Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-03-12
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT REPORT.
superintendonrs Report-Continued.

| SupcrlutendonIb
| society are plundercd OF an undevelopcd power and
strength essential to their high mission. Our Pub
lie Schools are designed as an antldote TO these fear.
fal evils. The Legislature has the powerto prevent
these TO a very great extern. Sensible or their eS.
istence, and feeling that a remedy should be vested
In the Legislature. the trainers or the State Consti-
tuition vests the authority In that body IN Section
2, Article II, In the following words. to-wlt:
. . "Thc Legislature may pass such laws
as Will tend to secure a general attendance Of the
Schools"
The great irregularity Of the attendance Of chill.
dren OF well meaning parents is an evil OF such MAJ.
nitude as to require a remedy; II Is IN Us oalelul IN
luence next TO nOn-attendance, which Is morc eN-
tensive than is generally considered. Children. are
detained at home for the most trivial reasons. ms
Is Otto done from thoughtlessnesS or from igns-
rance OF the evils that grow out OF repeated absence.
A few days absence In a term generally drops the
pupil behind his class. 1t may require q vigorous
Use Of all his powers and prompt attendance to COM
closely upon the heels OF disbursement. and there
Is no longer any attraction either for school asso.
s sHISl,;s school teacher or school house; M F6 : ,Sa
purposes OF education, children are, In a certain
sense, the property OF the State. The law demands
that property shall be taxed to support q puelle
the payment Of this tax, property has a right TO de.
iIIand that children between certain ages shall avail
themselves OF these expensive facilities for q Ike
term. or their equivalent at private schools. To In
sure an efficient Public School system-to secure for
i In the public estimation that position and conf
Il NStNS fHak thS snlNHl oHOuluC OIIlIlullu, u otsAtlu-
ard OF scholarship on the part oftcachcrs should be
so raised that persons OF an indifferent or detective
education, unfortunate In other departments OF In
dustTy, would not venture, rs q temporary eSpedi-
ent, 10 aspire TO the controIofa Public School. The
feeling Is altogether too prevalent. that any person
who can read and write Is competent TO Instruct 4
Primary School. II IL my deliberate Judgment that
II requires more skill. Il greater amount OF tact, q
wider range OF general knowledge, and a clearer ap-
prehcnsion OF the complicated laws that control DIFF
icrent Children in a school OF forty or Iny little ones,
and TO excite and maintain an Interest among those
who have no idea OF the value Of education. than to
awaken and maintain a 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. l regard teaching as the most import
ant as well rs the most ditficu.t OF oil the prOfes.
sions-onc that demands Of Its members indlvid.
uallly q more comprehensive knowledge Of mental
and moral philosophy. q quicker. perception and
knowledge OF childish likes and dIsiikcs OF the nu.
merous springs OF action, and how to turn them 10
awaken interest, stimulate thought, produce disci.
pllne and cheerful obedience, than those OF any
other OF the Intellectual professions. No one Is re-
Garded competent TO practice any OF the learned pro,
iesslons who has not gone through a long course OF
professional training under the immediate dlrcc-
ton OF their most eminent savans, to qualify him 10
profession may require. No one is regarded compc-
tent to make a shoe or a shovel. q house or = hand.
saw, q coach or ! crowbar. u broom. a BIT Or a
bucket, without first serving an apprenticeship.
| The man VINO can make q steam engine, or who can
control It's movement after 1t Is made. will conf
mand more compensation than the public Is willing
~ pAn Ai luHHhA ~ III u " SNhVVit
though every part OF tho engine, from Its feed 10 Its
exhaust, With It's various Individual and combined
uses. could be learned in u fortnight by Il well disci-
plined and well educated teacher, whose mind has q
mechanical tendency. Persons. 10 be teachers.
should learn their profession by n course Of dlSciphne
and training, under the direction Of the most sue.
ceSsnnl and celebrated educators In the country.
NORMAL SCHOOLS.
Shut out and fur removed as our State Is from the
great educational centerS Of the country, our oppor-
tunitics are slim indeed 10 secure nrst class teach
| ArH Thu hnEf nj tina inlnnrfnd aducafnra In 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 eXtrsvagant
pay. which cannot be expected-Shich would not
Onr great educational want IS Normal School,
an Institution 20 educate those OF our youth nmbi-
tlous to be teachers aud for educational honors-io
train them TO meet the educational. requirements OF
our times and for our peculiar locality; young men
and women whose parents, relatives or friends. or
will remain permanently with us. An institution
of this character would, In addition 10 Its regular
supply for our schools Of We'll educated. well drilled
and live teachers. do much 10 awaken and foster
throughout The State 4 spirit or intellectual culture,
and 10 bring permanently before our people the
great value und 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
thereto: for a Normal School without this impor-
tant adjunct would be rs lneficient a. q school for
the study Of practical chemistry that should ignore
the laboratory, with It's menstruums and precipi.
tants, or OF practical astronomy, without the aid OF
the heavenly bodies. qusdrants and telescopes.
There Is, however, q considerable number OF young
people OF respectable attachments In our midst who
have taught school more or less, AMI ambitiouSt 70
obtain q respectable rank In the profession OF teach.
ing, but whose knowledge OF the theory and prac-
tice OF teaching Is altogether unequal TO the I'D.
vanccd educational claims Of the present time.
Many Of these would be drawn TO an institution Of
this character TO procure the proper Information
and q 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 or
shorter according 10 their previous attainments and
aptness to acquire. A Normal schoo! would give
In a p~ecuniary condition 10 organize and support an
Institution OF this character. II would not be an
g nuSl,e School Interest in Nevada. But it 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 triring additional
Incidental expenses, would be all the outlay that at
present would be required. The permanent cdliice
and various ornamcntations could follow the growth
OF the school and the Increase OF the State School
Fund. II the State would oiier two thousand dol
lars annually for the nrst two years. on condition
that private donations would equal that sum, and
10 DC added 10 II. l feel confident that that amount
could Be raised, and a Normal School could be at
once put Into u successful working condition.: some
source Of revenue could be created 10 raise this
amount by the State. without seriously depressing
any person or class.
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.
There Is one subject that l would Ike to bring to
your notice for your consideration. l am somewhat
in doubt whether the present Is the proper time or
this the proper channel, but with my Ideas as re-
garis the comprehensive character OF our Public
School system, the pIoposed suggestions nS sr IN Sn's fTh.
well known that the peculiar character o fthe climate
Of the vast ranges OF these elevated table-lands 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-
cOriin, OF accurate meteorological observations In
| those parts Of the State where Public Schools would
be likely 10 be maintained throughout the year.
would he = valuable contribution TO science. and In
the course OF a decade OF years would throw much
llght Ia regard TO our climate. One teacher In each
Of the principal towns In the State. II Furnished with
the necessary Instruments for determining the heat
and density OF the atmosphere. the direction snd
force OF the winds. the amount OF the fall OF rain and
snow, and a book for recording the necessary obscr-
yationS-Gl Of which the Smithsonian lnstitnte
a trihing addition TO his salary. if 80 directed BY Law.
accurately perform the task. These observations,
both on the part ofthc teachers, pupils and the pub.
lie generally, habits Of close observation In regard 10
atmospheric changes.
NIsDfREcrioS OF TuE PROCEEDS or TIE HALT MILL
The proceeds OF tho half mill tax. provided for in
sectIon6 Of Education, Article X OF the State Con.
Legislature, from the use intended by those who
formed that instrument. Section 81 Of the School
mil taxi shall be paid into tho State School Fund.
and be apportioned In the sams manner as Other
shan be distributed 10 all the counties In the State.
according 70 the Ascertained number OF persons be.
s c%setuI ~ for the support or Public Schools. The
object OF this half mill tax was designed particularly
10 create a fund for the support OF the Mining Col
The general opinion OF the members OF the Constltu.
tional Convention that this tax would Yield the lrst
49, ,,ual InpranRa thereafter and that at AN