Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1852-04-23
TERMS OF ADvERTrs1NG
Strand Phonetic Demonstration before
1he Joiht Committee or Education Of
the Massachusetts Legislature.

hhO AAoSSnSAusettS LeRlSIH1ure.
Our readers were informed n week oY two
since, tina. the Massachusetts Legislature had
! been petitioned in regard TO Phonetic Teaching.
! The subject was referred TO the Joint Committee
on education. Dr. Stone, Of Boston, thus ar
prizes US Of the course the Committee have ta-
| ken: "You will see by the enclosed documents,
| that on the 80 inst. we made the greatest dem
onstralion in behalf fPhonetics, before the Joint
! Legislative Committee on Education that we
have had since the commencement Of the agita-
of the subject. Never before have we had such
an array at distinguished individuals speak in Ia
! vor of the cause The Governor himself, who
was present, would have spoken in favor of it,
had II not been that it was hardly proper for him
to have done so before q Legislative Committee
OF the ten gentlemen who spoke, almost all are
in high official stations in the government of the
state and every one spoke in the highest terms
of the system and of the benefit that would by
means of il be accomplished"
| As to the documents the Doctor speaks Of we
wish we could Present them to our readers but
they are too numerous and lengthy. They con-
slst OF comrnendatory notes OF the proceedings
and speeches before the Committee, few ex-
! tracts from which is all that we can make room
for
"Rev. Hubbard Wnslow, and Joseph Halo
Abbott, Esq, teachers of TWO young ladies' pri-
waite schools, of the highest rank in this city,
made remarks in favor of the system as means
of learnig to read the common print. These
gentlemen were followed by Hon Johnson Gard
ner, of the governors Council who said that no
felt satisfied that the phonetic children six or sew
en- years of age, had spelled better than the ma.
jority of those present could do; by Hon Chas.
B. Hall, treasurer of the Commonwealth who
said that he conceded with the sentiments of DR..
Gardner, and that so Far as the gentlemen were
concerned he thought they would by willing to
"oWn up that they were beaten Hon. Elmer
brigham OF the Senate who had often had oc-
casion TO examine young men, graduates Of our
universities, as applicants to be teachers, and had
rarely if ever found any who could equal these
children in spelling; Mr.. Elizur Wright, whose
pointed and elaborate remarks occupy three col
umns Of this mornings Commonwealth; Hon.
Amasa Walker, who entered into statistics
showing the vast amount OF time which could
be saved coming generations by the adoption OF
the new method of teaching by Hon. Nathan
lei II. Banks, Jr., Speaker of the House, Hon
Edward l.. Keys, the Chairman of the Commit
tee on Education, and DR.. James w. Stone, all
of whom explained the advantages of the system.
-Irareller.
The proficiency exhibited was certainly equal
ly gratifying and surprising. We have never
seen such surprising acuteness, correct intona-
ton, promptness in reading and spelling even
in scholars at an advanced stage, and to the ex-
tent the exhibition went, we very much doubt if
our academies or even colleges can do better
The audience could not repress their admiration,
and gave vent to it by frequent and hearty ap-
plauSe
For our own part, we were extremely gratified
with the exhibition and feel greatly indebted for
the kind invitation extended to us by DR.. Stone,
to be present.--Boston Bee.
Their proficiency is really very astonishing.
They read in the phonetic Reading Books and
also in the books in common use and with equal
felicity. Very difficult words were put out by
gentlemen present, and there YVES scarcely ar er-
ror in the spelling, The articulation OF the
readers was wonderfully good. We doubt
whether one half of the spectators present could
read or spell as properly as these chdren.-
Lo1oeH American.
Four were under five years of age, and knew
nothing OF reading until October 1850. They
formed the second class The first class was
made up Of the remaining four children, none Of
whom we're seven years old. To say that all
reasonable expectations were answered, is to say
but Fltle. The exhibition went beyond all that
! The hardest words were given them TO spell
such as "daguereo,ype," " Constantinople,"
"dctionary," parallel" "beGu," &c, and they
missed bu: two or three times. Their reading
! was equally worthy of remark. OF them il was
/ hardly necessary to ask" Understandest thou
/ what thou rcadest 2" because the ntonations Of
the voice gave evidence of that and the listener,
ALSO as a natural result, needed no Interpreter, a
remark which cannot always be made OF the old
! est classes in our common schools In some Of
the exercises, each child read only TO a stop
when the next Immediately took up the strain,
and so correct was the infections Of the voice,
that but for the difference in the tone, one would
] have thought there was but one reader. Dr.
Stone wrote sentences on the blackboard, given
him by one of the Committee, in the phonograph-
ic characters, which characters to the out-sd-
! ers were as Ineligible as Egyptian hieroglyph-
les The children read them readily and cor
reGtly.
The speakers, without exception, gave strong
expressions to their interest in the OCCASION and
to the great results which were visible in the
children, and which were attributed to the above
new system Of teaching.
Rev. Hubbard Winslow, in his remarks. sta
ted Is tie result of his observation, that he be-
iicved that saving of two years in the educa-
ton Of every child, might be made by the intro
duction Of the Phonetic system into common
school education Mr. Walker, Secretary Of
the Commonwealth, who followed Mr. Winsow,
said that if the fact stated by the Rev. gentle
men was true, and he had no doubt Of it, the in
reduction Of the new system into common
schools, was Of vast importance, There are,
said he by the returns made 10 the Board OF Ed
cation, I99, 492 scholars in orr common schools.
If each one may save two years then to each
generation there will be a saving of near 400,-
900 years Of time, and Of time, too, the most i'm
porsani Of human life, the period Of education.
If such q saving could be made, how many 9TH
or valuable studies might be introduced, and how
much night the standard Of common school ed
ucation b. elevated! And If such results might
be attained in Massachusetts, with her 200 900
children, how important to the United States
with it, 100000 of chdrcn It were I'M
doubIelly an arduous matter to revolutionize
the printed language of nation, bit vas rot
the object 10 be attained abUndantiy sufficient 10
satisfy all the labor and expense i, might cost?
A deep impression in relation both to the fees-
ibiIity and importance Of the Phonetic Reform,
seemed TO be made at this meeting than at any
other we have ever attended, Worcester Spy.
! That old champion Of Reformers, Elizur
/ Wright Of the Co7nr10nueabh, made speech
! on tie occasion, and such a speech as only he
conld make Next week we will give our read
ers the satisfaction ofits perussl.-F0neitc ADJ.