some practical lessons on the properties and uses
Of the square, they would doubtless prepare
many instructive and beautiful illustrations in
one of the most important branches of know
ledge, rendered more instructive by exchanges
between different schools, or being distributed
through this and other countries for the diffusion
Of scientific light and the propmotion of gene
rous and patriotic feelings. National function
aries both of our own and Of foreign govern
ments, have in large numbers expressed high
degree Of pleasure in opportunities for distribu-
ting such knowledge for such purposes. Num-
erous specimens of juvenile Improvement, pre-
pared both in New York and Washington,
have been distributed far and wide in this and
other countries. few are now deposited for
distribution at the bookstore of Mr. Gray, in
Seventh atreet Washington, which Mr. G. will
be happy to show those wishing to examine
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