Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-02-23
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT REPORT.
SuncrIntendont,s Report-Continued.

in the Legislature, the trainers OF the State Constl-
tuition vests the authority In that body IN Section
2, Article II, In the following words. to-wit:
= " . "The Legislature may pass such laws
as Will tend TO secure q general attendance OF the
children In each school district upon said Public
Schools"
The great irregularity Of the attendance OF chill
dren of well meaning parents Is an evil OF such mag
nitude as to require q remedy II Is In It's baleiul IN
tlucncc next TO non-attendancc. which Is more eS-
tcnslvc than Is generally considered. Chlluren are
detained at home for the most trivial reasons. Thls
Is often done from thOughtlesSness or from igno-
rance OF the evils that grow out ofrepeated absence:
A few days absence In a term generally drops the
pupil behind his class. II may require q vigorous
use Of all his powers and prompt attendance to COM
nland a respectable standing. Soon disgust follows
closely upon the heels of disbursement, and there
Is no longer any attraction either for school asso-
clates, school teacher or school house. Mortified
ambition cannot endure daily exposure. For the
purposes OF education. children arc, In q 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 q right 10 de-
Illand that children between certain ages shall avail
themselves OF these expensive facilities for a like
term, or Their equivalent ut private schools. To In
sure an efficient Public School systcm-to secure for
II In the public estimation that position and conf
dencc that the system should command, the stand
ard OF scholarship on the part o fteachers should be
so raised that persons OF an Indifferent or defective
education, unfortunate In other departments OF In
ent, to aspire TO the controiofa Public School. The
feeling Is altogether too prevalent, that any person
who can read and write Is competent TO Instruct q
Primary School. 1t Is my deliberate Judgme that
IL requires moro skill, a greater amount OF tact, a
wider range OF general knowledge, and u clearer ap-
prehension Of the complicated laws that control DIFF
ierent children In a school OF forty or tifty little ones.
and to excite aud maintain an interest among those
who have no idea Of the value OF education, than 10
awaken and maintain q like Interest among the
same number OF advanced scholars In a High School.
Many OF the wisest educators In the country have
oiten expressed this sentiment with great feeling
and force. l regard teaching as the most Import
ant as well rs the most dlticu.t OF all the profes.
sOns-One that demands Of It's members individ.
ually a more comprehensive nowledsc Of mental
and moral philosophy, a quicker perception and
knowledge Of childish likes AMI disilkes OF the nu-
merOus springs of action, and how 10 turn them to
awaken interest, stimulate thought, produce diSci-
pline AMI cheerful obedience. than those Of any
other Of the intellectual professions. No one Is re-
gardcd competent TO practice any ofthe learned pro.
fessiOns who has not gone through n long course OF
professional training under the immediate dlrcc-
ton Of their most eminent savans, to qualify him TO
discharge intelllgently the responsible duties his
tent TO make n shoe or a shovel, n house or a hand
saw, a coach or a crowbar. q broom, q bit or a
The man who can make a steam engine, or who Tan
control It's movement after II Is made, Will conf
mand more compensation than the public Is willing
10 pay an ordinary teacher In q Public School,
though every part Of the engine, from Its feed TO Its
exhaust, with its various Individual and combined
uses. could be learned In a fortnight by O well dlsci-
plincd and well educated teacher, whose mind has a
mechanical tendency. Persons, TO be teachers,
should learn their profession by a course o dlsclpllne
and training, under the direction OF the most sue
ccsSiul and celebrated educators In the country.
NORMAL SCHOOLS.
Shut out and far removed rs our State Is from the
great educational ccnters OF the country, our Oppor-
tunlticS are slim indeed TO secure irst class teach
crs. The best Of the imported educators TO the
Pacific Coast will be assorted and culled out BY the
Educational Boards Of San Francisco, Sacramento
and other parts OF California, and We have nothing
by which TO invite superior educators TO our desert
homes. unless our School Boards offer cXtravagsnt
pay. which cannot be cNpccted-which would not
Our great educational want Is a Normal School
nm Institution TO educate those OF our youth ambi.
tiOus 10 be teachers and for educational honors-to
train them to meet the educational requirements OF
our times and for Our peculiar locality; young men
and women whose parents, relatives or friends. OF
all OF them, reside In our State, and who probably
Will remain permanently with us. An institution
OF this character would, In addition to Its regular
supply for oIT schools OF well educated. well drilled
and live teachers, do much TO awaken and ioStcl
throughout the State a spirit Of intellectual culture
aud to bring permanently before our people the
great valuc ami Importance Of popular education
An Institution OF this character should be- located ~
one Of the most populous towns Of the State, where
u sufficient number Of pupils could be procured fol
the organization OF a training school, TO be attached
thereto; for a Normal School without this impor
tant adjunct would be rs inefficient as u school fol
the study Of practical chemistry that should ignore
the laboratory, with Its menstruurns and preciph
tauts, or of practical astronomy, without the aid oil
the heavenly bodies. quadrants and telescopes,
There Is, however, q considerable number OF young
people OF respectable attachments In our midst who
have taught school more or less, and ambitious 10
obtain u respectable rank In the profession Of teach
Ing, but whose knowledge Of the theory and prac.
lice of teaching is altogether unequal to the ad.
vanCcd educational claims OF the present time.
Many Of these would be drawn TO an Institution OF
this character 10 procure the proper Information
and A diploma, which should be current with School
Boards In every district, and should dlsplace the
local Boards Of School Examiners throughout the
State. The stay Of this class would be longer OF
shorter according to their previous attachments and
aptncss to acquire. A Normal school would give
forth It's first fruits from this class. Were the State
In "A pprIInilry condition TO organize and suDDOrt an
institution OF this character, II would not be an
easy matter TO over estimate It's value upon the
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 thrilling additional
incidental expenses, would be all the outlay that al
present would be required. The permanent edIncC
and various ornamcntatlons could follow the growth
Of the school and the increase OF the State SehOo
Fund, II the State would OiIcr two thousand dol
lars annually for the first two years. on condition
that private donations would equal that sum. and
TO be added TO II. | feel confident that that amount
could be raised, and a Normal school could be at
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. H.. #"
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.
There Is one subject that l would like 10 bring TO
your notice for your consideration. l am somewhat
in doubt whether the present Is the proper time OF
this the proper channel. but with my Ideas as re-
CARDS the comprehensive character OF our Pubic
School system, the proposed suggestions IN THIS CON
| nCCttOu, VIII be nOtn legitimate anu prOucI. II "
well known that the peculiar character ofthe climate
Of the vast ranges OF these elevated table-lands De-
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. 4 plan that would secure the proper re.
cordln: Of accurate meteorological observations IN
those parts OF the State where Public Schools would
he likely to be maintained throughout the year,
would be q valuable contribution TO science. and IN
The course OF q decade Of years would throw mue zen
Of the principal towns in the State, nfnrnished win
the necessary Instruments for determining the neat
and density Of the atmosphere. the direction and
force OF the winds, the amount OF the fall OF rain ana
snow, and q book for recording the necessary obser-
vntionS-all OF which the Smithsonian Institute
would und9getsdly SheerIGlly slpp,ym on,S% Z, T TSw
accurately perform the task. These observations,
published either weekly or monthly. would awaken,
both on the part ofthe teachers. pupils and inc PUB
lie generally, habits OF close observation In regard 10
atmospheric changes.
TAX.
The proceeds OF the half mill tax, provided for In
~scction'6 Of Education, Article \ Of the State Con.
Legislature, from the use Intended by those who
formed that instrument. Section 81 OF the school
Law, approved March aIth. 1865. provides that: All
mil taxi shall be paid into the State School Fund,
and be npportiOncd in the same manner AZ other
money In that f~und"-that Is, the interest accruing
shall be distributed to all the counties In the State,
according TO the asccrtalncd number OF persons be.
tween the ages OF six and eighteen years In said
L counties, LOT tnc support Ol fuulC CCuOOLs. luc
object OF this half mill tax was designed particularly
TO create q fund for the support OF the Mining Col
lege-thc mining branch Of the University. IL was
the general opinion OF the members OF the Constltu-
tiOnal Convention that this tax would Yield the flrst
year from ten TO hftcen thousand dollars. with n
large annual increase thereafter, and that at 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
a very short time. The section 10y referred to above
of'thc Constitution, is In the following language, to
wit:
1.-THE Legislature shall provide q special tax OF one
half of one mill on the dollar Of all taxable property
OF the State, In addition 10 the other means pro
vldcd for the support and maintenance OF said Uni
vcrSlty aud common schools"
The last three words, and common schools
above, were coupled with the word University 10
make il appear manifcstly clear that the University
was n part of the Public School system. The inten.
tiOn OF the Convention. In regard TO the disposal OF
appear by reference 10 section 4. OF the Educational
Article OF the Constitution, which reads as follows,
to wit:
1.-THE Board OF Regents shall. from tho interest
~accruIng from the first funds from the hall mlIlaAJ
which come under their control. Immediately otSant
lie and maintain the said Mining Department Aoi
the University In such manner as 10 niaAe 20
most effective and useful" % IN.
From the foregoing II appears to my MINI ,hSt
conclusive and binding on the Board OF heSu aS ,,,,s
the interest first accrulng from the Sta'e Iunu MI.
be expended, not by distributing inc saniu CO.
annually among the several couhtcs ii M
Tor the support Of Public Schools. as secton ,bet
Inc School Law provides, however important .nS x
object may be; not by appropriatlng ~ \, 10 !. {STI-
mont OF The salaries OF the Professors III guy n
Cultural and Mechanical College,. as SEE ~ Inc
OF the law creating that impoor.shn' 9th isJ. indl.