Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1859-07-07
Communications.
Written for The Belmont Chronicle.
Education In Damascus.


the schools that have been honored with
public notice, there has, thus far, been no.
thing said about .he Damascus Scientific
Academy.
Having for the past year, been acqu ainted
with the institution, and feeling very sure,
that aside from a general desire for educa-
tional progress, have no personal interest
IN the suec SIS, or future of the enterprise,
/ will venture, Briefly, to describe its facili-
ties for mental culture. have lived in
various places, have been intimately ac-
quainted with the character of towns aad
villages. whose morality is proverbal, and
have known some that are equally celebrat
ed for their vices; bu. have yet to find
place with less iutemperanre, lass profanity,
less Sabbath breaking, less immortality, than
the village OF Damascus.
The remark has .oiten been made, by
visitors from abroad, that students in many
of our Colleges and Academies, are cele-
brated for kind If clown'sh, boisterous,
and unciviized behavior, which makes their
company unacceptnbl BILE to refined society,".
There are. however, exceptions to the rule
and whoever visits Damascus. will be con-
trained to admit, that the students Of her
Academy, with very few exceptions, are
models of politeness. ....
The system of government, ADOPTED in
this institution is different from that of some
other Seminaries of learning. As far as
possible, reliance is placed upon the honor
of the students, and thus far, their superior
self respect, has kept them from any great
deviat;ons. They are required each MORN
ing to report their own conduct, and unless
evidence sufficient to lnvalidate these re-
ports can b. produced. they are invariably
received. Placed as it were, under their
own jurisdiction, the students can condrct
themselves with pfoprie,y report their own
misdeeds, or tell lie. The first of these
alternatives is nearly always chosen, and
an efficiency is thus thrown around the
government of the Academy, which cannot
easily be excelled.
One of the most Interesting, and instruc-
tive departments Of his Institution, is its
weekly lectures. On Saturday mornings
the students are assembled, and a carefully
prepared lecture, or some scientific, his
torcal, or other entertaining topic, is de-
l;vered by one OF the Instructors It. is
true tha, the business of lecturing in the
scool room, belongs to the "pourng in of
process" and in the hands of ordinary
speakers, is often futile affair; but the In
s,ructers in the Academy are men of worth
These lectures are eminen,ly calculated to
afford topics Of useful thought; they are
listened to with Interess, end in point of
oratorical elegance, the lecturers of the
Damascus Scientific Academy are seldom
excelled.
The Normal Department of the Academy
must not be passed unnoticed. Each al
ternate day, the time of one recitation, is
devoted TO the instaction of GLASS, in the
Theory and Practice # Teaching" How
TO svod the most prominent difficulties in
school government, is here taught. and the
best method of teaching is explained by
mer who have had years Of experience
On every subject, The instructions given
in the Academy, are characterized by rigid
exactness Ii is true that some complaints
have been made of want Of thorough in
struction, in the advanced branches of
mathematics; hut whoever attended The ex-
animation, at the close of the term Just
finished, could not resist the conclusion, that
these complaints are groundless. When
the classes were called out for examination.
they we're handed over, by their Instructors S
to the tender merc,es of the audience Ques-
tons were asked, problems proposed, and
much of the three days examination, was
conducted by an individual. who would not
have wept, if the classes had all failed
He was apprehensive, before commencing
the examination. that the instruction had
not been thorough; and his questions were
given, with a view Of testing the founda-
lion of the students know ledge. The most
difficult examples in Mental and Practical
Arithmetic, were solved and explained, with
facility, amply sufficient to convince any
one, that good practical, ard theasetica
knowledge of the subject, had, by most of
the class been attained. ...
Algebra with all its distractions was
| beautifully unfolded to view. Problems
and principles, from the most simple, to the
NEST difficult, were discussed by the various
classes in a manner, highly creditable to all
concerned. In Geometry, the results were
equally satisfactory. Without the book,
with nothing in hand but piece of chalk,
the members of the classes, would 90 TO the
black board, drew the necessary diagrams,
and with very few failures theugems, some
of which were quite difficult were sat sfact
orlv demonstrated. Trigonometry, Survey
ing, Chemisjry, Astronomy, Physiology
and various other branches, were creditably
csnvassed, aid class in Latin gave ample
evidence that This had not been neglected
Take it oil in all. the examination was
triumphant v'hdicttion of the character OF
the Institution, and em'nently calculated to
establish the conviction, that the Damascus
Scientific Academy, is entitled to liberal
SHIRE of patronage. The liteary facilities
of the sPhilomathion' and Sumner socie.
ties, connected with the Institution, were
fully shown at their exhibitions, and some
Of the essays and speeches, were prenounc-
ed by good judges, to be highly creditable
The next term of the Academy will
commence at Damascus, Mahuning Co
Ohio, on Tuesday the, second of August,
1859. That it may be largely patronized,
and cont inue TO increase in usefulness is |
the desire OF OBSERVER.
Mr.. EDiToa: On perusing the contents
OF The CHR IN GLE. my eyes fell upon an
artic 10 r;rin,r tho nrocaadin,s or n, ,~L;L;