Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-03-05
SCHOOL sUpERINTENDENTs REPORT.
Supcrintcpdentj. Renort-Continurd.

hilSh ulEn ullShlDU. OuT run |
nc SCHOOLS arc designed as an antldote 10 these fear
iul evils. Tho Legislature has the powerto prevent
these 70 a SeTy great extern: Sensible Of their ex.
In the LEGISLATURE, the trainers OF the State Constl.
tuition vests the authority In that body in Section
. /" " 1.-THE Legislature NAV pas. such I,vs
as Will tend to secure q general attendance OF the |
children in each school district upon said Public
The great lrregulartty Of tho attendance Of chill.
dren Of well meaning parents Is an evil OF such mag.
nitudc as TO require q remedy II Is In Its baleful In
fiuencc next to non-attendance. which Is more ex-
tenslve than IL generally considered. Children are
detained at home for the most trivial reasons. This
Is Otto done from thoughtlcssness or from lgno-
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
u.e Of all his powers and prompt attendance 10 eonl.
closely upon The heels Of disbursement and there
Is no longer any attraction either for school asso,
ambition cannot endure daily exposure. For the
purposes 'of education. children are. In n certain
sense. the property Of the State. The law demands
that property shall be taxed TO support q Public
School for six months In each year. In return for
the payment OF this tax, property has a right 10 dc.
mand that children between certain ages snail avail
themselves Of these expensive facilities for q ike
term, or their equivalent at private schools. To H.
sure an efficient Public School ~systeri-to secure ior
IL In the public estimation that position and CONN.,
| dence that the system should command, the stand.
ard OF scholarship on the part or teachers should be
so raised that persons OF all Indifferent or detective
/ cuucltlOn, unfortunate III OlncI departments VI w
dustry, would not venture. as Q Temporary sxpSdi.
ent, TO aspire 10 the control OF o Public School. The
feeling Is altogether too prevalent, that any person
who can read and write Is competent TO Instruct a
| Primary School. 1t Is my deliberate Judgment that
It requires more skill. 4 greater amount OF tact,a
wider range Of general knowledge, ar" q clearer az
| urehcnsOn Of the complicated laws that control di-
| icrcnt children In q school Of forty or my little ones,
and TO excite and maintain all interest among those
who have no Idea OF the value Of education. than 10
awaken and maintain n like interest among, the
| same number OF advanced scholars In u High SchoOl.
| Many OF the wlsest educators In the country nave
| often expressed this sentiment with great feeling
| and force. l regard teaching NJ the most import
ant As well as the most dir1cu.t Of all the probes
slons-onc that demands OF It's members indlSiu;
ually q more comprehensive knowledge OF mental
and moral philosophy, a quicker perception anu
knowledge OF childish likes aud d!sllIes Of the nn-
merous springs Of action, and how to turn them dm 70
plIne and cheerful obedience. than those Of any
other OF Abe intellectual professions. 70 one Is re-
tcssIOns who has not gone through n long course Of
professional training under the inlmetllaic ullce-
ton Of their most eminent savans, To qualify MN 70
| profession may require. No one Is regarded cornpe-
tent 20 make u shoe or q shovel, q house or a manu-.
saw, II coach or q crOw6ar, q broom. a bt or d
bucket, without lrst serving an apprenticeship. \
The man who can make q steam. engine, or VINO can
| control its movement after II Is made. viii CONF
maud more compensation than the public Is willing
to pay an ordinary teacher in a Public School,
though every part or the engine. from Its feed 70 us
exhaust, with Its various Individual and combined
| uses, COllu W icil " III q W - ~ n'"N' i
| plined and well educated teacher, whose mind nasn
mechanical tendency. Persons, 10 be teachers.
and training, under the direction Of the most sue.
| ccssfnl and celebrated educators In the country.
NORMAL SCHOOLS.
Shut out and far removed rs our State Is from the |
great educational centers OF the country. our oppor-
tunitics are slim indeed To secure first class teach.
rrs. The best OF the imported educators TO the
Pacific Coast will be assorted and culled out by the
Educational Boards OF San Francisco,
and other parts OF California, and We have nothing
By which to Invite superior educators TO our desert
homes, unless our School Boards offer extrayagant
| pay, which cannot DO eSpectcd-which would not
Our great educational want Is q Normal School
an institution TO educate those Of our youth ambi-
tIous TO be teachers and for educational honors-io
train them to meet the educational requirements OF
our times aud 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 emain permanently with us. An Institution
OF s5n .nIs t s9' 5ST sGhS %%st Of W W 1s eGuca1.d 10 well WsI F STiIed
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 OF popular education.
An Institution Of this character should be located in
one saS 81 the m HsnI PSPT of ps iSES eoS nj 'P Be- SIOsSi shf FOR
the organization Of 4 training school, 10 be attached
thereto: for u Normal School without this impor-
tant adjunct would he as inefficient as q school for
the study Of practical chemistry that should ignore
the laboratory, with Its menstruuins and prcclpl.
tants. or OF practical ASTRONOMY, without Ihe ma Of
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 a respectable rank In the profession or teach
ing, but whose knowledge OF the theory and prac-
;!ce OF teaching Is altogether unequal 10 the adj
yauce,I educational claims OF the present time.
Many Of these would be drawn TO an institution Of
this character TO procure me proper iormatl
and n diploma, which should be current with School
Boards in every district, and should dlSplaee the
local Boards Of School Examiners throughout the
State. The stay OF this class would be longer OF
aptnesS 10 acquire. A Normal School would give
forth It's hrst fruits from this class. We're the State
In u p~ccunIary condition TO organize and support all
Institution vi this character, II would not be AN
easy matter 10 over estimate Its value upon the
public school Interest In Nevada. But II need not
necessarily BE- attended with great expense. The
rent Of a small building, the cost Of furniture aii
the salary OF one Professor. with thrilling additional
Incidental expenses. would he all the outlay that at
and various ornamentatlons could follow the growth
OF the school and the increase OF the State school
Fund. II the State would offer two thousand dol
lars annually for the inst two years. on condition
that private donations would equal that sum. and
SOh b added % S.I 20 T. a ! lfe = s SUI \ s tSst 'e eoui Sn Be- a;
once put into q 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 Il one subject that I would like 10 bring TO
your notice for your consideration. ! am somewhat
in doubt whether the present Is the proper time or
this the proper channel, but with my Ideas US re-
garls the comprehensive character OF our Public
School system, the proposed suggestions In this con-
nectIon, Will he both legitimate and proper, 1t Is
well known that the peculiar character oithe climate
Of the vast ranges Of these elevated tablc-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
stain stain, Of 4 accurate psa vH'i u sSoiu observations in
those parts OF the State where Public schools wouId
be likely 10 he maintained Throughout the year,
would be a valuable contribution TO science. and Ia
the course Of a decade Of years would throw much
light In regard TO our climate. One teacher IN each
Of the principal towns In the State. u FURNISHED Win
the necessary instruments for determining the heat
aud density Of the atmosphere. the direction all
force OF the winds, the amount OF the fall OF rain and
snow, and a book for recording the necessary obser-
yaIIons-alI OF which the Smithsonian Institute
would undoubtedly cheertully s~upply-would, with
a trlrlnI addition 10 his salary, 4 so directed by law,
accurately perform the task. These observations.
published either weekly or monthly. would awaken,
both on the part ofthe teachers. pupils ana the pub
lie generally, habits Of close observation IN regard 10
MIsDIREcTIoS or THE PROCEEDS of TIE HALF MILL
TAN.
The proceeds OF the half mill tax, provided Tor IN
sections Of Education. Article \ OF the State Con.
StltutIOn, II occurs to me-. was diverted by the last
Legislature. from the use intended BY those wig
Law, approved March aIth, lsS, provides that: All
moneys derived from the tax herein levied (half
mill taxi shall be paid Into the State School Fund.
/ and be apportioned In the same manner as other
money In that fund"-that Is. the Interest accrulng
shall be distributed 10 all the counties In tho State,
\ according 10 tue aSCcTlalncu nuuUcI VI pClbOus w
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
10 create q fund for the support OF the Mining Col.
lege-the mining branch Of the University. II was
the general opinion Of the members OF the Constltu.
tional Convention that this tax would yield the frst
year from ten TO hileen thousand dollars. with q
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 TO establish this branch OF the
University and TO put II Into successful operation In
a very short time. The section 90 referred TO above
OF the Constitution, is In the following language, 10
wit:
1.-The Legislature shall provides special tax OF one
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 said Uni.
versIty and common SCHOOL," o.r
Tho last three words, and common sen0ois,,
above, were coupled with the word University 10
make IL appear manIfestly clear that the HnlverslIy
was a mart OF the Public School system. Tue lnIsnI
lion OF the Convention, In regard TO the dlspoealoi
the proceeds OF this half mill tax, VIII more cieaIS
appear BY reference 10 section !, Of the Educay.oma'
Article OF the Constitution. which READS a. 'oh""''
1.-THE Board OF Regents shall. from the interest
nccrtlIny from the frst flnds IRON the na!I niln Ianl
which come under their control, immedlateg olsan;
iIe and maintain the said Mining Department SI
the University In such manner as " m'Ae '"e
\ mos effective and useful.'
I-- IL IN TN ml10 III Dt \