Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-05-01
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT REPORT.
observation-disclosures Report-Contnued.

society are piunoeIou ~ an ~ rtS " pEWeI AL
~ SuSehoois are designed as an antidoie to these fear.
mi evils. me Legislature has the pdwert9 prevent
these 70 |. yefy . STsat ,b stI 8 pemedy Should be sested
a. ths fegislature, the trainers OF the state Consil-
futon vests the authority In that body u eectioh
. Article II, in tho following words, to-Wlt'
..v,,, ,snd N secure = general attendance Of IL
children in each school district upon saia fuon'
'i TSS great irresularty OF the attendance ofsnil.
dren OF well meaning parents is IN eMl Of yuen MA \
nituds as 10 require q remedy (; It Is 10 ~ oaieiui IN
iiuencc next 70 nonattendanee, winch u nioIo g.,
tsnsIye than Is generally considered. Cnnulepr ~
is Otto done from thoughtiessness or rom lgno-
rance Of the evils that grow out oiIepeaSeo soosn w.
A few days absence In o term generally urops ~
P pss Of G I'll LIS p os Gl1 and prompt 1s %5i attssndsnce . com.
msnd a respectable standing. Soon disgust follows
closely upon the heels Of disbursement, ana thel'
clates, school teacher or school house. Morlineu
ambition cannot endure daily exposure. for tne
purposes OF education. children are, in o certain
that property shall be taxed TO support q Public
School for six months In each year. In return ior
the payment Of this tax. property has . hight 70 dei
themselves OF these expensive facilities for q ike
term, or their equivalent at private schools. TO IN.
sure an efficient Public School secure LOT
dence that the system should command. the stand.
ard OF scholarship on the part Of teachers should be
20 raised that persons OF an indifferent or aeieSt !,
dustry, would not venture, as q temporary expedl-
ent, to aspire to the control ofa Public School. Ene
feeling is altogether too prevalent, that any person
Primary School. II Is my deliberate Judgment tnat
II requires more skill. 0 greater amount o. tact,h
wider range 81 ,S general nemr KnSSde fa%. a ,ha, 2 ae s,etri az.
ferent children In o school OF forty or tftyI ltte 0nes,
and TO excite and maintain an interest among tnose
who have no idea OF the value OF education, tnan 70
awaken and maintain q like interest among the
sam number OF advanced scholars In u High Scnooi.
Many OF the wlsest educators In the country nane
often expressed this sentiment with great leciiis
md force. I regard teaching as the most import
ont as well as the most dlfncu!t Of all the pIoles-
sions-one that demands OF Its members inais,ai
ually q more comprehensive knowledge OF menla,
and moral philosophy, q quicker perception anu
knowledge Of childish likes and dislikes OF the NJ.
merous springs Of action, and how TO turn them "
awaken Interest, stimulate thought, produce dlsci.
pllne and cheerful obedience. than those OF any
other OF the Intellectual professions: No one SIC
gardcd competent to practice any ofthe learned pr0cc
1essious who has not gone through q long course OF
professional training under the immediate ulIec-
ton OF their most eminent sayans. to qualify MN ~
6 aISsesslCn m rasSl rsSaiIs. N No esSpHi Is regarded eempe.
tent 10 make o shoe or o shovel, q house or hhanu,
saw, q coach or q crowbar, d broom, a BIT gu
bucket, without tirst serving an apprenticeship.
The man who can make q steam engine, or who can
control It's movement after IL Is made, VIII S0nl-
mand more compensation than the public Is WiiiinS
ID DA1 III uLbA Ai y = ubhN"
though every part OF the engine, from Its feed 70 us
exhaust, with Its various individual and combined
uses: could sDs bel &c learned ssnsa, IN 4 ,s iSeinlsS Ss Sy 2 % %Sa has,.
mechanical tendency. Persons, TO DO teachers.
should learp 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 out and far removed rs our State Is from inc
great educational centers OF the country, our oppOI-
t%unities are slim indeed to secure INST eiSss t tea tSe
Pacific Coast will be assorted and culled out by tne
Educational Boards OF San Francisco, Sacramento
by which to invite superior educators to our desert
homes, unless our School Boards offer cXtrayAgant
pay. which cannot DO expected-which would not
Our great educational want Is a Normal School
an Institution 10 educate those OF our youth ambi-
tlous 10 be teachers and for educational honors-to
train them 10 meet the educational requirements or
our times and for our peculiar locality; young men
and women, whose parents, relatives or friends, or
viii remain permanently with us. An Institution
OF this character would, In addition TO It's regular
supply for our schools OF well educated. well drilled
and live teachers, do much TO awaken and foster
throughout the State q spirit OF Intellectual culture,
and 10 bring permanently before our people the
great value and importance or popular education.
An institution Of this character should be located In
one OF the most populous towns OF the State. where
a sufficient number OF pupils could be procured for
the organization OF q training school, TO be attached
thereto; for . Normal School without this, impor.
tant adjunct would be as inefficient as q school for
the study OF practical chemistry that should ignore
the laboratory, with Its nenstruums and preclpl.
tantA, or or practical astronomy, without the aid OF
the heavenly bodies. quadrants and telescopes.
There Is, however. q considerable number OF young
people OF respectable attachments In our mldstw who
have taught school more or less, and ambitious 10
obtain q respectable rank In the profession OF teach.
Ing, but whose knowledge OF the theory and prac-
tiee OF teaching IL altogether unequal to the ad.
vsnccd educational claims OF the present lime.
Many Of these would be drawn TO an Institution OF
this character 70 procure the proper Information
and q diploma, which should DO current with School
Boards in every, district, and should dIsplace the
local Boards OF School Examiners throughout the
State, The stay OF this class would he longer or
shorter according to their previous attachments and
sptness TO acquire. A Normal School would give
forth It's fist 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 Its value upon the
public school interest In Nevada. But II reed not
necessarily be attended with great expense. The
rent OF o small building, the cost OF furniture and
the salary OF one Professor, with triting additional
Incidental expenses. would be all the outlay that at
present would be required. The permanent editce
OF the school and the increase OF the State School
Fund. II the State would oner 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 be raised. and q Normal School could be at
soSfce OF revenue could be created to raise Ills
amount by the State, without seriously depressing
any person or class.
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.
There Is one subject that / would like to bring 10
your notice for your consideration. i am somewhat
In doubt whether the present Is the proper time or
this the proper channel, but with my Ideas as re-
CARDS the comprehensive character Of our. Public
nection, 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
but little known by our own people. and very I'M
perfectly understood BY the people Of the other
eordIn. Of Of accurate meteorolosicaI oSserTTstlons in
those parts Of the State where Public Schools would
be likely to be maintained throughout the year.
would be u valuable contribution TO science, and In
tho course or a decade OF years would throw much
light in regard to our climate. One teacher In each
OF the 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 obser-
vations-An OF which the smithsonian Institute
would undoubtedly cheerfully suppy-would, with
q trining addition TO his salary. II 50 directed by law,
accurately perform the task. These observations,
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 10
atmospheric changes.
AIsDREcTIoS OF THE PROCEEDS or TIE HALr MILL
TAX.
The proceeds Of the half mill tax, provided for In
section6 OF Education. Article X Of the State Con-
stitution, 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, lSS, provides that: A
mill itax) shall be paid into the State School Fund,
and be apportioned In the same manner az other
shall be distributed to all the counties In the State,
according 10 the ascertAined number OF persons be-
tween the ages OF six and eighteen years IN said
object o2this hall mill tax was designed particularly
%isseHiSe mining branch 2tSc University hasa'' L was
u n - a n1aNn - Il Aa.A- 80