Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-03-08
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT REPORT.
annnrintendAnpa RAperf-CoutInued.

2, Article II, in the following words, to-wit:
The Legislature may pass such law!
as will tend TO secure . general attendance OF tht
children In each school district upon said fuoh'
The great lrregularity Of the attendance Of chill
dren Of well meaning parents Is an evil OF such mag
nltude rs TO require o remedy It Is In Its baletul In
iuence next TO non-attendance. which Is more ex,
tenslye than Is generally considered. Children arc
detained at home for the most trivial reasons. I'M
Is oitcI done from thoughtlessness or from lgno
rance ofthe evils that grow out ofrepeated absence.
A few days absence In a term generally drops tbe
pupil behind his class. It may require o vigorous
use Of all his powers and prompt attendance 70 com.
mand u respectable standing. Soon disgust follows
closely upon the heels OF announcement and there
IL no longer any attraction either for school asso.
ciates, school teacher or school house. olortlleu
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 SHAH, be taxed to support q Public
School for six months In each year. In return Tor
the payment OF this tax, property has q right 70 de:
nIand that children between certain ages shall avail
themselves OF thesc expensive facilities for 9 IKE
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 conn.,
dence 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
education. unfortunate In other departments OF In.
dustry, would not venture, as q temporary eSpsdl.
ent, to aspire to the control of Public School. The
feeling Is altogether too prevalent, that any person
who can read and write Is competent 10 Instruct q
Primary School. II Is my deliberate judgment that
wider range OF general knowledge. and a clearer APP
prehension OF the complicated laws that control dill.
lcrent children In a school OF forty or tlfty little ones,
and to excite and maintain an interest among those
who have no idea OF the value or education. than TO
awaken and maintain q like Interest among. the
same number OF advanced scholars In u High School.
Many OF the wlscst educators In the country have
often expressed this sentiment with great feeling
and force. l regard teaching as the most import
ant an well as the most ditleu.t OF all the profes'
Iana-nnN that dOmanHI nf lfa mamhAFA inllHlH-
uuliy q more comprehensive knowledge OF mental
and moral philosophy, q quicker perception and
knowledge OF childish likes and disllkes OF the nn'
merous springs OF action. and how TO turn them 10
awaken interest, stimulate thought, produce diScl'
pline and cheerful obedience. than those OF any
other OF the intellectual professions. No one Is re-
gardcd competent to practice any ofthe learned pro.
~fesslons who has not gone through q long course oil
professional tralniag under the immediate dlrec-
lion Of their most eminent Swans, 10 qualify hliil 10
profession may require. No one Is regarded compe.
tent TO make 4 shoe or q shovel, a house or a hand
saw, u coach or q crowbar, u broom, q DIT or q
The man who can mako a steam engine, or who can
control Its movement aiter II Is made, Will com.
mand more compensation than the public is Willing
TO pay All ordinary teacher In q Public school,
though every part OF the engine. from Its feed 70 It's
exhaust, with It's various Individual and combined
uses. could be learned In q fortnight by O well disci'
mechanical tendency. Persons. 10 be teachers,
should learn their profession by a course Of discipline
aud 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 Is from the
great educational centers OF the country, our oppor-
tunItles are slim Indeed 10 secure first class teach.
ers. The best OF the imported educators to the
Pacific Coast will be assorted aud culled out by the
Educational Boards OF San Francisco, Sacramento
and other parts or California, and we have nothing
by which TO Invite superior educators TO our desert
homes, unless our School Boards offer extravaganza
nav which cannot be eNDeCted-whlch would not
be allowed.
Our great educational want Is a Normal School
an institution 10 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 and for our peculiar locality; young men
ali OF them, reside In our State, and who probably
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 Of intellectual culture
and 10 bring permanently before our people thu
greut value and importance or popular education
An Institution Of this character should be located II
one OF the most populous towns Of the State, wher'
a sufficient number Of pupils could be procured FOL
the organization Of q training school, to be attaches
thereto; for q Normal School without this impor
tant adjunct would be as inefficient as q school FOL
the study VI practical chemistry that should ignor,
| the laboratory. with Its menstruums and precipi
tants, or OF practical astronomy, without the aid o
the heavenly bodies. QuadrAnts and telescopes
There Is, however, q considerable number Of younI
I DtODlGO vi AA "a AAiu8 '" 81
have taught school more or less. and ambitious e
obtain 4 respectable rank In the profession OF teach
Ink. but whose knowledge OF the theory and prac
tice OF teaching Is altogether unequal TO the ad
vanced educational claims OF the present time
| Many Of these would be drawn 10 on institution o.
| this character 10 procure the proper Information
and a diploma. which should be current with Schoo
| Boards In every district, and should displace tht
local Boards OF School Examiners throughout the
| State. The stay Of this class would be longer OF
shorter according to their previous attachments and
aptncss to acquire. A Normal School would give
forth It's first fruits from this class. Were the State
In a pccunIary condition TO organize and support al
institution OF this character, II would not be an
easy matter TO 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 and
the salary Of one Professor, with triring additional
Incidental expenses, would b. al. the outlay that al
present would be required: Ihs permanent sdinss
OF the school and the increase or the State School
Fund. II the State would o1er two thousand dol.
lar, annually for the ilRt two years, on condition
that private donations would equal that sum. and
10 be added 10 II. / feel confident that that amount
could be raised, and 4 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 DERIVATION.
There is one subject that i would Ike to bring TO
your notice for your consideration. ! am somewha
In doubt whether the present Is the proper time or
this the proper channel. but with my ideas as re-
garis 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 OF the climate
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 I'm.
perfectly understood by the people OF the other
States. A plan that would secure the proper re.
those parts OF the State where Public Schools would
be likely 10 be maintained throughout the year.
would be n valuable contribution 10. science. and In
- --,,- - Na-n4n - N "NaFanlI NhWnNT WnRNgH
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
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-
vations-all Of which the Smithsonian Institute
would undoubtedly cheerfully~ 6upply-would, with
4 tritiing addition to his salary. II so 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 regard to
atmospheric changes.
NspIREcTIoS or THE PROCEEDS OF THE HALF MILL
The proceeds OF the half mill tax. provided for In
section Of Education, Article X OF the State Con.
Legislature, from the use intended by those who
formed that instrument. Section 81 OF the School
Law, approved March 10Th, 1885, provides that:
moneys derived nom the tax herein levied (half
and be apportioned In the same manner as other
money In that fund"-that Is, the interest accruing
Shall DC distributed 10 all Tue counties III the state,
according to the aSccrtained 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 or the Mining Col.
legc-the mining branch or the University. II was
the general opinion Of the member Of the Constitu-
tlonal Convention that this tax would yield the inst
year nom ten TO tfteen 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 10 establish this branch OF the
University and to put II Into successful operation In
a very short time. The section I6) referred TO above
OF the Constitution. Is In the following language, TO
wit:
1.-THE Legislature shall provide q 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.
vIded for the support and maintenance OF said Uni.
verslty aud common SCHOOL,"
The last three words, and common schools
above, were coupled with the word University TO
was a part Q 1.-THE Public School system. The inten;
ton Of the Convention. in regard TO the disposal o.
the proceeds OF this half mill tax. will more clearly
appear BY reference to section 5, OF the Educatlonai
Article Of the Constitution, which reads as iollows'
TO wit: ..,
nccruIng nom the first funds (nrom the bali min TAX
which come under their control. Immediately organ.
lie and maintain the said Mining Department Soi
the University In such manner as 10 make II the
most effective and useful"
From the foregoing IL appears TO my mind 10 De
conclusive and binding on the Board OF Regents that
the interest ilrst accruing from the State fond must
be expended, not by distributing the same SEMI
annually among the several counties IN the State
for The support OF Public Schools, as section lat OF
the School Law provides, however Important, that
object may be; not by appfopriatlnG j. i9s the Pay.