Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-04-25
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT REPORT
sInsrint.ndenIs Report-Contnued.

strength essential 10 their high mission. our Pub
lie Schools are designed as an a ,ha naSs ~ y, sng nyrT iya,.
these 10 n very great extern. Sensible OF their cS-
istence, and feeling that q remedy should DC ysstsn
In the Legislature, the trainers OF the state Constl-
tuition vests the authority In that body IN section
?. Article II. In the following words. to-wit: y ,
. 1.-THE Legislature may pass such laws
a. VIII tend to secure q general attendance OF tme
Schools" $500
The great irrcgularlty Of the attendance OF chill.
nitude as to require a remedy it Is in lis baiefuI III
nuehee next TO non-attendance. which Is more ex-
detained at home Tor tSey m So%stiq piyisI reasons. This
y 0me Done from thoughtlessness or from ignO-
A A law SS 5s svs eyns that grow out orrepeeted absence.
pupil behind his class. II NAV rsSnirc a vigorous
use 81 an MS powers and prompt attendance 10 COM
closely upon the heels OF dIscourngsmen, and thsrr
no ionger any attraction either for school asso-
ambition cannot endure daily eSposnIe ror H.
purposes o! education. children are. in n certain
sense. the property Of the State. The law demands
School for six months In each year. In return rr
the payment Of this tax, property has a riS6t 10 d..
| Themselves OF these expensive facilities Tor 4 iIps
term, or their equivalent at private schOOls. To in.
sure an efficient Public School system-to secure for
II In the public estimation that position and conG.
dencc that the system should command. the stand.
ard Of scholarship on the part OF teachers should be
so raised that persons Of an Indifferent or defective
/ eQuCdtlOU, uliOI nav III ~ uCpai iCAlho VI ll-
dustry, would not venture, as q temporary eSpedi.
ent, TO aspire to the control off Public School. tn.
feeling Is altogether too prevalent. that any person
who cali read and write Is competent TO instruct II
Primary School. II Is my deliberate Judgment that
II requires more skill, a greater amount OF TACT, u
wider range Of general knowledge, and a clearer ap-
prehensIon Of the complicated laws that control dii.
iercnt children In q school OF forty or my title ones.
and to excite and maintain an interest among those
who have no Idea Of the value OF education. than to
awaken AMI maintain q like interest among the
same numberO of advanced scholars In 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 Us well as the most difficult OF all the PROBES.
sions-one that demands Of its members lndivid:.
ually q more comprehensive knowledge OF mental
and moral philosophy, q quicker perception and
knowledge Of childish likes and disllkes OF the nu.
awaken Interest, stimulate thought. produce dtsci.
pline and cheerful obedience. than those OF any
other OF tho intellectual professions. No one Is re.
LESSONS who has not gone through a long course OF
professional trainiqg under the immediate direc-
ton OF their most eminent savans, 10 qualify him 10
discharge intelllgently the responsible duties his
profession may require. No one Is regarded compc-
lent 10 make a shoe or q shovel. q house or a hand.
saw, O coach or q crowbar. a broom, q bit or a
bucket, without hrst serving an apprenticeship.
The man who can make q steam engine, or who can
control It's movement after II e made, Will com.
mand more compensation than the public IL willing
70 pay an ordinary teacher In a Public School,
though every part OF the engine. from It's feed 70 It's
exhaust, with It's various Individual and combined
uses, could be learned In q fortnight BY a well disci.
pllned and well educated teacher, whose mind has
mechanical tendency. Persons, 10 be teaehers.
should learn their profession By a course OF disclpllno
and training. under the direction or the most sue
cessful and celebrated educators In the country.
NORMAL SCHOOLS.
Shut out and far removed IS our State Is from the
great educational entcrs or the country, our opp9r-
~tunities are Nln indeed TO secure INST class teach
ers. The best OF the imported educators TO the
Pacific Coast will be assorted and culled out by the
Educational Boards Of San Francisco, Sacramento
1 and nthsr naPfanf California and ua hava nnIhInU
by which TO invite superior educators 10 our desert
homes, unless our School Boards offer extravagant
pay, which cannot be expected-whicb would not
Our great educational want Is q Normal School
an institution TO educate those Of our youth ambi.
train them to meet the educational requirement, OF
our times and for our peculiar locality: young men
snG Of T tSeG, reside wSS,e ia pae our State le,A; AND who Sh 1f prossS pr
will remain permanently with us. An Institution
Of this character, would, In addition TO It's regular
supply for our schools Of well educated, well drilled
and live teachers. do much TO awaken and foster
throughout the State a spirit or intellectual culture,
and to bring permanently before our people the
An Institution Of this character should be located In
one OF the most populou5 towns OF the State, where
q s~uficient number Of pupils could be procured for
the organization OF q training school. TO be attached
thereto; for o Normal School without this impor.
tnnt adjunct would be as inefficient rs u school for
81, tSs i ISScTs ~ STaS WITH fia It's mens,r 1naa sI snd p ,seS5c
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 "
obtain a respectable rank In the profession OF teach.
tlce 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 dlsplace the
local Boards or School Examiners throughout the
AtAta The Htay of this class would hA lnnPpr Or
shorter according 10 their ppvious attachments and
aptness TO acquire. A Normal School would give
in a pccuniary condition 10 organize and support an
Institution Of this character, II would not be an
easy matter to over estimate its value upon the
necessarily be attended with great expense. The
rent OF a small building, the cost OF furniture and
The salary Of one Professor, with tsininE additional
present would be required. The permanent cdIicc
and various ornamentations could follow the growth
e. .de f ~ 10 s Sta,s sr wo lnSFe ossr ~ tx q ,S SHHss SSh S"yI
lars annually for the first two years. on condition
that private donations would equal that sun. aud
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.
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.
There Is one subject that ! would like TO bring to
your notice for your consideration. ! am somewhat
| Ill doubt WIltlneT tuc pIcstlt u tHO proper tlUc Ut
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.
nection, will be both legitimate and proper. II Is
well known that the peculiar character ofthe climate
OF the vast ranges OF these elevated table-iands be-
tween the Rocky and Sierra Nevada mountains. Is
perfectly understood by the people Of the other
States. A plan that would secure the proper re-
sSrdins Of accurate meteorological excavations r.
DO likely 10 be maintained throughout the year,
would be d valuable contribution 10 science. and In
the course OF q decade Of years would thgSw much
light In 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
force or the winds. the amount OF the fall or rain and
snow, and q book for recording the necessary obser-
yatlons-all Of which the Smithsonian Institute
q trinlng addiuon 10 his salary. if so directed BY law,
accurately perform tho task. These observations.
both on The part ofthc teachers, pupils and the pub.
Ic generally, habits Of close observation In regard TO
atmospheric changes.
NsprRIcrIoS or THE PkocLrDs op TINE HALy MILL
TAX.
The proceeds OF tho half mill tax. provided for In
section6 OF Education, Article X Of the State Con-
s~tltution, II occurs 10 me. was diverted BY the last
legislature, from tho use intended by those who
formed that instrument; SECTION ~ q the sehool
moneys derived from the tax herein levied, (half
mill tax) shall be paid into the State School Fund.
| and be appOTtlOneu IN the baule Wh0ucT As Otner
| money In that fund"-that Is, the interest ~accruing'
shall be distributed TO all the counties ID the State,
according TO the sscertained lumber or 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 . fund for the support OF the Min!ng Col
iege-the mining branch OF the University. II was
The general opinion Of the member OF the Constltu.
tlonal Convention that this tax would yield the nrst
wear from ten 10 nNeen 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 OF revenue. would. enable
the Board OF Regents 10 establish this branch OF tho
University and to put II into successful operation In
a very short time. The section (6) referred 10 above
OF the Constitution. Ii In tho following language. 10
Wit:
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 nid Cni.
verslty and common schools"
The last three wonds, 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 s, OF tho Educational
Article Of the Constitution, which reads as follows,
10 wit:
The Board or Regents shall. from the interest
Accrulng from the first funds (rom the half MIL taxi
which come under their control. Immediately organ.
lie and maintain the said Mining Department (oi