Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-04-23
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT REPORT.
superintendonps Report-Continued.

istence. and feeling that a remedy should be vested
in the Legislature, the trainers Of the State Constl.
tuition vests the authority In that body IN Section
2. Article II. in the following words, to.wit:
80 . ''The Legislature may pass such laws
as will tend 10 secure o general attendance Of the
children in each school district upon said Public
The great lrresular,ty of the attendance Of chill.
dfen Or well meaning parents is an evil OF such mag.
nuence next TO non-attendance, which is more eS-
tensiye than Is generally considered. Children are
detained a. home for the most trivial reasons. This
rance Of the evils that grow ont or repeated absence.
n ISm osys absence In d term generally drops the
pue of iii III NJ ms Class. II may require Q vigorous
mand . respectable standing. Soon disgust follows
closely upon the heels Of encouragement, and there
ciates, school teacher or school house Wortiaed
ambition cannot endure daily exposure. For The
sense, the property OF the State. The law M asm,nds
that property shall be taxed 10 SUPPORT a Public
School for six months In each year. In return for
mand that children between certain AGES shsii avail
themselves OF these expensive facilities Tor a ilIe
term. or their equivalent at private schools. To in.
It In the public estimation that position and conf.
| dence that the system should command, the stand.
ard Of scholarship on the part olteachers should be-
so raised that persons OF an Indifferent or defective
education, unfortunate In other departments Of In.
dustry, would not venture, as a temporary eXprdI.
emf, 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 u
Primary School. II Is my deliberate Judgment that
wider range Of general knowledge. and q clearer Sp-
| prehension OF the complicated laws that control dif.
ierent children In o school OF forty or nfty little ones.
| and to excite and maintain an interest among those
who have no Idea OF the value OF education. than 10
awaken and maintain q like interest among, the
same number Of advanced scholars in a High School.
| Many Of the wlsest educators In the country have
often expressed this sentiment with great feeling
and force. l regard teaching as the most Import
ant as well as the most difficult OF all the profess
| sIons-one that demands OF Its members indivld.
ually q moro comprehensive knowledge or mental
and moral philosophy. q quicker perception and
knowledge OF childish likes and dlslikes OF the nu.
mcrous springs OF action, and how TO turn them 10
awaken Interest, stimulate thought. produce diSci.
plinc and cheerful obedience, than those OF any
S SspssS ~ co M 10 praetiiee sny Of the learned pro.
LESSONS who has not gone through q long course OF
professional training under the immediate dlrec.
ton OF their most eminent savans. to qualify him TO
discharge intellieently the responsible duties his
profession may require. No ono Is regarded conpe-
tent 10 make a shoe or q shovel, q house or q hand.
bucket, without nrst serving an apprenticeship.
The man who can make q steam engine, or who can
control It's movement AFTER It Is made, VIII com.
mand more compensation than the public is willing
to pay an ordinary teacher In a Public school.
though every part OF the engine, from It's feed 20 us
exhaust, with its various individual and combined
uses, could be learned In q fortnight by u vel. disci-
pllned and well educated teacher, whose mind hasa
mechanical tendency. Persons, 70 DO teachers.
should learn their profession BY a course Of discipline
cessful and celebrated educators In the country.
..Tr. "a FORMAL SCHOOLS. .
Shut out and far removed as our State Is nom the
great educational centers OF THE country. our oppor.
tunitics are slim indeed TO secure INST class teach.
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
aud other parts OF California. and we have nothing
by which TO invite superior educators 10 our desert
homes, unless our School Boards offer extrayasant
pay, which cannot be expected-whIeh would not
Our great educational want Is a Normal School
an Institution 70 educate those or our youth ambi.
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. In institution
Of this character would, In addition 10 its regular
supply for our schools OF well educated. well drilled
and 1.-Two teachers, do much 10 awaken and foster
throughout the State q spirit OF intellectual culture,
and 10 bring permanently before our, people the
An Institution OF this character should be located in
ono OF thc most populous towns Of the State. where
y sufficient number Of pupils could be procured for
thereto; for q Normal School without this impor.
tant adjunct would be as l~neflcient as q school for
the study Of practical chemistry that should ignore
the laboratory, with Its menstruums and prccIpl-
tants. or OF practical astronomy. without the aid OF
the heavenly bodies. Quadrdnts and telescopes.
There Is, however. a considerable number OF young
people OF respectable attainments In our midst who
have taught school more or less. and ambitious 10
obtain q respectable rank In the profession OF teach.
tice OF teaching is altogether unequal to the adj.
yanced educational claims OF the present time.
Many OF these would be drawn to an institution OF
this character to procure the proper Information
and q diploma, which should be current with School
Boards In every district, and should displace the
State. The stay Of this class would be longer or
shorter according TO their previous attachments and
aptncss to acquire. 4 Normal sehG9l would Eiye
In q p~ecunlary condition 70 organize and support an
Institution OF this character, IL would not be an
easy. matter 10 over estimate It's value upon the
necessarily be attended with great expense. The
rent OF q small building, the cost Of furniture AMI
the salary Of one prore sspT " win Y Timing additional
present would be required. The permanent cdihcc
and various onamentatlons could follow the growth
OF the school and the increase or 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
TO be added 10 II, l feel confident that that amount
could he raised, and q Normal School could he at
once put into a successful working condition. Some
source OF revenue could be created TO raise this
amount By the State, without seriously expressing
any person or Class.
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.
There Is one subject that l would Ike to bring to
your notice for your consideration. ] am somewhat
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, viii be both legitimate and proper. I'll
well known that the peculiar character Of the climate
OF the vast ranges OF these elevated tablc-lands 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.
cordIns OF accurate meteorological observations ~
those parts OF the State where Public Schools would
be likely to be maintained throughout the year.
would be q valuable contribution 10 science, and In
light in regard 10 our climate. One teacher in each
or the principal towns In the State, II furnished with
the necessary instruments for determining the heat
and density or the atmosphere, the direction and
force OF tho winds, the amount OF the fall OF rain ani
snow. and q book for recording the necessary bser-
would undoubtedly cheerfuliy s~uppIy-would. with
. triring addition TO his salary. i 80 directed by law.
accurately perform ne task; These o6serva,ions'
both on the part ofthe teachers, pupils and the pub.
lie generally. habits OF close observation In regard TO
atmospheric changes.
MpprRrcrIoS or THE PROCEEDS or THE HALF MILL
The proceeds Of the half mill tax, provided for In
section6 Of Education, Article < d the State Con.
s%titution. ~itoccurs 70 me. was diverted by the last
Legislature, nom tho use intended BY those who
l EsM' ap SnSs a' MarcS 18th Sf isss' provides o. al M hat seaSgI
mill t.Ij shail 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 the State,
| according 10 the hScertained NUMBER OF persons De.
tween the ages OF six and eighteen years In said
counties, for the support OF Public Schools. Tho
| object ofthis half mill tax was designed particularly
TO create q fund for tho support OF the Mining Col.
lege-the mining branch OF the University. II was
the general opinion OF the members OF the Constitu-
tlonal Convention that this tax would yield the frst
year from ten to nteen thousand dollars. with u
large annual increase thereafter, and that at an
early day the interest from the proceeds OF this tax.
aud from other sources OF revenue, would enable
the Board OF Regents 10 establish this branch OF tho
University and TO put Il into successful operation In
a very short time. The section l) referred to above
OF the Constitution. Is IN the following language. to
"The Legislature shall provide special tax OF onu
half or one mill on the dollar OF all taxable property
OF the State. In addition 10 tho other means pro-
| vided for the support and maintenance OF said Uni.
| vers!ty and common schools" .'
The last three words, and common Schools
above, were coupled with the word University TO
make Il appear manifestly clear that the University
was q part OF the Public School system. The intcn.
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 8, OF the Educational
Article Of the Constitution, which reads As follows.
""Thc Board OF Regents shall, from tho interest
accrulng from the first funds iron the half mill tax)
which come under their control. Immediately organ.
lie and maintain the said Mining Department (of
the University In such manner as TO make Il the
most effective and useful" G4 slEw-iLr ..f
From the foregoing II appears to my mind TO be
conclusive and binding on the Board OF Regents that
the interest first accruing nom the State fund must