Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1867-08-07

6
so, which to q considerable extent. neu-
tralized the action of the others, and ac-
counts for the slow progress made in build
ing school-hOuses, and i'm educational af-
fairs generally. They want a." to slip
through a. they say, as easily 81 posi-
b.e. 50 ~ not 10 give OffenSe 10 i single
F individual; brave men!
Only one secretary in the county Is
acting a. district uperintcndent, and that
- the secretary OF the LewistOwn School
board. He i = man full Of the right spirit,
and is rendering efficient service to the
schools. KishacOquillas Seminary, under
the charge Of the superintendent, affords
teachers an opportunity for special prep
aration for the school-rOon. Many OF the
teachers Of this, and ! goodly number
from adjoining counties. avail themselves
OF the opportunity this affords.
The 4" Educational Column" of the Lew
iStown Gazette, which for many years has
been edited by = teacher or some one APP
pointed by the teachers has, for reasons
suppose generally satisfactory, been clos
ed. The gentlemen of that paper have
respectfully informed the teachers that
hereafter they viii be sole editors. and
that educational items or articles VIII be
published whenever offered, provided they
be thought worthy OF place in their col
umns. It i due to the editors OF the
True Democrat 10 say they VIII DO the
same.
TaacAcrS.-The teacher after all is the
masJeF-wheel in the educational machin
cry. All other agencies are valuable only
or chiefly, 80 far Is they strengthen, build
up, enlEhten. inspire and elevate him.
In this important agency We can scarcely
claim 10 have made any improvement.
We have gained on the part OF some teach
err who had the advantage Of one years
experience more than before OF the part
Of q few Others who, drawn 10y higher sal
aries, came 10 Us from adjoining counties.
We have lost in Others who LETT their
schools 70 teachers less experienced and
skillful, 10 engage in other fields Ct labor.
80 il will be- of course, until the ideas of
people are educated 70 a much higher
level, when they will be capable of appre-
ciating the laboTs Of an efficient teacher,
and viii be unwilling 10 lose his services
for the sake Of a few dollars. \ large
number Of the teachers Of the county have
done excellent service in the school room.
Some failed partially, and few entirely in
government. Yet some OF these have
within them the clements Of good teach
erS, and with more experience would no
doubt succeed well
Fifty-six male and 90 female teachers
were employed last year, a slight falling
of OF female teachers, rs may be seen. In
one district a resolution was passed by the
board last fall 10 emf plOy none but male
teachers, the reasons for which ! have
never understood fully. In another dis
trict the directors talk Of passing a resO-
luton to employ none but female teach
crs. The reason they give i, that for the
last three years thev had an cuual mum
ber Of each, and the females have invari-
ably had the best schools, which il true.
The female teachers have it now all in
thei1 own hands. If they choose u re-
move the prejudice still existing in some
places against them, they can do 20 by
fitting themselves properly for the work.
JaafttWtca.-Ihc County Teachers IN
stltute held last November was one Of the
most successful meetings Of the kin ever
held in the county. About ~ teachers
were present Prof. Mark Bailey ciOcu-
zionist in Yale College, gave lessons in
elOcution during the week, and lcctured
and gave readings two evenings. w. w.
Woodruff, Esq, County Superintendent
Of Chester county, lecturcd one evening
and gave instructions in orthoepy and
grammar during the week A = Mon
son, Esq, Of Philadelphia, gave lessons in
pcnmau~hip. Prof. +. Brooks Of Millers-
Vile, and Hon. j. i. Wickersham, State
uperintcudent delivered lectures. Five
hundred words were spelled 10y the teach
crs during the week, and Web-ter's Die
tiDnarIcs, and L0ssiug's Illustrated L. 5
II STORY were given as premiums
District Institutes have partially rallied
again. Seven were ia successful opera
ton last winter, attended 10y about 81
teachers. Their success however was
not sufficient TO justify the opinion that
they viii be generally established again.
They are generally unpopular, and since
County Institutes lave been Incorporated
into, and made part Of the educational
machinery Of the State, / am inclined to
think district Institutes will be - laid on
the shelf" The County Institute must
be made a complete success. 70 do so
teachers must be allowed the time But
directors viii scarcely be prevailed on 70
allow two days each month for district in
stitutcs, and besides, one week in the
term for county Institutes. In my Opin-
ion Il county institute Of one week, prop
crly conducted, will be Of more value to
teachers than 10 or II duys scattered thrO'
the term in district institutes as now
mostly conducted, and therefore / shall
throw my influence and energies in favor
IF the county institute. There will still
be room left for district meetings, butnot
for the purpose Of " bOringU an audience
with dry rehearsal of a lesson in geog-
raphy, arithmetic or grammar. but to dis
cuss the living educational questions of
the day. These meetings should be held
in the evening, about once "A month
Teachers and JcTintcndcnts should
make an effort TO have them as interest
ing IA possible 10 the people. Certainly
much can be done in this way To arouse
the people and get them to thinking.
Obstncies IN the Jr0y II iUlDrOUcuicnk.-
Obstacles in the way of improvement are
numerous, but they all spring from popu-
lar Indifference TO the claims Of education.
We have still some people in AIinlin
county who look upon education as IA
positively dangerous thing, calculated To
make rOgucS, at least to make people
proud, lazy and good-ior-nothing gener-
ally. Whatever else may be said Of them,
they certainly have the virtue of consist
ency. They do what they can to oistruct
the wheels Of progress.
There is another class Of persons, which
comprises II majority of the people, who
regard education "A harmless thing In it.
self, but beyond a smatLering knowledge
of reading, writing and ciphering, useful
only to those in the learned professions.
Their way Of reasoning Is something like
tins: " The grand object for which
man was created Is to make money. Edu-
cation, beyond the ability 10 read. write
and cipher, iH not necessary 10 make mo-
ncy except 10 those In the learned profrs-
7ions. Therefore, education, beyond the