Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-04-16
SCHOOL suPRR1NTENDBNT's REPORT.
superintendenp. ReportLContinusd.

society arc plundcred OF an undeyeloned nover and
lie Schools arc designed as an antidoto a. , SSI r ra
fll evils. The Legislature has the power 10 SS.want
these 70 yery Ereat extern: Sensible OF their ex.
In the Legislature, the trainers Of the State co ny
tuition vests the authority In that body in Section
2, Article II. In the following words, to-wIt;
. 1.-THE Legislature may pass such ,,vs
as will tend TO secure n general attendance or ths
children in each school district upon said Public
Schools"
dren Of well meaning parents Is an evil OF such mag.
nitudc as to require o remedy 1t Is In It's balcfni In
huence 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 ofte done from thoughtlessness or rom igno-
rance of the evils that grow out ofrepeated absence.
pupil behind bis class. 1t may require a vigorous
use Of all his powers and prompt attendance 70 COM
mand a respectable standing. Soon disgust follows
closely upon the heels OF discourageinent anu there
ia no longer any attraction either for school asso-
ciates, school teacher or school house. Mortified
ambition cannot endure daily exposure. For the
purposes OF education, +, children S,,s a TS. I hn 2 as selsSdh
that property shall be taxed to support O PuDnc
School for six months in each year. In return ir
the payment o. TINS tax, pLoper,y nG ns . r sSnII % avail udi
themselves OF these expensive facilities ior y IKE
term, or their equivalent at private schools. 10 ~
sure an efficient Public school systemnto S ee rSn ,Sr
sIence that the system should command, the stand
ard OF scholarship on the part ofteachers should be
so raised that persons OF an Indifferent or deceive
education, unfortunate In other departments OF In
dustry, would not venture. as q temporary expedi-
ent, 10 aspire TO the control ofa Public school, Inc
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
Il requires more skill. u greater amount or tact,a
wider range OF general knowledge, and q clearer ap-
prchensIon Of the complicated laws that control DIFF
ierent children In q school Of forty or my 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 High school.
Many OF the wisest educators In the country have
often expressed this sentiment with great feeling
and force. / regard teaching as the most import
ant as well rs the most diincu!t OF all the proies-
sions-onc that demands, OF is members indlvid;
ually d more comprehensive knowledge OF mental
and moral philosophy, n quicker perception AMI
Knowledge or childish likes and disllkes OF the nli-
awaken Interest, stimulate thought, produce discl.
pline and cheerful obedience, than those OF any
other OF the Intellectual professions. No one sIe-
fessIons who has not gone through a long course OF
professional training under the Immediate, dlrec.
ton OF most eminent Savans, 70 qualify MN 70
profession may require. No one Is regarded compe-
tent to make n shoe or q shovel, a house or a hand
saw, a coach or q crowbar. q broom. a bit Or a
The man who can make q steam engine. or who can
control Its movement after It Is made, VIII conf
mand more compensation than the public Is Willing
10 pay m ordinary teacher In a Public School,
though every part fthe engine. from It's feed 20 It's
exhaust, with It's various individual and combined
plIned and well educated teacher, whose mind has a
mechanical tendency. Persons, 10 be teachers,
should learn their profession by a course Of discipline
and training, under the direction OF the most sue
ccssful and celebrated educators In the country.
NORMA SCHOOLS.
| Shut out and far removed as our State 10 nom the
great educational centers Of the country, our opp0r-
t%unities are slim indeed TO secure inst class teach.
Pacific Coast will be assorted and culled out by ths
Educational Boards OF San Francisco, Sacramento
by which 70 invite superior educators TO our desert
homes, unless our School Boards offer eXtravagant
pay, which cannot be expeeted-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-to
train them 10 meet the educational requirements OF
our times and for our peculiar locality; young men
aud women whose parents, relatives or friends, or
all Of them, reside In our State. and who probably
will remain permanently with us. An Institution
OF this character would, In addition TO Its regular
supply for OUT schools Of well educated. well drilled
and live teachers. do much TO awaken and foster
throughout the State . spirit OF Intellectual culture.
and 10 bring permanently before our people the
great value and Importance Of popular education.
one OF the most populous towns OF the State, where
a sufficient number OF pupils could be procured for
i the organization OF Q training school, TO be attached
thereto; for q Normal School without till, impor.
tant adjunct would be as inefficient as q school for
the study OF practical chemistry that should ignore
the laboratory. with Its menstruums and precipi.
tants, or Of practical astronomy, without the aid OF
the heavenly bodies. Quadrants and telescopes.
| There is, however, a considerable number OF young
have taught school more or less. and ambitious to
| obtain a respectable rank In the profession OF teach
| Ing, but whose knowledge or the theory and prac-
tlee OF teaching Is altogether unequal TO the ad.
vanced educational claims Of the present time.
Many OF these would be drawn 10 an institution OF
this character 70 procure The proper
and a diploma, which should be current with School
Boards In every district, and should displaee the
local Boards Of School Examiners throughout the
State. The stay Of this class would be longer Or
aptness 20 acquire. A Normal School would gire
forth It's first fruits from this class. Were the State
In a pecuniary condition TO organize and support an
Institution OF this character, II would not be an
easy matter to over. estimate It's value upon the
public school interest in Nevada. But II need not
necessarily be attended with great expense. Tbs
rent OF u small building, the cost OF furniture. and
the salary OF one Professor, with trhing additional
Incidental expenses. would be gil the outlay that al
and various ornamentations 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 first two years. OH condition
that private donations would equal that sum-. and
to be added to II, l feel confident that that amount
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. I. ."'|
pb9ARN SNo "
There is one subject that ! would like TO bring to
YOUR notice for your consideration. i am omcwha
in doubt whether the present Is thu proper time or
SaTIs the comprehensiva character Of our Public
School system, the proposed suggestions In this con-
~nectlon, will be both legitimate and proper, II Is
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, is
S%efts sstIS HnSss Ss 'S By V tSc people people, Of r the S'' other
States. A plan that would secure the proper re-
cording Of accurate meteorological observations IN
those parts Of the State where Public Schools would
be likely to be maintained throughout the year.
would lie O valuable contribution TO science. and In
tho course or 4 decade OF years would throw much
light I'm regard to our climate. One teacher IN cacn
o2the principal towns In the State. II furnished with
the necessary instruments for the heat
and density OF the atmosphere. the direction and
force OF the winds, the amount orthc fall OF rain and
snow, and a book for recording the necessary obser-
vatIons-all OF which the Smithsonian Institute
would undoubtedly shesr nIny sI ln dyrsrtSS 3; T TSw
accurately perform the task. These observations,
published either weekly or monthly. would awaken,
! lie generally, habits OF close observation in regard to
NIspREcrIoS OF THE PROCEEDS oY THE HALY MILL
Tho proceeds OF the half mill tax. provided for In
section6 Of Education, Article x OF the State Con.
s%titution. II occurs TO me. was diverted by the last
Legislature, from tho Use intended by those who
formed that instrument. Section 81 OF Tho School
Law, approved March Goth, 1855. provides that: A
/ moneys derived nom tho TAX nercln ltVled lnhIl
mill taxi shall be paid into the State School Fund,
| and DO apportioned In the same manner as other
money I'm that fund"-that Ia, tho interest accruing
| shall be distributed to all the counties In the State,
according TO 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 ofthis half mill tax was designed particularly
to create q fund for the support OF the Mining Col.
iege-the mining branch Of the University. II was
the general opinion OF the members OF the Constltu.
tlOnAl Convention that this tax would Yield the first
year from ten to fOeen thousand dollars. with a
largo annual increase thereafter. and that at IN
early day tho 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. Tho section l6) referred to above
OF the Constitution, is In the following language, TO
the Legislature shall provide special tax Of one
half OF ono mill on tho dollar Of all taxable property
or the State, In addition TO the other mean, pro
yided for the support snd psintenancs OF A@a UNI
'e TSs l LAT tSr.e words. "snd common schools
above, were coupled with tho word University 70
mako IL appear niAnifestly clear that the University
was a part OF the Public School system. Inc inten-
| ton OF the Convention, In regard TO tho dlsp9sal2 o.
tho proceeds or this half mill tax, VIII more Clearly
| appenr by reference to section s. OF the Educationhl
Article OF the Constitution, which reads a. follows,
TO wit:
| accruIng nom the first FUNDS urom tho half mill taxi
which como under their control. Immediately organ.
i1e and maintain the said Mining Department (of
the University In such manner as TO make IL the