Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-04-18
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT REPORT.
s1n,rin,endenps Rcport-Continued.

helpless tools OF artful polltlcdl aeHhbvk q
society are plundored or an undeVeloped power shu
strength essential 10 their high mission. our PuD-
lie Schools are designedas an antldote 70 tne ns. Vent
these TO q very great extern. Sensible OF tnell eA,
istence, and feeling that o remedy should Dc yestea
in the Legislature. the trainers OF inc STATE Sonsu,
tuition vests the authority In that body In Section
2, Article II, In the following words, to-wit:
80 . "The Legislaturemay pass such laws
as will tend to secure o general attendance q the
children in each school district upon said fuDhe
The great iregularity OF the attendance OF chill
dren Of well meaning parents Is an EVIL OF slich mag
aitude as TO require q Ts asaSsn |: !. y, Sb N IL U more OK.
tensiye than Is generally considered. Children are
detained at home for the most trivial reasons. ibis
Is ofte done from thoughtlessness or from igno-
rance Of the evils that grow out OF repeated absence.
A few days absence In O term generally drops the
pupil behind his class. II may require q vigorous
msnd a respectable standing. Soon disgust follows
closely upon the heels OF discouragement, and there
is no longer any attraction either for school nsso.
ambition cannot endure daily exposure. For the
purposes OF education, children arc, I'm q certain
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 u right TO de.
mand that children between certain ages shall avail
themselves OF these expensive facilities for n like
term, or their equivalent ut private schools. To In
sure an efficient Public School system-to secure for
IL in the public estimation that position and conf.
dence that tho system should command. tho stand
ard Of scholarship on the part oiteachers should be
SO raised that persons OF an Indifferent or defective
education, unfortunate in other departments Of In
dustry, would not venture, as o temporary eSpcdi-
ent, to aspire to the control OF u Public School. The
feeling IS altogether too prevalent, that any person
who can read and write Is competent to Instruct n
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.
prehensi0n OF the complicated laws that control dI.
ferent children in q school OF forty or my little ones.
who have no idea OF the value OF education. than TO
awaken and maintain n like interest among the
same number OF advanced scholars In q High School.
Many OF the wlscst educators In the country have
often expressed this sentiment with great feeling
and force. l regard teaching a. the most import
ant as well as the most difficult OF oil the profes.
ualIy a more comprehensive knowledge OF mental
knowledge OF childish likes and dIsliSes OF the nu.
awaken interest, stimulate thought, produce disci.
plInc and cheerful obedience, than those OF any
other OF the intellectual professions. 70 one is re-
fesslons who has not gone through q long course OF
professional training under the immediate direc-
discharge intclllgently the responsible duties his
profession may require. No one Is regarded compe-
tent 10 make a shoe or a shovel, a house or u hand.
saw, d coach or q crowbar, q broom. q bit or Il
bucket, without tirst serving an apprenticeship.
The man who can make q steam engine, or who can
control It's movement after II Is made, VIII cont
hhAlu NolipNhoobiOh hlah IA RAOliS 80 lhhHh
TO pay an ordinary teacher In q Public School.
though every part OF the engine, from Its feed 70 It's
exhaust, with its various individual and combined
uses, could be learned In q fortnight by a well discl-
plined and well educated teacher, whose mind has q
mechanical tendency. Persons, 10 DO teachers.
should learn their profession BY u course Of discipline
and training. under the direction OF the most sue
cesSful and celebrated educators In the country.
\ SCHOOLS.
Shut out and far removed as our State Ia from the
great educational centers OF the country. our oppor-
1 etDlfiaa = gltrn inhaaA En- aaruPa aFsf rlaaa eAarh.
ers. The best Of the imported educators 10 tho
Pacific Coast will be assorted and culled out by the
Educational Boards Of San Francisco, Sacramento
and other parts OF Callfornia, and We have nothing
by which 70 invite superior educators 10 our desert
homes. unless our School Boards offer extravagant
pay, which cannot be expected-whieh would not
Our great educational want is q Normal School,
an Institution 10 educate those OF our youth ambi-
tious 10 DO teachers and for educational honors-to
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
| will remain permanently with US. An Institution
OF this character would, In addition TO Its regular
supply for our schools Of well educated. well drilled
and live teachers, do much TO awaken and foster
throughout the State = spirit OF Intellectual culture,
and TO bring permanently before our people the
s ES institution NOUS Sa Of Hi, RhisS Character y. sR ROpIiA Be- f Ioes;sS IN
ono Of the most populous towns OF the State, where
q ~suficient number OF pupils could be procured for
the organization OF q training sehooL 70 Dc attached
v ~ ANNAbAaA SNaNSN NAAbNah NhAo hAHSNN
tant adjunct would be as inefficient as q school for
the study OF practical chemistry that should ignore
the laboratory, with Its menstruums and precipi.
tAnts, or OF practical astronomy, without the aid OF
the heavenly bodies. q~uAdrants 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 TO
obtain q respectable rank In the profession OF teach
Ing, but whose knowledge OF the theory and prac-
vsnced educational claims OF the present time.
Many OF these would DO drawn TO an institution OF
TIL; character to procure curl th ns proper intSSrTaslon
Boards In ever. district, and. should displace the
local Boards or School Examiners throughout tho
shorter according to their previous attachments and
aptness to acquire. A Normal School would give
forth It's iirst fruits from this class. We're the State
In q pecunlary condition To organize and support all
Institution Of this character, IL would not be al
easy matter 10 over estimate Its value upon the
public school Interest IN Nevada. But Il need not
rent of-a small building, the cost OF furniture and
the salary Of one Professor, with trifing additional
Incidental expenses, would be all the outlay that at
present would be required. The permanent edInce
and various ornamentatlons could follow the growth
OF the school and the Increase OF the State School
lars annually for the first two years. on condition
that private donations would equal that sum, and
10 be added 10 Il, l feel confident that that amount
once put into a successful working condition. Some
source Of revenue could be created to raise this
amount by the State, without seriously depressing
uhg pNioSa Va NhH1S ..
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 tho proper time or
this the proper channel, but with my Ideas rs re-
CARDS the comprehensive character OF our Public
School system, the proposed suggestions In this con-
~nectIon, will be both legitimate and proper. It's
well known that the peculiar character fthc climate
OF the vast ranges OF these elevated tablelands be-
tween the Rocky and Sierra Nevada mountains, Is
but little known by our " people, and very I'M
- a.. hE ala aAEA1n AZ IA nNhaH
States. A plan that would secure the proper re.
cording OF accurate meteorological observations In
| those parts OF the State where Public Schools would
be likely to DO maintained throughout the year,
would be n valuable contribution TO science, and In
the course or 3 decade OF years would throw much
IS IT. IN I IrSaTd 70 ,o our e ~ nay S,, Une II isaGa + IN S SiSh
the necessary instruments for determining the heat
and density OF the atmosphere, the direction and
force 1.-THE winds, INC amount o. me iai OF ram anu
vations-all OF which the Smithsonian Institute
would undoubtedly c~heerfully supply-would, with
a trifing addition 70 his salary, Il 50 directed by law
accurately 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 rcRhld 10
atmospheric changes.
TAX.
Tho proceeds OF the half mill tax, provided for In
section6 Of Education. Article X OF the State Con
%stitutlon, II occurs to me, was diverted by the last
LEGISLATURE, rom the use lnLen0cu Oy tnOsc WIN
formed that instrument. Section 81 OF the School
Law, approved March 10Th, 1855. provides that: al
moneys derived from the tax herein levied (half
mill taxi shall be paid into the State School Fund.
and be apportioncd In the same manner a. other
money IN that fund"-that IL, the Interest aecruing
shall be distributed TO all the counties In the state.
according TO the ascertained number OF persons be.
tween the ages Of six and eighteen years In said
counties, for the support VI Public schools. The
object OF this half mill tax was designed particularly
10 create a nnnd for the support OF the Mining Col.
iege-thc mlning branch Of the University. II was
the general opinion OF the members OF the C0nstitu.
tional Convention that this tax would yield the INST
year from ten TO niteen thousand dollars. with a
large annual increase thereafter, and that al all
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 ofthe
University and 10 put II into successful operation In
a very short time. The section S) referred 10 above
OF the Constitution, Is In the following language, to
""ihe Leglslaturc shall proyidea special tax Of one
half or 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 said Uni
yersity and common schools"
The last three words, "and common, ~schools,'
above, were coupled with the word University 10
make II appear maniiestly clear that the University
was q part OF the Public School system. The inteii.
ton OF tho Convention, In regard 10 the disposal or
the proceeds Of this half mill tax, Will more clearly
appear. BY reference TO sections s, OF the Educational
Article Of the Constitution. which reads as follows.
'"Thc Board Of Regents shall, from the interest
accruing from the nrst funds Qfom the half MIL taS) %