Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-03-23
SCHOOL supgRryrrypENr,s REPORT.
Superint.nd..,,-

these TO . very great extern. SansShI, - b.Sssnt
IN the teSislsturns IN, Snat a remedy should be vested
tuition yests the authority In that body IN SsciiSon
2, Article II. in the following words. to:yit 'ee'''h
The Legislature may pas. such laws
as Will tend TO secure a general ai,endspcs Of tSc
Schools sa aH "P'" "A'u Fuohc
Tho great irresnlarity OF tho attendance Of chill.
dren OF well meaning parents Is an evil OF such mag.
nitude as 10 require a remedy It Is In It's balefui IN.
nuence next to non.attendance. which is more cH.
tensiye than Is GENERALLY considered. Children are
Il oite done from thoughtlessness or from igns.
rance Of tho evils that grow out Of repeatcd absence.
A few days absence In q term generally drops the
pupil behind his class. II may require q vigorous
uso Of all his powers and prompt attendance TO com.
mand q respectable standing. Soon disgust follows
closely upon the heels OF disbursement and there
Is no longer any attraction either for school asso.
ciates, school teacher or school house. Mortified
ambition cannot endure daily exposure. For the
ESm!s IS, Of Dro ssgsS' d9 ;b children siafsl A. TS: law Ia q ae ssItals
that property shall DO taxed to support a Public
School for six months In each year. In return ior
the payment Of thu tax, property has q right 20 de;
mand that children etween certain ages shall avail
themselves OF these expensive facilities for Q ike
term, or their equivalent at private schools. To In
sure an efficient Public School systematic secure for
II In the public estimation that position and conn
dence that the system should command, the stand.
ard Of scholarship on the part Of teachers should De
so raised that persons OF an Indifferent or defective
education, unfortunate In other departments OF In
| uushlgI nOulu hOk = 10 y Shi v
ent, to aspire to the controlo a Public School. The
feeling Is altogether too prevalent, that any person
who can read and write Is competent 70 INSTRUCT 4
Primary School. II Is my dc iberate judgment that
II requires moro skill, q greater amount or tact, o
wider range Of general knowledge, and q clearer AZ
prehension OF the complicated laws that control dli-
ierent children In o 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 70
awaken and maintain q like Interest among the
same number OF advanced scholars In d High Schooi.
Many Of the wlsest educators In the country nave
often expressed this sentiment with great feeling
and force. l regard teaching as the most import
ant as well as the most diiicu.t OF all the probes
sions-one that demands OF Its members indlpld,
ually q more comprehensive knowledge Of mental
and moral philosophy, q quicker perception ana
knowledge OF childish likes and dlsllkes OF the nu'
merous springs OF action, aud how to turn them 10
awaken Interest, stimulate thought, produce ulscl.
pllne and cheerful obedience. than those OF any
other OF the intellectual professions: no one IS re-
garded competent TO practice any OF the learned pro-
i~eSsions who has not gone through a long course OF
professional training under the immediate dllec.
ton OF their most eminent Swans, 10 Qualliy MIN 70
discharge intelllgently tho responsible duties MS
profession may require. No one Is regarded compe.
tent 10 make q shoe or q shovel, q house or q hand.
saw, a coach or q crowbar. q broom, q bit or Q
bucket, without first serving an apprenticeship.
The man who can make n steam engine, or VINO can
control It's movement after II Is made, TlI S1ni,
TO pay an ordinary teacher In a Public School,
though every part Of the engine, nom It's feed 70 its
uses, could be learned In a fortnight By a well disci.
plined and well educated teacher, whose mind has q
mechanical tendency. Persons. TO be teachers,
and training. under the direction OF the most sue.
cessful 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-
tunlties are slim Indeed to secure trSt class teach.
ers. The best OF the imported educators TO the
Pacific Coast viii be assorted and culled out By the
Educational Boards Of San Francisco, Sacramento
Il aud nthRF nnFfa nj EaIf0FnIa and Va haya nnthinR
by which 10 invite superior educators TO our desert
homes, unless our School Boards offer exiravagant
pay, which cannot be expected-which would not
be allowed.
Our great educational want Is 4 Normal School
an Institution TO educate those Of our youth ambi.
tlous 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
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 to 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
the orsanitatioH OF a irSininG sShSSl, 70 SS attached
tsnt adjunct would be Us inefficient as a school for
the study Of practical chemistry that should ignore
the laboratory. with rs menstruumi and preeipi;
| lhllA VI VI pAoNhiNo - hchAS hf1A hN nv W
the heavenly bodies. Duadrants and telescopes.
There Is. however, . col vlderable number OF young
people OF respectable atttinments IN our midst who
have taught school more or less, and ambitious 70
obtain q respectable rank In the profession OF teach
Ing, but whose knowledge Of the theory and prac.
v var educational claims Of the present time.
Many Of these would be drawn 10 an institution OF
this character to procure The proper
Boards in every district, and should dlsplAee the
local Boards Of School Examiners throughout the
State. The stay Of this class would be longer or
aptncss 10 acquire. A Normal School would give
forth It's first fruits from this class. We're the State
in q pecuniary condition 10 organize aud support an
Institution Of this character, IL would not be an
easy matter to over estimate its value upon the
public school interest In Nevada. But II need not
rent OF q small building, the cost Of furniture and
the salary Of one Professor, with thrilling additional
Incidental expenses, would be all the outlay that at
present would be required. The permanent edihce
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 nrst two years, on condition
that private donations would equal that sum- and
TO be added TO II, ! feel confident that that amount
could be raised. and q Normal School could be at
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.
METEOROLOGICAL ossrRrArioSh.
There is one subject that l would Ike 10 brinfto
| NOuT HDlG " Ou NOhSAaN iaeiSts AshA eShtS h-s
in doubt whether the present Is the proper time or
this the proper channel, but with my Ideas Us re-
CARDS the comprehensive character OF our Public
School system, the proposed suggestions In this con.
uection, will be both legitimate and proper. Iii
well known that the peculiar character Ofthe climate
Of the vast RANGES Of these elevated ta6is,iands De.
but little known by our own people. and very Inn.
perfectly understood by the people OF the other
States. 4 plan that would secure The proper re-,
those parts OF the State where Public Schools would
be likely 10 be maintained throughout the year,
would be a valuable contribution 10 seisnse: ana ~
light In regard to our climate; One teacher IL each
ofthe principal towns IN the State. " furnished with
the necessary instruments Tor determining the heat
and density OF the atmosphere, the direction and
force OF the winds. the amount ofthe fall OF rain and
snow. and q book for recording the necessary o6ser-
vations-all Of which tho Smithsonian Institute
would undoubtedly chcerfully s~upply-would. With
a trihing addition to his salary. Il so directed by o
accurately perform the task. These observations,
both on the part fthe teachers, pupils and tho pub
lie generally, habits OF close observation IN regard TO
NIspIREcTIoS or THI PROCEEDS or THE HALF MILL
The proceeds Of the half mill tax, provided for in
scction6 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 G.na I ,s isSa' i provides sx tssi; IA 4
mill taxi shall be paid Into the State School Fund,
and DO apportioned In the same manner as other
money In that fund"-that Is, the Interest accruing
shall b distributed TO all the counties In the State,
according 70 the ascertsined number OF persons be-
tween the ages Of SIX and eighteen years In said
counties, for the support Of Public Schools. The
object Of this half mill tax was designed particularly
TO create q fund for the support. Of the Mining Col.
lege-the mining branch Of the University. II was
the general opinion OF the members or the Constltu-
tlonal Convention that this tax would yield the 1rst
year from ten TO tneen thousand dollars. with a
large annual increase thereafter. and that at an
early day the interest from the proceeds OF this tax.
and from other sources OF revenue, would enable
| the Board OF REGENTS 70 establish this branch OF the
University and 10 put II Into successful operation In
q very short time. The section l6) referred 10 above
OF the Constitution, Is In the following language, TO
wit: M .Ea. - ..sl-
"The Legislature shall provides special tax OF one
half OF one mill on the dollar OF all taxable property
or the State, IN addition TO the other means pro
vlded for the support and maintenance OF saiR Uni
yersity dHd common gchooh." =.
The last three words. .aDd common %sehools,r
above. were Coupled with the word University 10
make II appear uianiiestiy clear that the University
WIS a part ofthe Public School system. The inten.
zion OF the Convention, In regard 70 the disposal Of
\ he proceeds OF this half mill lax, Will more clearly
i appear BY reference TO sections 8, OF the Educational
Article Of the Constitution. which reads IS follow,
""TS. Board Of Regents shall, from the interest
\ sccruIng from the fIt funds from the half mill taxi
\ which come under their control, Immediately organ.
lie and maintain the said Mining Department (of