Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-02-21
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT REPORT.
SuperIntendcnts Report-Continued.

society are plnndered OF an unueNelOpeu power "
strength essential to their high mission. Our Pub
lie Schools are designed as an antldote TO these lear
fl evils. The Legislature has the powerto prevent
these 10 a very great extern. Sensible OF Their eX,
istence, and feeling that q remedy should be vested
In the Legislature, the trainers OF the State Constl-
tuition vests the authority In that body in Section
2, Article II. I'm the following words. to-wit:
as will tend to secure a general attendance OF the
children in each school district upon said Public
Schools"
dren Of well meaning parents IL an evil OF such mag
nltudc as to require a remedy II Is In It's baleful In
fuencc next TO non-attendance. which Is more eS-
detained at home for the most trivial reasons. This
Is often done from thoughtlessness or from igno-
rance Of the evils that grow out OF repeated absence.
A few days absence In u term generally drops the
pupil behind his class. 1t may require q vigorous
use of all his powers and prompt attendance 10 COM
mand a respectable standing. Soon disgust lol!ows
closely upon the heels OF disbursement, and there
Is no longer any attraction either for school Asso-
cIates, school teacher or school house. Mortified
ambition cannot endure daily exposure. For the
purposes OF education, children are, in o certain
sense, the property Of the State. The law demands
that property shall be taxed to support a Public
School for six months In each year. In return for
the payment OF this tax, property has u right TO de;
mand that children between certain ages shall avail
themselves OF these expensive facilities Tor q IKE
term. or their equivalent at private schools. To in.
sure an efficient Public School system-to secure for
IL In the public estimation that position and conf
dencc that the system should command, the stand.
ard Of scholarship on the part oiteachers should be
so raised that persons Of an Indifferent or defective
education. unfortunate In other departments OF IN.
dustry, would not venture, as a temporary Spedi-
ent, 10 aspire to the control off Public School. The
feeling Is altogether too prevalent, that any person
who can read and write is competent 10 Instruct o
Primary School. II Is my deliberate Judgment that
IL requires more skil' q sreatsr amount Of taet,a
prchenslon Of the complicated laws that control dii-
ierent children In a school OF forty or nfty little ones.
and to excite and maintain an Interest among those
yphn baNa No idoa nf thu yalua Of eIucatiOn- than 10
awaken and maintain O like Interest among, the
same number Of advanced scholars In q High school.
Many Of the wlsest educators In the country have
often expressed this sentiment with great feeling
and force. / regard teaching as the most import
ant rs well as the most difficult OF all the probes
sions-one that demands Of Its members indlSiI;
ually u more comprehensive knowledge OF mental
and moral philosophy, u quicker perception anu
knowledge Of childish likes and dishkes OF the nu-
merous springs Of action. and how 10 urn them TO
plIne and cheerful obedience, than those OF any
other OF the Intellectual professions. No one Is re-
gardcd competent to practice any OF the learned pro-
fcssIons who has not gone through q long course OF
professional training under the immediate dlrec-
lion OF their most eminent Swans, 10 qualify him 70
discharge lntelllgently the responsible duties ms
tent TO make u shoe or n shovel, u house or a hand
saw, q coach or u crowbar. u broom. a blt or a
bucket, without first serving an apprenticeship.
The man who can make a steam engine. or who can
control Its movement alter II is made, VIII conf
mand moro compensation than the public Is willing
~ pay ul OIulLil III ~ 4 ubhS bNASNff
though every part OF the engine, from Its feed TO It's
exhaust, with Its various individual and combined
uses. could be learned in a fortnight by a well disci-
pllncd and well educated teacher, whose mind has a
mechanical tendency. Persons, 10 be teachers.
should learn their profession By 4 course OF disciplinc
and training, under the direction Of the most sue
cessful aud celebrated educators In the country.
NORMAL SCHOOLS.
Shut out and far removed IN our State is from the
great educational centers Of the country, our oppor-
tunItles are slim Indeed TO secure nrst class teach
aa Tha hest nj fln Unmarried aduratOFg 10 the
Pacific Coast will be assorted and cullcd out by the
Educational Boards OF San Francisco, Sacramento
by which TO Invite superior educators TO our desert
homes. unless our School Boards offer eXtravagant
pay, which cannot be cxpected-which would not
Our great educational want Is n Normal School,,
an Institution to educate those Of our youth ambi-
tiOus TO bc teachers AMI for educational honors-to
train them TO meet the educational requirements OF
orr times and for our peculiar locality; young men
and women whose parents, relatives or friends, or
all OF them, reside IN our state ana VINO Probably
Of this character would, In addition TO Its regular
supply for our schools OF well educated. We'll drilled
and live teachers. 10 much TO awaken and foster
and to bring permanently before our people the
great value and Importance OF popular education.
An Institution OF this character should be located In
one Of the most pOpulous towns OF the State. where
a sufficient number OF pupils could be procured for
the organization Of u training school, TO be attached
thereto: for a Normal School without this impOr-
tant adjunct would be Us inefficient as a school for
the study Of practical chemistry that should Ignore
the laboratory, with Its menstruuIns and preclpi:
tants, or OF practical astronomy, without the aid OF
the heavenly bodies, quadrants and telescopes.
There Is, however, a considerable number Of young
people OF respectable attachments In our midst who
have taught school more or less. and ambitious 70
obtain u respectable rank In the profession OF teach
Ing, but whose Knowledge OF the theory and prac-
tice OF teaching Is altogether unequal TO the adj
vanced educational claims OF the present time.
Many Of these would be drawn 10 an institution OF
this character TO procure the proper Information
and a diploma. which should be current with School
Boards In every district, and should displace the
local Boards OF School Examiners throughout the
State. The stay OF this class would be longer or
shorter according TO their previous attalnmcnts and
aptnesS to acquire. A Normal School would give
forth its first fruits from this class. Were the State
In a pecuniary condition 20 organize and support an
Institution Of this character. IL would not be an
public school interest In Nevada. But II need not
necessarily be attended with great expense. The
rent Of a small building. the cost Of furniture and
the salary OF one Professor, with trihing additional
Incidental expenses. would be all the outlay that at
| present would be required. The permanent edltlce
ami various ornamentatlons could follow the growth
Of the school and the increase Of the State school
Fund, II the State would offer two thousand dol
lars annually for the first two years, on condition
that private donations would equal that sum. and
10 be added TO II, / feel confident that that amount
could be raised, and a Normal School could be nj
once put Into a successful working condition.. some
source OF revenue could be created TO raise this
amount by the State, without seriously depressing
any person or class. ..-a
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.
There Is one subject that I'would like to bring to
Your notice for your consideration. i am somewhat
in doubt whether the present is the proper time or
this the proper channel, but with my Ideas as re-
CARDS the comprehensive character OF our Public
School system, the proposed suggestions In this con-
~ncctiOn, will be both legitimate and proper. II Is
well known that the peculiar character ofthc climate
OF the vast ranges OF these elevated table|ands be-
tween the Rocky and Sierra Nevada mountains. Is
but little known by our own people, and very I'M
perfectly understood by the people OF the other
States. A plan that would secure the proper re-
cOriIns of accurate meteorological observations In
those parts OF the State where Public Schools would
be likely to be maintained throughout the year,
would he Il valuable contribution 10 science, anu 10
the course or u decade OF years would throw much
light In regard TO our climate. One teacher In each
OF the principal towns In the State. furnished win
the necessary instruments for M the Beat
and density OF the atmosphere, the direction and
force Of the winds, the amount Of the fall OF rain and
snow. and u book for recording the necessary oDscr-
vatIons-all OF which the Smithsonian lnstlt1te
would undoubtedly cheerfully su~pply-wonld, with
a trifllng addition TO his salary, e so directed by law.
accurately perform the task. These observations,
published either weekly or monthly. would awaken,
both on the part ofthe teachers, pupils and the pub
lie generally, habits OF close observation In regard 10
atmospheric changes.
The proceeds Of the half mill tax, provided for In
section q OF Education, Article X OF the state Con-
%f TilHI!IS,sr II G s,sm tho 70 % nc: E ;n,sS S1SSFf SS t ~ sec w Iis5
formed that instrument. Section 81 or the school
Law, approved March Goth, 1865. provides that: A
moneys derived from the tax herein levied (half
mill taxi shall be paid into the State School Fund.
and be apportioncd In the same manner as other
money IN that fund"-that Is, the Interest accrning
shall be distributed to all the counties In the Stale.
according to the aSccrtalned number OF persons be-
tween the ages OF six and eighteen years In said
counties, for the support OF Public Schools. The
object OF this half mill tax was designed particularly
to create a FUND for the support Of the Mining COL
lege-thc mining branch OF the University. II was
the general opinion OF the members OF the Constltu-
tlonal Convention that this tax would yield the first
year from tell 10 f1tcen thousand dollars. with u
large annual increase thereafter, aud that ut an
early day the interest from the proceeds OF this tax,
and from other sources OF revenue, would enable
the Board OF Regents TO establish this branch OF the
University and TO put II Into successful operation In
Of the Constitution. Is In the following language. TO
Wit:
1.-THE Legislature shall provides special tax OF one
half Of one mill on the dollar OF all taxable property
Of the State, In addition to the other means pro-
vIded for the support and maintenance OF said UNI
vcrsIty aud common sehools." T. =.
above, were coupled with the word University TO
make II appear manliestly clear that the University
was a part OF the Public School system. The inten:
ton Of the Convention, In regard TO the disposal OF
the proceeds OF this half mill tax, viii more clearly
appear by reference TO section 8, OF the Educational
Article Of the Constitution, which reads as ioIo"s'
to wit: ~ ,,,o-os,
accruing from the irst funds from the hai mliIeanI
which come under their control. immediateIy 0rSa anr
lie and maintain the said Mining Depaltneut H.
the University In such manner as 10 NhaNe Wv
most effective and useful" IN n,
From the foregoing II appears 10 ~ Rnsents Thai
H. Ir,aros, arst accrulny from the State find must