Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-03-20
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT REPORT.
Gnn.rin,.ndent,s ReDort-Continued.

strength ehseuIlAl 10 IHclE ukh
Tic schools are designed as an antldote TO these fear:
0l evils. The Legislature has the powerte pteycnt
these to q very great extern. sensible o. thel "a,
I'm the Legislature, the trainers OF the State Consul.
tuition vests the authority In that body In Section
2, Article II. In tho following words. to.Hit: ~
THE Legislature may pass such Laws
as will tend to secure a general attendanec o. NJ
children in each school district upon said PUBLIC
Schools" ,u
The great irresularlty Of the attshdapss ,c Of E chi.
nItudc as to require q remedy II Is In US oaleIui NJ
fuence next TO non.attendance. which Is more eS.
tensIve than Is generally considered. Cnndlen ale
detained al home for the most trivial reasons. This
Is olte done from thoughtlessness or i5on Ene'
rance Of the evils that grow out OF repeateu 10Y ~,
A few days absence in a term generally drops InS
pupil behind his class. It may require . vigorous
Use OF ull his powers and prompt attendance 70 eonn'
mand u respectable standing. Soon disgust lomomo
IL no longer any attraction either for school Also,
ciates. schOol teacher or school house. hortinsa
ambition cannot endure daily exposure. For me
purposes OF education, children are. In a certain
sense, the property OF the State. The law demands
that property shall be taxed to support a PUBIC
School for six months in each year. In return ior
the payment Of THIS tax, property has a right 10 de,
mand that children between certain ages shall avail
themselves OF these expensive facilities for q Ike
sure an efficient Public School systematic secure for
Il In the public estimation that position and conn
dcnce that the system should command. the stand.
ard OF scholarship on the part OF teachers should he
50 raised that persons OF an Indifferent or defective
education. unfortunate In other departments Of In
emf, to aspire to the control Ola Public School. The
feeling Is altogether too prevalent, that any person
who can read and write Is competent TO instruct a
Primary School. IL Is my de iberate Judgment that
II requires more skill, a greater amount Of tact.a
wider range Of general knowledge, and a clearer a-
prchension Of the complicated laws that control dlf.
fcrcnt children In a 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 10
awaken and maintain q like interest among the
| uan1a nuuihpr Of advanced scholars In n High School,
Many OF the wisest educators In the country nave
often expressed this sentiment with great feeling
and force; regard teaching 6IaS.S as t IN y. mG 1Ss ' nIpSss.
S~Ions-onc that, demands OF Us members indlvid;
ualIy a more tehhprehenslve knowledge Of mental
and moral philosophy ,;%lE 2 quicker ic { 5,i psEIeep pf ,Se G n,S.
merous springs Of action, and how TO turn them 10
awaken Interest, stimulate thought, produce dlsci.
pllne and cheerful obedience, than nose OF any
garded competent TO practice any OF me learned pro
ieSsIons who has not gone through u long courSe OF
professional training under tne imme e HIS n m1ae 70
discharge intenigently the responsible duties MS
profession may require. No one Is regarded compe-
tent 10 make q shoe or q shovel. . house or g nanu.
saw, a coach or a rowbar. a broom. a St Or a
bucket, without iirst serving an apprenticeship.
The man VINO can make a steam engine. or who can
S @anG more or @%HpssSi a' than the public Is willing
10 pay IN ordinary teacher In q Public School,
though every part Of the engine. from It's iced 20 lus
| e1DnuAt, Will It's NAIlOub UlulN luuhl hllu
uses. could be learned In a fortnight by q well, disci'
plIned and well educated teacher, whose mind has
% sSeaIS IssIn t tseGs pTSitssI Per 30 course 10 &c Of discipline fSsdDnTs;
and training. under the direction Of the most sue.
ccssful 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-
tunitlcs are slim indeed to secure INST class teach.
ers. The best Of tho imported, educators to the
Pacific Coast will be assorted aud culled out by the
Educational Boards Of San Francisco, Sacramento
and other parts OF California, and we have nothing
homes, unless our School Boards offer exiravaSSnt
pay. which cannot be expected-whieh would not
Our great educational want IS 4 Normal School
an Institution TO educate those Of our youth ambi-
tous 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
and women whose parents. relatives or friends, or
all OF them, reside In our State. and who probably
OF this character would, In addition 10 It's regular
supply for our schools OF well educated. well drilled
and live teachers. do much to awaken and fosteI
throughout the State q spirit or Intellectual culture
and TO bring permanently before our people tn,
great value and Importance OF popular education
An Institution Of this character should BE- located IN
q sufficient number OF pupils could be procured fol
the organization Of a tralling school. TO be attached
tant adjunct would be as lncf1cient as a school fol
the study OF practical chemistry that should ignore
the laboratory. with Its menstruums and precipl
tants, or OF practical astronomy, without the aid oil
the heavenly bodies, Quadrants and telescopes
There Is, however, q considerable number OF young
people Of respectable attachments In our midst who
have taught school more or less. and ambitious to
obtain n respectable rank In the profession Of teach
lug. but whose knowledge OF the theory and prae.
lice OF teaching Is altogether unequal to the nd'
vanced educational claims OF the present time.
Many OF these would DO drawn TO an institution Of
this character to procure SS6s,t ne :. pToper i ni;S nation
local Boards OF School Examlners throughout The
State. The stay OF this class would be longer or
shorter according 10 their previous attachments and
aptness 10 acquire. A Normal School would give
forth Its trst fruits from this class. Were the State
In q p~ecunIary condition to organize and support an
institution OF this character, IL would not be an
easy matte. TO over estimate Its value upon the
public school interest 10 Nevada. But II need not
rent OF a small building, the cost Of furniture and
the salary OF one Professor, with trlding additional
Incidental expenses. MEu.a % ~ az Tue 0u1.sy ma ma ~
and various concentrations 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 nrst two years. on condition
that private donations would equal that sum. and
could be raised, aud a Normal School could be at
once put into q successful working condition.: Some
source Of revenue could be created 10 raise this
amount by tue State, without seriously oppresslnB
any person or class.
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.
There Is one subject that I would like TO bring to
your notice for your consideration. l am somewhat
IN doubt whether the present Is ne proper u'ne OF
CARDS the comprehensive character OF our PUBIC
School system, the proposed suggestions In this con.
%nesiion. VIII DC DO SSi n.c IsEl.i4 cSsT, shS p p[ tEs Climate asI u
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-
hose Darts OF lie State where Public Schools would
be likely TO be maintained throughout the year,
would be a valuable contribution TO science, and u
the course or a decade OF years would throw much
light In regard to our climate. One teacher IN each
ofthe 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 q book for recording the necessary ooscr-
vatIons-all OF which the Smithsonian Institute
a trinIng addition 10 his salary. Il so directed by la1,
accurately perform the task. These observations,
published either weekly or monthly. would awaken
both on tho part ofthe teachers. pupils and the pub
lie generally, habits Of close observation In regard TO
atmospheric changes.
NIspIREcTfoN or THE PROCEEDS OF THE hALT Mill
The proceeds OF the half mill tax. provided for In
section d 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 nth. 1855, provides that: AN
mil tax) shall be paid Into the State School Fund,
and be apportioned In the same manner as other
money In that Mnu"-tnAt -, the lntcrest nccluln9
shall be distributed TO all the counties In the State,
according TO the ascertAined number OF perBons be.
tween the. ages OF SIX and eighteen years In Said
S] SSf.e, g ,S sGs h sSs MIL sTPP sss w 81 e dsslsSe Sf psFsieula aay
10 create o fund for the support OF the Mining Col
lege-thc mining branch Of the University. 1t wal
the general opinion OF the members OF the Constltu
tonal Convention that this tax would. Yield the nrsi
year from tell 10 tteen thousand dollars. with
large annual increase. thereafter, and that At al
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 ofth'
University and TO put II Into successful operation II
A very short lime. The section () referred TO abov,
or the Constitution, Is In the following language, L
""The Legislature shall provided special tax Of ont
half OF one mill on tho dollar OF all taxable propert,
Of the State, In addition 10 the other means pro
vided for the support and maintenance o. saia ehi
The last three words, 'and common schools
above, were coupled with the word UnlyeIoky q
make IL appear mAnifestly clear that the University
was 4 part OF the Public School system. The inten.
tion OF the Convention, In regard 10 the disposal o.
me proceeds OF this half mill tax, will more clearly
anpear BY reference TO sections 4. OF the Educational
Article OF the Constitution, which reads as follows
1.-The Board OF Regents shall. from the interest
~accruipg from the nrst funds from the half mill tar.
which come under their control, Immediately organ
ile and maintain the said Mining Department 10
the UnIyerslty) In such manner - 10 make Il thu
most effective and useful" H 's.H
From the foregoing II appears to my mind to b
conclusive and binding on the Board Of Regents thai
the Interest trst accruing from the State fund mus
he exnended not .bv distributing the anne Rrmi