Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-03-02
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT REPORT.
Superintendent. R.nor,-C.,,...1,

~ y Issent,aito tnelr nigh mission, Our Pub
nc SCHOOLS are designed as an nntldote to these fear.
full evils. The Legislature has the power 10 prryent
these TO q very great extern. sensible or their eX.
In the Legislature, the trainers OF the State Consti.
tuition vests the authority In that body in SectIon |
2, Article II, IN the following words, to.wit:
: . 1.-The Legislature may pass such law,
as will tend to secure q general attendance OF tho
children, in each school district upon said Public
The great iregularity OF the attendance Of chill.
dren OF well meaning parents is an evil OF such mag.
| nitude as to require q remedy 20 Is In It's balcfnl In
| luence next to non-attendance, which IL moro eS-
tsnsIye than Is generally considered. Children are
detained at home for the most trivial reasons. This
Is often done from thoughtlessness or from igno-
A few days absence In q term generally drops the
pupil behind his class. II may require q vigorous
Use OF all his powers and prompt attendance 70 COM
mand a respectable standing. Soon disgust follows
Closely upon the heels Of dlscouragement. and there
Is no longer any attraction either for school 1850,
ciatcs, school teacher or school house. Mortinsn
| ambition cannot endure daily exposure. For the
purposes OF education. children are, In q certain
sense, the property Of the State. The law demands
that property shall be taxed TO support q IuDnc
School for six months in each year. In return ior
| the payment or this tax, property has O right 70 DC;
/ mand that children between certain ages shall axhl
| themselves Of these expensive facilities lor u nke
term, or their equivalent ut private schools. TONE
sure an efficient Public School system-to secure lot
IL In the public estimation that position ana conn
dence that the system should thc siah !.
ard OF schOlarship on the part OF teachers snoulu DC
so raised that persons or an Indifferent or ueiectiNc
| education, unfortunate In other departments OF IN
S G%s 10 aspire 10 the control OF Public School. The
| feeling is altogether too prevalent. that any person
who can read and write Is competent 70 lnstLuSt
| primary School. II Is my deliberate Judgment that
IL requires more BALL, u greater amount Of tAcl,a
wider range OF general knowledge. anu q clearer ~
| prehcnsion OF the complicated laws that controiulI-
fercnt children In u school OF forty or MY little ones,
and 10 excite and maintain an Interest among those
who have no idea Of the value OF education, than 70
awaken and maintain q like interest among tne
81 aIuannaH Irhp1nTs In "a High SclOOl.
Many OF the wisest educators In the country nave
| often expressed this sentiment with great ieeIng
and force. I regard teaching as the most IMPORT
ant as well as the most difficult OF all the probes
sIons-one that demands OF Its members indiVld,
ually II more comprehensive KNOWLEDGE OF mental
and moral philosophy, q quicker perception anu
knowledge Of childish likes and d!sllkes OF inc hu-
mcrous springs Of action, and how TO turn them 70
awaken interest, stimulate thought. produce dlsei.
pline and cheerful obedience. tnan InosS OF any
garded competent to practice any OF thc learhcI pro
LESSONS who has not gone through n long course OF
professional tralnlpg under the immediate dlrec-
discharge lntelllgcn,ly the Responsible dutles MS
profession may require. No one Is regarded c0npe-
tent to make q shoe Or O shovel, n house or a haTu-
saw a coach or 4 crowblr, q broom, a bt Or u
bucket, without first serving an apprenticeship.
The man who can make n steam engine, or VINO can
control its movement after II y made, VIII som.
mand more compensation than the public Is willing
to pay an ordinary teacher In q Public School,
though every part Of the engine, from Its feed 10 us
| 'NhhuaN y ~ "iich' Ni
uses, could be learned In a fortnight by Il well disci-
plined and well educated teacher, whose mind has a
should learn their profession BY a course Of discIpline
and training. under the direction OF the most sue.
cessful and celebrated educators In the country.
NORMAL SCHOOLS.
Shut out and far removed as our State IA from the
great educational ccnters Of the country, our oppor-
tunItics ARE slim indeed 10 secure first class teach.
crs. The best OF the imported educators to the
Pacific Coast will be assorted aud culled out by the
Educational Boards Of San Francisco. Sacramento
aud other parts OF California, aud we have nothing
By which to invite superior educators to our desert
homes, unless our School Boards offer exlravagant
pay, which cannot be eXpected-which would not
be allowed.
an institution to educate those OF our youth ambi-
tIous to be teachers and for educational honors-,o
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
all OF them, reside In our State, and who probably
Of his Character would, in addition 10 its regular
supply for our schools Of well educated. well drilled
and live teachers, do much TO awaken and foster
throughout the State q spirit OF intellectual culture,
and TO bring permanently before our people the
great value and Importance Of popular education,
An Institution Of this character should b. located In
one OF the most populous towns OF the State. where
Il 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 Us inefficient "a a school fol
the study OF practical dentistry that should ignore
the laboratory. with It's menstruums and preelpl.
| tuUtS. OF OI pTuCLlCll usklOilOlusg Nv 1liS ab "
the heavenly bodies. quadrants and telescopes.
There Is, however, q considerable number OF young
people OF respectable attachments In our midst VINO
obtain q respectable rank In the profession or teach.
Ing, but whose knowledge Of the theory and prac'
tlcc OF teaching is altogether. unequal 10 the al.
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 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 mis- class would DC Longer oT
aptness 10 acquire. 4 Normal School would give
forth lis nrst fruits from this class. We're the State
instItutIon Of this character, II would not be an
public school interest In Nevada. But It need no,
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 editlc,
and various Ornalnentatlons could follow the growtl
OF the school and the increase OF the State schoo
Fund, II the State would Oiier twOt thousand dol
lars annually for the iirSt two years. on condition
that private donations would equal that sum, anG
to son Be- aided ID I,, e T. a ! rSe 4 s So4msi s ssss 'e eoui sm Be- q
once put into a successful working condition. Some
:. source OF revenue could Be created to raise TIL:
, amount by the State. without seriously depressing
any person or class.
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.
There IA one subject that I would like 10 bring TO
your notice for your consideration. / am somewhat
IN IOuDt WnetncT tut VItstub u wv llOpSt th"' VI
This the proper channel, but with my Ideas as re-
! CARDS the comprehensive character OF our Puolle
l School system, the proposed suggestions In this CON
ncctlon, will be both legitimate and proper, It's
) well known that the peculiar character ofthe climate
Of the vast ranges OF these elevated table-lanis DC
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 Otner
States. A plan that would secure the proper re.
t Ss nogts Of the state where Public Schools would
; be likely TO be maintained throughout the year,
/, would be q valuable contribution TO science. ana III
tho course OF a decade OF years would throw nlnch
7 light in regard TO our climate. One teacher In each
! oTthc principal towns In the state. " Furnished WIN
the necessary instruments Tor determining tne n ca
ami density OF the atmosphere. the direction anu
force of the winds, the amount OF the fall OF rain ana
snow, and u book for recording the necessary obSet.
vationS-all OF which the Smithsonian Institute
would undoubtedly c~heerfully supply-would. with
a trInlng addition to his salary. i so directed py law
accurately perform the task. These ooservaIEns'
published either weekly or monthly. would AWAKEN
both on tho part ofthe teachers, pupils and the pub
lie generally, habits OF close observation IN rcSaid 70
atmospheric changes.
AIsDIREcTIoN or raE PROCEEDS OF TIE HALF MILL
The proceeds Of the half mill tax. provided for In
section6 OF Education. Article y OF the state Con-
s%tiitution. il occurs to me. was diverted by the last
Legislature. from the use Intended 0y those VINO
formed that instrument Miras ac,S sS Ssss nr 3, 4, NJ. tSoi f .@%II
moneys derived from the tax herein levied (hailf
mill taxi shall be paid into the State School Fund,
and be Hpp TSs, [5Sd" IN 5as y, saI me INTEREST Interest," s ascT TahTr
4 DIDHJ1 Nl NNhNA AAAA A"NNh
shall be distributed 10 all the counties In the State,
according TO the ascertaincd 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 q fund for the support OF the Mining Col
icge-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 ton to nfteen thousand dollars. with a
large annual Increase thereafter, and that at an
early day the Interest from the proceeds OF this tax,
and from other sources or revenue, would enable
tho Board OF Regents TO establish this branch OF the
University and TO put II into successful operation In
very short time. The section 90 referred 10 above
OF the Constitution, Is In the following language. TO
wit:
1.-THE Legislature shall provided 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.
vlded for the support and maintenance OF said Uni.
versity and common schools"
above, were coupled with the word University to
make II appear manifestly 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, will more clearly
appear by reference TO section :, OF the EducaIona'
Article Of the Constitution, which reads as ioHo"''
to wit: -
1.-THE Board OF Regents shall. nom the Interest
accruing from the first funds (from the nat Lnin aan!
which come under their control. imfneulately "a ~, IN
lie and maintain the said Mining Depaitmem' Ne
the University In such manner As 10 hiaAe Wv
most effective and useful" v,,d N he
From the foregoing II appears 70 ny ~ R mIrn that