Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-02-26
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT REPORT.
sunnrintendnnt,a Raport-Contnued.

strength essential TO their high mission. our PuD-
full evils. The Legislature has the powerto prevent
these to q very great extcn'. Sensible or their eS.
lstence, and feeling that a remedy should be vested
tuition vests the authority In that body In Section
2, Article II. In tho following words, to.wIt:
. "TheL Legislature may pass such laws
as will tend to secure q general attendance Of the
children, in each school district upon said Public
The great irreguIarIty OF the attendance OF chill
dren Of well meaning parents Is on evil OF such mag
nItudo as to require q remedy II Is In Its balefultn-
duence next TO non-attendAnce. which Is moro ex-
tensive than Is generally considered. Children are
detained at home for the most trivial reasons. This
Is oiten 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. Il may require = vigorous y Hon,
mand q respectable standing. Soon disgust follows
Closely upon the heels Of ENCOURAGEMENT, and there
Is no longer any attraction either for school asso.
rIates. school teacher or school house. Mortified
ambition cannot endure daily exposure. For the
purposes OF education. children are, In q certain
sense, the property OF the state. The law dcInan1s
School for six months In each year. In return Ior
the payment OF this tax, property has q right 70 de;
mand that children between certain ages snail ax xsa
themselves OF these expensive facilities for 9 ike
term, or their equivalent at private schools. TO IN
sure an efficient Public School system-to secure for
4 IN the public estimSt iSnr ,hat opsmuSG an; anu s sonS.
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 O temporary expedl'
emf, TO aspire to the control of Public school. Inc
feeling Is altogether TOO prevalent. that any person
who eau read and write Is competent 10 instruct o
Prlmary School. II Is my deliberate Judgment that
IL requires moro skill. a greater amount OF tact. a
| wider range Of general knowledge. and u clearer az.
prehenslon Of the complicated laws that control dll-
fcrcnt children In o school OF forty or htty little ones,
and 10 excite and maintain an interest among those
| who have 10 idea Of the value OF education, than TO
| awaken and maintain a like Interest among. the
sanle number OF advanced scholars In o ulgh Scnool.
| Many Of the wIscst educators In the country have
often expressed this sentiment with great feenng
and force. l regard teaching rs the most import
ant ~ well Us the most difficult OF all the PROBES
| sions-onc that demands OF Its members individ:
ually q more comprehensive knowledge OF mental
and !nnddu moral p Ph rSI;SEsi i Z 9g aSS 5,i PsIssp SF ,Se I nS.
mcrous springs OF action. and how 10 turn them 10
\ awaken interest, stimulate thought. produce disci.
pllnc and cheerful obedience. than those Of any
garded competent TO practice any OF the learned pro.
LESSONS who has not gone through Il long course OF
professional tralnlng under the immediate dlree.
ton OF their most eminent Swans, TO qualify him. 70
| discharge intelllgently the responsible duties MS
profession may require. No one Is regarded compe'
tent 20 make a shoe or q shovel. a house or q hand.
saw, Il coach or n crowbar. = broom, a bit or q
bucket. without first serving an apprenticeship
| The man who can make a steam engine, or who can
\ mand more compensation than the public Is willing
TO pay M ordinary teacher In q Public School,
though every part OF the engine, from It's feed 10 It's
exhaust, with It's various individual and combined
uses, could be learned In q fortnight BY q well discl
pllned and well educated teacher. whose mind has q
mechanical tendency. Persons, TO be teachers
should learn their profession BY Acourse Of discipline
and 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 tn,
great educational centers OF the country, our oppor
Wnities arc slim indeed to secure first class teach
ers. The best OF the imported. educators to III
Pacific Coast will be assorted and culled out by thu
Educational Boards Of San Francisco, Sacramento
and other parts Of California, and we have nothini
by which TO invite superior educators to our deser
homes. unless our School Boards offer extravagaD
pay. which cannot bo ex~pcctcd-which would no
Our great educational want IA q Normal School,
an institution TO educate those OF our youth ambI
tIous 10 be teachers and for educational honors-t
train them 10 meet the educational requirements Q
our times and for our peculiar locality: young me
and women whose parents. relatives or friends, o
ali Of them, reside in our State. aud who probabl
will remain permanently with US. An i~nstltutio
OF this character would, In addition TO It's regulo
supply for our schools OF well educated, well drlle
and live teachers. do much TO awaken and ioste
throughout the State q spirit Of Intellectual cultur,
and to bring permanently before our people IN
SreT. y"lTs and dr i iRIp sSSISs,. Of , RSpGaInss r. c IaSs1ss
one OF the most populous towns OF the State whcr
a sufficient number OF pupils could be procured 70
The 9rSa"I va SS Of q frs ssanSl 'S II9SGu 10 t Se st ,a'nS,
tant adjunct would be Us inefficient as a school 70
the study Of practical chemistry that should ignor
the laboratory. with rs menstruums and preeip
the heavenly bodies, qundrants and telescope;
There Is. however, O considerable number OF yOun
haze taught school more or less, and ambitious I
obtain q respectable rank In the profession Of teach
Ing, but whose knowledge Of the theory and prac
lice Of teaching Is altogether unequal to the cd
vanced educational claims Of the present time
Many OF these would be drawn TO IN Institution 0
this character TO procure the proper Information
and q diploma, which should be current with Schoo
Boards IN every district, and should dlsplace tn
local boards OF School Examiners throughout tn
State. The stay Of this class would be longer o
sptness to acquire. A Normal School would CIV
4 forth It's iirst fruits from this class. Were the Stat
in a pecunlary condition to organize and support al
easy matter 10 over estimate Its value upon tn
public school interest In Nevada. But II need no
necessarily be attended with great expense. tn
rent OF q small building, the cost OF furniture an
the salary Of one Professor. with trl1lng additions
Incidental expenses. would be all the outlay that q
present would be required. The permanent ediic
Of the school aud the increase Of the State SchoC
Fund. II the State would offer two thousand do
lars annually for the nrst two years. on condiuo
that private donations would equal that sum. an
10 be added 10 It, i feel confident that that amour
could be raised, and O Normal School could be q
once put into a successful working condition, Som
source OF revenue could be created to raise th
amount by the State. without seriously oppressip
any person or class.
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.
There Is ono subject that / would like 10 bring I
your notice for your consideration. l am somewha
in doubt whether the present Is the proper time 9
thls the proper channel, but with my ideas as rt
CARDS the comprehensive character Of our Puol
School system, the proposed suggestions 10 tnls Son
ncctlon, VIII be both legitimate and proper, III
well known that the peculiar character OF the climat
OF the vast ranges Of these elevated taole-lands DC
tween the Rocky and Sierra Nevada mountains. J
hut little known by our own people, and very I'm
%pcrfcctIy understood by the people OF the othe
States. A plan that would secure the proper re
c~oriln: OF ACCURATE meteSrolog,Sssii, S oS SSSno,s aouI J.
be likely 10 be maintained throughout the year
would be a valuable contribution TO science. and Y
the course OF q decade % years S TSa; ,r1 ,nTeT m m essi
OF the principal towns In the state, " furnished VIII
nc necessary Instruments for the hca
nnJ density OF the atmosphere. the direction ant
Sorce OF tho winds, the amount OF the fall OF rain AM
snow, and q book for recording the necessary obser
vatlons-all OF which the Smithsonian lnstltut.
would undoubtedly cheerfully supply-would, Will
A trIding addition 10 his salary, Il 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 4
atmospheric changes.
MIspIREcTIoN or THE PROCEEDS OF TIE HALF MIL
The proceeds OF tho half mill tax. provided for Il
section 8 OF Education, Article y OF the State Con
%stitutiOn, Il occurs TO me. was diverted BY the las
iormcd that instrument. Section 81 Of the Sehoo
Law, approved March 2lth, 1865, provides that: IA
moneys derived from the tax herein levied (hal
and be apportioncd in the same manner as othe
money In that fund"-thnti 10, the interest accruin
shall be distributed TO all the counties In the State
according to the ascertaincd number OF persons be
tween the ages OF six and eighteen years In sal
counties. for the support OF Public Schools. Tn
object Of this half mill tax was designed PARTICULAR
f % erSiss q mining lGia 'G branch s%S 'Sp he U j ;ag nsSa'. L wa
the general opinion OF the members OF the Constltu