Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-03-10
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT REPORT.
snnerintnndnnta Rcport-Continued.

superintendent Rcport-Continued.
society arc plundered OF an undeveloped power and
strength essential TO their high mission. our pup
ful evils. The Legislature has the powerte prevent
these 10 a very great extern. Sensible OF their ex,
istencc. and feeling that a remedy should be yested
In the LEGISLATURE, The trainers OF thc state Sons.,
2, Article II. IN the following words, to-wit:
= . "The Legislature may pass such laws
as will tend to secure a general attendance OF the
children In each school district upon said Public
Schools"
The great irregularily OF the attendance Of chill
dren OF well meaning parents Is an evil or such mag
nltude as TO require = remedy II Is In It's baleiul IN
huence next TO non-attendance. which Is more cx'
tensive than Is generally considered. Children are
detained at home for the most trivial reasons. This
Is oitc done from thoughtlessneSs or from iGno-
rance OF the evils that grow out OF repeated absence.
A few days absence in a term generally drops the
pupil behind his class. II may require q vigorous
use Of ull his powers and prompt attendance TO COM
closely upon the heels Of dIs enlargement, and there
II no longer any attraction either for school asso-
ciates, school teacher or school house. Mortified
ambition cannot endure daily exposure. For the
purposes or education. children are, In q certain
sense, the property OF the State. The law demands
that property shall be taxed to support a Public
School for six months IN each year. In return for
niand that children between certain ages shall avail
themselves OF these expensive facilities for a like
term. or tIe,r cqniSaient At private schools. To IN
Il In tile public estimation that position and conf
dcncc that the system should command, the stand.
ard OF scholarship OH 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 a temporary cXpedi.
ent. to aspire to the control Of Public School. The
feeling Is altogether too prevalent, that any person
who can read ind write Is competent TO instruct q
Primary School. IL Is my deliberate judgment that
II requires more skill, u greater amount OF tact, q
wider range OF general knowledge, and q clearer APP
DrelpnslOn OF Tho complicated laIgR TINT cODf rOl diff.
icrent children In q school Of forty or tifty little ones,
and TO excite and maintain an interest among those
who have no idea Of the value Of education than TO
awaken and maintain a, like interest among. the
same numbe OF advanced scholars In u High School.
Many Of the wlsest educators In the country have
often expressed this sentiment with great feeling
and force. / regard teaching rs the most import
ant as well as the most difficult OF oil the profess
sions-one that demands Of Its members individ.
ually a more comprehensive knowledge OF mental
and moral philosophy, a quicker perception and
knowledge OF childish likes and disllkcs OF the MT.
inerOus springs OF action. and how 10 turn them 10
awaken Interest, stimulate thought. produce dlsci.
pllne AMI cheerful obedience, than those OF any
other Of the Intellectual professions. No one Is re.
garded competent TO practice any 0fthe learned pro.
ieSSlons who has not gone through u long course OF
professional training under the immediate direc-
ton Of their most eminent savans, TO qualify him to
discharge intclllgently the responsible duties his
profession may require. No one Is regarded compe-
tent 20 make a shoe or a shovel, a house or a hand.
saw, a coach or a crowbar, q broom, q bit or a
bucket, without first serving an apprenticeship
The man who can make a steam engine. or who can
control Its movement after II Is made, will 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 10 It's
exhaust. with its various individual and combined
uses, could be learned In a fortnight by a well diScl'
pllncd and well educated teacher. whose mind has q
mechanical tendency. Persons. TO be teachers,
should learn their profession by n course Of discipline
and training. under the direction OF the most sue.
cessful and celebrated educators In the country.
NORMAL SCHOOLS.
Shut ont and far removed as our State Is from the
great educational centers OF the country. our oppor'
tunltlcs are slim indeed TO secure first class teach
crS. The best OF the imported educators 10 the
Pacific Coast will be assorted and culled out by The
Educational Boards Of San Francisco. Sacramento
and other parts OF California, and We have nothinf
by which TO invite superior educators 10 our deser
homes, unless our School Boards offer cXtravagant
pay. which cannot DO eSpected-whIch would no
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-i,
train them TO meet the educational requirements o
our times and for our peculiar locality: young me-
and women whose parents. relatives or friends. o
/ all OF them, reside In our State. and who probaOl
| will remain permanently with US. An Institute
OF this character would, In addition 10 Its regula
supply for our schools OF well educated. well dTllle
and live teachers, do much 10 awaken and foste
throughout the State a spirit Of intellectual culture
and 10 bring permanently before our people tn
great value and Importance OF popular education
An institution OF this character should be located 4
one OF the most ~populous towns OF the State. wher
a sufficient number OF pupils could be procured 70
the organization OF n training school, to be attache,
thereto; fora Normal School without this impoI
tant adjunct would be a. inefficient as a school 70
the study Of practical chemistry that should ignor
the laboratory. with Its menstruums and prccipl
tants, or OF practical astronomy, without the aid q
the heavenly bodies. quadrants and telescopes
There Is, however, u considerable number OF youni
people OF respectable attachments In our midst whit
have taught school more or less, and ambitious q
obtain a respectable rank In the profession OF teach
ing, but whose knowledge OF the theory and prnc
tiee OF teaching Is altogether unequal 10 the ad
vanced educational claims OF the present time
Many Of these would be drawn TO an 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 Oh,
local Boards OF School Exdmlners throughout tn
State. The stay OF this class would be longer o.
shorter according 10 their previous attachments AM
aptness TO acquire. A Normal sch0o! would CIV
forth It's lrst fruits from this class. We're the Stat,
In a pecuniary condition TO organize and support NJ
Institution Of this character. IT, would not be al
| 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 thrilling additiona
| Incidental expenses, would be all the outlay that q
present would be required. The permanent edlhc
and various ornamentations could follow the growth
OF the school and the increase OF the State SchOo
Fund, II the State would offer two thousand dol
lars annually for the first two years, on condition
that private donations would equal that sum. enc
TO be added TO II, l feel confident that that amoun
could be raised. and u Normal School could be a
once put into a successful working condition. Som'
source OF revenue could be created TO raise TILL
amount by the State, without seriously depressing
any person or class.
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.
There Is one subject that / would like TO bring &c
your notice for your consideration. i am somewhat
in doubt whether the present Is the proper time Of
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. will be both legitimate and proper. It I:
well known that the peculiar character ofthe climate
Of the vast ranges OF these elevated table-lands be-
tween the Rocky and Sierra Nevada mountains. |;
but little known by our own people, and very i'm
perfectly understood BY the people OF the Other
States. 4 plan that would secure the proper re
covding Of accurate meteorological observations IN
those parts Of the State where Public Schools would
be likely TO be maintained throughout the year
would be n valuable contribution 10 science. and IN
the course OF a decade of years would throw much
light In regard 10 our climate: One teacher I'll each
of the principal towns In the State, If furnished with
the necessary instruments for determining the heat
and density Of the atmosphere. the direction and
force OF the winds, the amount 1.-THE fall Of rain and
SNOW, and a book for recording the necessary obser-
vationS-All OF which the Smithsonian Institute
would undoubtedly cheerfully supply-would, with
a tritllnG addition 10 his salary, II so directed by Law,
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.
NIsDIREcTIoS or TIE PROCEEDS or THE HALF MILL
TAX.
The proceeds OF the nall mil TAX, pr0vldeu Tor in
section6 Of Education. Article y Of the State Con.
S~tituti0u, II occurs TO me, was diverted by the last
Legislature. from the use Intended by those who
formed that instrument. Section 81 OF the School
Law, approved March nth, 1868, provides that: IAN
moneys derived from the tax herein levied lhali
mill taxi shall be paid into the State School Fund.
aud be apportioned In the same manner as other
money. in that f~und"-that Is, the interest ~accruing
shall be distributed to all the counties irhthe State,
according 10 the ascertained 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 u 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.
year from ten TO nneen thousand dollars. with
large annual increase thereafter, and that al m
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 10 put Il into successful operation In
a very short time. The section ,S6) referred TO above
OF tho Constitution, Is In the following language. to
wit:
"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
vidcd for the support and maintenance OF said Uni
versity and common SCHOOL,"
The last three words, land common schools
make Il appear manifestly clear that the University
was a part OF the Public School system. The lnten.
tIon OF the Convention, In regard TO the disposal OF
the proceeds OF this half mill tax, Will more clearly
appear by reference to section6 &, OF the Educational
Article OF the Constitution, which reads as foloWs'
TO wit: ...,
accruIng from the first funds (nrom the half mill taxi
which come under their control, Immediately organ.
lie and maintain the said Mining Department ioi