Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-03-27
SCHOOL suPERINTENDENT's REPORT
Superintendent's Report-Cor,i...I

lie Schools are designed as an nni iiss,on: Our Pub
il evils. The Legislature has the power 10 " ieaf,
1 !,sIs 20 . = Eefy great s1tsn,: Sensible Of their ex.
In the Legislature, the trainers OF the Stats coenssuea
tuition vests the authority In that body in Section
?. Article II. In the following words. t0.wit: w"
" . 1.-THE Legislature may pass such law
as viii tend to secure q general attendance Of ths
Schools"
The great iregularity OF the attendance OF chill.
dren Of well meaning parents Is Nh evil Of such mag.
nitude as TO require u remedy II Is In It's baleful In
tiucncc next TO non-attendancc. which Is more cx-
detained ut home for the most trivial reasons. This
Is Otto done from thOughtlcssncss or from igns-
rance OF the evils that grow out ofrcpeated absence.
A few days absence In a term generally drops the
pupil behind his class. 1t may require u vigorous
lice Of all his powers and prompt attendance TO COM
mand q respectable standing. Soon disgust follows
closely upon the heels OF encouragement, and there
IL no longer any attraction either for school assO-
cIatcs, school teacher or school house. Mortified
ambition cannot endure daily exposure. For the
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
nlaid that children between certain ages shall avail
themselves Of these expensive facilities for q Ike
term, or their equivalents at private schools. To In
sure an efficient Public School systcnl-to secure for
II In the public estimation that position and conll-
dcnce that the system should command, the stand.
ard Of scholarship on the part ofteachers should he
SO raised that persons OF an Indifferent or defective
education. unfortunate In other departments Of IN.
dustry, would not venture. US u temporary expedi-
cut, TO aspire to the control Ofa Public School. The
feeling Is altogether too prevalent, that any person
who can read aud write Is competent to instruct a
Primary School. II Is my deliberate Judgment that
II requires more skill, Il greater amount OF tact. a
wider range Of general knowledge. and q clearer Ap-
prchenslon Uf the complicated laws that control DIFF
ferent children In q school OF forty or tifty little ones,
and to excite and maintain all Interest among those
who have no Idea OF the value OF education, than 10
awaken anu maintain a like Interest among the
same number Of advanced scholars In a High School.
Many Of the wisest educators In the country have
often expressed this sentiment with great feeling
and force. l regard teaching IS the most import
ant as well ~ the most difficult OF all the profcs-
siOns-one that demands or Its members indivld.
ually q more comprehensive knowledge OF mental
AMI moral philosophy, q quicker perception and
knowledge Of childish likes and disllkcs OF the nu-
merouS springs Of action, and how 10 turn them TO
awaken Interest. stimulate thought. produce disci.
pline and cheerful obedience. than those Of any
other OF the Intellectual professions. 40 one Is re-
Sardcd competent 10 practice any OF the learned pro.
LESSONS who has not gone through q long course OF
professional training under the immediate dlrcc-
ton o ftheir most eminent savans. TO qualify him 10
discharge intcillgcntly the responsible duties his
profession may require. No onr Is regarded compe-
tent 20 make 4 shoe or q shovel, u house or q hand
saw, q coach or u crOwbar. a broom, a bit or n
BUCKET, without first serving an apprenticeship
The man who can make n steam engine, or who can
mand more compensation than the public IS willing
TO pay an ordinary teacher In a Public School,
though every part OF the engine. from Its feed TO Its
exhaust, with lis various individual and combined
uses. could be learned iI a fortnight by II well dIscl-
phne'l AMI well educated teacher, whose mind hast
m shSaia iGsrr , fSsnIGs nTGE i Persons S to BE- Teachers.
ami training, under tho direction VI the most sue.
ccNsnll aud celebrated educators in the country.
Nys$SN NORMAL SCHOOLS. is.s 81
Shut out and far removed as our State IL from the
great educational centers OF the country, our oppor.
tunitlrS Are slim indeed to secure trst class teach.
crs. The best Of the Imported. educators TO tho
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 oller extravugant
pay. which cannot be cxpccted-which would hot
Our great educational want Isl Normal School,
an Institution TO educate those OF our youth ambi.
train them 10 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
viii remain permanently with Us. An Institution
Of this 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 a spirit OF intellectual culture,
and to bring permanently before our people the
great value and importance or popular education.
An Institution Of this character should be located In
one Of the most pOpulous towns OF the State. where
u sufficient number OF pupils could be procured for
the organization OF q training school, TO be attached
tant adjunct would be rs inefficient as q school for
the study OF practical chemistry that should Ignore
the laboratory. with Its menstruums 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 moro or less. and ambitious TO
obtain u respectable rank 10 the profession Of teach.
Ing, but whose knowledge OF the theory and prac-
tice Of teaching Is altogether unequal 10 the adj
vanccd educational claims Of the present time.
Many Of these would be drawn TO all Institution OF
this character TO procure the proper Information
nnd n 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 'hell previous attachments and
forth It's irst fruits from this class. Were the State
In q pecuniary condition 10 organize and support an
easy matter to over estimate It's value upon the
public school interest In Nevada. But Il need not
necessarily be attended with great expense. The
the salary Of one Professor, with trihing additional
incidental expenses, would be all the outlay that Ut
present would be required. The permanent edihce
and various ornamcntatlons could follow the growth
of the school and the increase OF the State School
Fund. II the State would ofler two thousand dol
lars annually for the trst two years, on condition
that private donations would equal that sum, and
10 be added to II, i feel confident that that amount
could BE- raised. and n 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.
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.
There Is one subject that l 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 az re-
CARDS the comprehensive character Of our Public
nection, viii be both legitimate and proper. Its
well known that the peculiar character ofthe cllmate
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 Inn
perfectly understood BY the people Of the other
States. A plan that would secure the proper re-
those Darts Of The State where Public Schools Would
he likely ~ bc maintained throughout the year,
would be q valuable contribution TO science. and In
light In regard to our climate. One teacher In each
OF the principal towns In the State. " Furnished with
the necessary Instruments for determining the heat
and density Of the atmosphere. the direction and
force OF the winds. the amount OF the fall OF rain and
SnOw. and a book for recording the necessary Obser-
vatlons-all OF which the Smithsonian Institute
n trifling addition TO his salary. if so directed by law,
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 TO
atmospheric changes.
XIsprRrcrIoN or THE PROCEEDS or THE HALr MILL
The proceeds Of the half MILL tax. provided for In
section OF Education. Article X Of the State Con.
s%tItutiOn, II occurs TO me. was diverted by the last
Legislature. from the use Intended by those who
formed that instrument. Section 81 or the School
Law, approved March 18th, lS5, provides that: A
moneys derived from the tax herein levied (half
taxi shall be paid into the State School Fund,
and be apportioned In the SAME manner as other
money IN that ~fnnd"-that Is, the Interest Accruing
shall be distributed 10 all the counties In the State.
according to the aScertaiDed 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 tho support OF the Mining Col
lege-thc mining branch Of the University. II was
the general opinion Of the members Of the Constitu.
,InnaI HnnranttOn that fhIx laY wOuld vipld the 1rAl
year from ten to hteen 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
the Board Of Regents to establish this branch Of the
and TO put II into successful operation In
a very short time. The section 49, referred to above
OF the Constitution, Is In the following language, ~
"irho LEGISLATURE shall provide . 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-
vldel for the support and maintenance OF said Uni.
versIty and conmoH sehooi." -.
Tie last three wonis, "and common schools,r
above, were coupled with the word University 10
Il appear manlfestly clear that the University
a part Of the Public School system. The inten.
ton OF the Convention. 10 regard to the disposal Of
by reference to sectlons 4, Of the Educational
Article OF the Constitution, which reads IS follows,
TO wit:
accruInr from the nrsl funds from the half mill taxi
which come under their control. Immediately organ. |
lac and maintain the said Mining Department (of
the University In such manner a. 10 make It the
most effective and useful"
=, .nI IJnIInv nm The Rnab1 M Regan,. ,ha,