The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-03-01
NormalschooIs and Commercial Cob

st,s. 80 slege8.. *
We must look forward with much
interest to these classes ofscho ols forthe
education of the masses. Our Literary
and Classical Colleges and Academies
throughout the land fail as yet, TO a
great extent, TO meet the demands OF
fhe tlay. We never can have DUR tnsti-
tntions what they should be until they
adopt the motto of the Spartan King
tsTeach your boys what they VIII Prac-
tice swhen they become men," These
institutions, where young men are re.
ouired to spend three or four years OF
hard study and close confinement, to
acouire5 knowledge of science or Ian
9uaee which in after life cannot be APP
piled to any practical use, or be turned
10 any profit, will soon be among the
i.things that were" Ask the profess
ors and teachers ofthe Latin and Greek
Languages why SO much attention IS
paid to these branches OF our best Uni
versities and Colleges, and they will
tell You they are the best for mental
improvement. NOW, we are in LI Lttl
to think differently. Mathematics can
be SO taught as to fill the place of these
sciences, and be much more profitable.
The same can be said of Philosophy,
Chemistry, Botany and Astronomy,
and to these might be added Book
Keeping; Telegfaphy, Penmanship,
&C., which, If rightly pursued, can pc
10 husWeI Iuo PAASS VA NA4S @S%'SH.@
and Greek languages, and pc mpch
more important and profitable. our
course of education, as laid down IN u
majority of our best institutions, is ike
the man who practiced~ throwing peas
through the eye of a large needle.l he
became SO skilled in this particular ia thaT
he went to give an exhibition OF his skill
before the King, and, after the perform
ance, the King complimented him ana
gave him bag of peas for his SKILL
Now Let parents and guardians De care
full in choosing good education Tor
their children or wards. Procure that
which, when acquired, Will be OF more
value Than a mere bag of peas, We
would not be understood TO say The
study OF so noble language as the
Latin to be of no account. Not SO. It's
close connection to our mother tongue
gives it a prominent place in our list
But it should not have more than its
prominence deserves. Dictionaries are
SO common that, with limited knowl-
edge of the Language, a student
can pursue any study successfully.
Let us quote what Walker says OF this
study in his American law: may
safely affirm that one can become
profound lawyer without a general ac-
quaintance with either French or
Latin" By the use of Bouyesen's Law
Dictionary IL student can translate any
sentence he may find in the original
tongue in Kents or Blackstone's COM
mentaries; and If this is the case, can 1t
pay any student to spend years acquir
ing study of no use in after life.
The large number of the masses seek
ing 4 liberal education must be educa-
ted In our common schools, and we
must depend upon our normal schools
to furnish the great number OF our pest
and efficient teachers, remembering
that, as the teacher is, so Will be the
school. This class of institutions, in
order to be success, must be fostered
and maintained at public expense, as
Il is rarely they ever succeed when de-
pendent upon the tuition of its patrons.
Next to this class must rank our busl-
ness schools where young men are
thorough business life. The majority
OF young men cannot go away
from home in search of this
class of schools, and every city
of any note should maintain at least
good school of this grade. Our land is
filled with young men whose early ed
ucation has been much neglected, who
have not the means or any desire to go
abroad in quest of an education, and
the commercial colleges are the only
grades OF schools that can supply this
deficiency. Here they are instructed
in business, arithmetic book keeping,
biography, COMMERCIAL law, pennian-
ship and a lYariety of sciences not less
important. DIR. Johnston, with that
powerful insight into human affairs
which distinguished his intellect, OBJ
serves that bookkeeping is an art
which must contribute to the advance
ment of all who buy, and all who sell;
ofall who wish to keep orimprove their
possessions; of all who desire to be rich,
and all who desire to be wise. Let no
one, he adds. enter into business If ig-
norant of the method of regulating
accounts; never let him imagine that
any degree of natural ability Will ena-
pie him to supply this deficiency. The
constant uniform practice OF! recording
pecuniary transactions is highly impor-
liant to.all classes and conditions of men.
not merely because II checks undue
and thoughtlesS expenditures, but be-
cause 1t tends to generate habits of sys-
tenn, order and regularity; imparts "a
power ofclear thought and truthful de-
duction, and contributes more than any
thing else to accuracy and orderly ar
rangement,r which qualities are charac-
teristic OF every great mind. Iele-
graphy now should also be part of a
Young mans education. 1t Is study
in itself interesting and capable Of be-
Ing applied rofitably.O The numerous
stations along our immense railroad
lines where person must be agent,
book-keeper and telegraph operator, all
at the same time, argue much IN favor
OF TINS HCleilce. - ne satL4AS Stt W Satu
OF arithmetic. In order to make good,
accurate and rapid accountants, special
attention should be paid TO the funda-
mental rules, or the ground work OF
the science, in rapid addition at least.
OF this YOU may soon convince your
self when you consider that you have
to add at least five hundred times
where you have to multiply, subtract
or divide once; and further, that the
slightest error in addition may produce
the greatest confusion.
We do not mean to say that knowl-
edge of the higher branches of arith-
metic can be dispensed with only that
whilst familiar with thewhole subject,
in the abstract, you must be an adept
in the working of the simple elemen-
tary rules. Remember that no teacher,
however proficient, can confer on you
expertnesS. This must result from dill
gent practice. In teaching arithmetic
two things are requisite to success: LIST,
accuracy; ID, experiences. Commercial
law should be a prominent part also
of a good education-at least SO much
as will enable young men to know how
to make a bargain, or what constitutes
paper; and, In fact, to, be- intelligent, a
general knowledge of this subject, and,
last, also good hand writing is in it
self not only an accomplishment, but
essential in mercantile pursuits, and,
in conclusion, let us say to the young
men of Wheeling and West Virginia
IN general, we would invite your at
tention to the Wheeling Commercial
College, advertised in another column
of our paper. This institution, opened
under favorable auspices, bids fair to
stand at the head of this grade of
schools. Also, to remember that the
chances for young men to obtain good