Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-04-20
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT REPORT.
G,nerJntendeut,s Report-Coutinued.

Strength essential 10 their high mission. Our Pub.
nc Schools arc designed as an antldote 70 these fear.
these 10 a very great extern. Sensible OF their ex.
istence, and feeling that q remedy should be vested
in the Legislature, the ffamers OF the State Constl.
2, Article II, in the following words. o-wit r.
"The Legislature may pass such lswS
as will tend to secure q general attendance OF the
children In each school district upon said Public
The great lresularity Of the attendance OF chill.
dren OF well meaning parents Is an evil OF such mag
nltude as to require a remedy |; 1t Is IN Us Dalelui IN
tenSlve than Is generally considered. Ciiidfen are
detained at home for the most trivial reasons. This
. orc done from thoughtlessness or from igno-
rance OF the evils that grow out OF repeated absence.
a Few days absence In n term generally drops the
pupil behind his class. II may require . vigorous
mand a respectable standing. Soon disgust follows
| closely upon the heels OF disbursement, and there
L. no longer any attraction either for school asso-
clates, school teacher or school house, Mortified
ambition cannot endure daily exposure. For the
purposes OF education, children are, in q certain
sense, the property Of the State. The law demands
that property shall DO taxed TO support A Public
School for six months In each year. In return for
| the payment or this tax, property has u right TO de-
mand that children between certain ages shall avail
| themselves OF these expensive facilities for q like
term, or their equivalent at private schools. To In
sure an efficient Public School system-to secure for
II I'm the public estimation that position and conf
dence that the system should command. the stand
ard or scholarship on the part Of teachers should be
so raised that persons OF an Indifferent or defective
education. unfortunate In other department. o. IN
tent, TO aspire TO the control ofa Public school. Tbs
feeling Is altogether too prevalent, that any person
who can read and write Is competent 70 Instruct q
It requires more skill, a greater amount OF tact, a
wider range Of general knowledge. and q clearer az.
prehension OF the complicated laws that control DIFF
fercnt children In a school OF forty or my title ones.
and to excite and maintain an interest among those
who have no Idea OF the value OF education, than 70
/ aUpakan AND ntnNa m IL. lnNaRalf annnn fhR
ZANE number OF advanced scholars In a High School.
Many or the wisest educators In the country have
often expressed this sentiment with great feeling
and force. 1 regard teaching rs the most import
ant as well ~ the most difficult OF oil the profess
sions-one that demands OF It's members. lndlvid;
uany a more comprehensive knowledge Of mental
knowledge or childish likes and dlslikes OF the nu.
merous springs OF uction, and how TO turn them 10
pilnc and cheerful obedience, than those OF any
other OF the intellectual professions. No one Is re-
gardcd competent TO practice any Of the learned pre-.
professional tralniog under the immediate direc-
ton OF thclr most eminent Swans, 70 qualify him 70
discharge intelligently the responsible duties MS
| tent 10 make 4 shoe or q shovel, q house or q hand
saw, a coach or q crowbar. o broom, q bit or u
bucket, without first serving an apprenticeship.
The man who can mako u steam engine. or who can
control It's movement after II Is made, VIII COM
mand moro compensation than the public Is willing
10 pay an ordinary teacher In a Public School.
4 kuOuEH CNCIy pull " ~ ibtbC llolu " wv ~ ~.
exhaust, with It's various individual and combined
uses, could DO learned In o fortnight by O vel. disci-
plined and well educated teacher. whose mind has a
should learn their profession BY aeoune OF discipline
and training, under the direction OF the most sue
eessfdi and celebrated educators In the country.
NORMAL SCHOOLS. E'.a
Shut out and far removed IS our State Is from thc
great educational centers fthe country, our oppor'
tunities are slim indeed 10 secure first class teach.
ers. The best OF the imported educators 70 the
Educational Boardsof San Francisco, Sacramento
aud other parts OF California, and we have nothing
SSm wsiG ap ie ,n ows s sSpSpi0 bS sSSsa ofier 60 ss Gnr asse5t
pay, which cannot be e~xpected-whieh would not
Our great educational want Is . Normal School
an institution 70 educate those OF our youth ambi.
tlous to be teachers and for educational honors-to
e onI 1, mem me- 70 m inS su Sn es esISSu faeaii rs%9ui xenSa IS 2,
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 its 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 TO bring permanently before our people the
great value and importance OF popular education.
An institution Of this character should be located in
one OF the most populous towns OF the State. where
q SUFFICIENT number OF pupils could be procured for
the organization OF a training school, TO be attached
thereto; for q Normal School without this lmpor.
tant adjunct would be as Inerieient as a school for
the study OF practical chemistry that should ignore
the laboratory, with It's menstruums and precipi:
tsnts, or OF practical astronomy, without The aid Of
the heavenly bodies. Quadrants and telescopes.
There Is, however, q considerable number Of young
people Of respectable sttainmsnts in our midst who
obtain q respectable rank In the profession OF teach.
Ing, but whose knowledge Of tho theory and prac.
lice Of teaching Is altogether unequal to the sd'
Many Of these would be drawn to an institution OF
this character 70 procure ne proper information
L nnardk In avery diktrfct- and ah0uld dIsnlafe thp
local Boards OF School Examiners throughout the
State. The stay or this class would be longer or
aptness TO acquire. A Normal Schoo. would give
forth It's nrst fruits from this class. Were the State
institution Of this character, IL would not be an
easy matter TO over estimate It's value upon the
public school interest In Nevada. But II need not
rent Of q small building, the cost Of furniture aud
the salary Of one Professor. with trifing additional
incidental expenses, would be all the outlay that nj
present would be REQUIRED. The permanent edihee
OF the school and the increase OF the State School
Fund. II the State would offer two Thousand dol.
lars annually for the mt two years, on condition
that private donations would equal that sum, and
TO be added TO II, l feel confident that that amount
could be raised. and q Normal School could be at
source OF revenue could be created 10 raise this
amount by the State. without seriously depressing
any person or class.
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.
There Is one subject that I would like to bring to
your notice for your consideration. ! am somewhat
In doubt whether the present Is the proper time or
this the proper channel, but with my heas as re-
CARDS the comprehensive character OF our Public
School system, the proposed suggestions I'm this con-
nection, will DO both legitimate and propeG II IA
well known that the peculiar character ofthe climate
OF the vast ranges Of these elevated tablelands 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-
corilny NJ nrcurnta meteorological observations I'M
those parts OF the State where Public Schools would
be likely 10 be maintained throughout the year.
would be o valuable contribution TO science, and In
the course or a decade Of years would throw much
light In regard to our climate. Ono 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 ofthe winds, the amount OF the fall ofrain and
snow: and book x Or ss%ee ord s., tns Necessary y. SSsss,
would undoubtedly ehcerfiny supply-would. with
q trinIng addition 70 his salary. 4 80 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 rcgaid 10
atmospheric changes. .".
TAX. ..
Tho proceeds OF the half mill tax. provided for In
scction6 OF Education, Article x OF the State Con.
%stitution, Il occurs to me. was diverted by the last
formed that instrument. Section s. Of The School
Law. approved March 10Th. 1855, provides that: All
moneys derived from the tax herein levied (half
and be apportioned in the same manner as other
money In that fund"-that Is. the interest ~aecruing
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
counties, for the support OF Public Schools. The
object Sfthi s, half IN mil, tas was ds.lgnsd PSsTtIsulsrTIy
iese-the mining branch Of the University. Il was
the general opinion OF the members OF the Constitu.
| voar fropn tan IN A0AAn thouRand h0liaFx With "A