Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1858-08-05

and seats. From the use OF careiessiy con.
structed, and therefore, bad desks and seats,
millions, with round shoulders, narrow,
weak chests, and diseased spines, have
travelled, lifelessly, for a little while,
through this if rightly contemplated
world of beauty and interest, and then have
fallen into premature grave.
The whole material part of mankind is
yielding, especially when in an immature
stale, and, like The grape vine, may be
trained to-nay will follow those conligu-
Gus bodies less yielding than itself. By the
force of habit it may be developed into
beauty and strength, or, discretionary de-
stroyed. Then how great the responsible.
~ of those who have the construction Of
desks and seats for the schoo-rnom in their
hands. What will become oil tn use whose
par,imony has caused them TO build school
houses too small, too nearly air-light, with
seats TOO low or too high and without backs
thereby, IN; only. impefing the develop
nenu of the mind and the proper formation
of The physical structure, but, biasttng bo.h?
II is not our purpose or desire 10 make
an assertion in regard 10 their destination.
and then produce The arguments 10 sustain
the assertion; 50, we pass on. 1t is
thought by experienced men, that desks
should not be less than four feet long, and
The spaces between the tiers not less than
two feet wide. The desks should vary il
height, from twenty-four 10 eight inches and
in width, from fourteen 10 eighteen inches.
The seats, in high, from thirteen and hnl!
70 sixteen inches, in width, from ten Ia
thirteen. The top OF the desk should fall
an inch 10 the foot, save space The fuii
length of the desk, about three inches wide,
which should be level. In this level part
at the right Of each seat, should be an ink
stand, sunk into the desk until the top Of
the stand is even with the surface oil the
desk. The stand should so be put in, as
10 be taken out, when necessary, from the
under side. There should be some contri-
vance around this level part 10 prevent
pens Sc, from rolling off. A narrow strip
Of wood, or what is better, q groove, would
do. In The back Of each seat should be 4
place-an open space for slate. The
desk should contain good drawer, or some
thing similar, for books, SC. The desks
should all front towards the north, as the
teachers platform, for many reasons, Should
be in the northern part of the. room. All
geographical maps Should hang against the
northern wall OF the room, as the top Of the
map represents the north, and the bottom,
the south.
BY contemplating maps of the world,
hemispheres. and political division, wrongly
situated, and before the mind had formed
correct ideas relative 10 the points Of the
many minds have been comp le,ely
lost in relation TO the direction and position
Of places; nor could they ever succeed in
entirely throwing off these wrong impress
sions, and in forming new and faulIless
ideas of the relation OF maps and what they
Therefore, great care should be
taken, not oTly TO prevent wrong impress
sions from being made in youth, but, 10 fix
upon the mind notions no. erroneous, and
which vii! be lasting.
Another reason for this arrangement Of
desks is, that The backs of The pupils may
be 10 the door, which should be in the
southern end OF the building. But, should
and comfort forbid putting the
door in this end, still the seats should face
the North.
We will now offer some remarks rela-
tive 10 ventilation; and we might, profta-
bly,, consume good deaf OF time and paper
in noticing this part Of our programme; but
we shall be as brief as possible, and shall,
therefore, not detain you by separating the
air into its constituent parts, and showing
The effects of their chemical action, separ-
ately and IN their various combinations
aud by explaining why these effects are
produced II is 10 be supposed that mo>t
persons are acquainted With the elements,
properties, and uses Of the atmosphere;
yet, it seems that people should make a
more bene fetal use of their knowledge than
they do. As we look around us we see
millions who are numbering themselves by
the use Of viiiated air, when, with but little
trouble. they could obtain that which is
pure.
Pure air is one OF the most Indispensable
gifts Of nature; and the quantity bestowed.
with the price at which ii is OBJ
tanned, are evidences Of IFS necessity and
value.
Those things in nature which are most
necessary 10 mans existence, are given