Nebraska advertiser., 1868-04-23
HooKEn. NEB., April 18th, 1863. =
State Normal SchOol-Peru.

It was cur good fortune to attend the examina-
ton and closing ceremonies of the State Normal
| School at Peru, on the l4sh and 18th inst, and
we wish now to lay before our readers some few
notes taken on the occasion.
Bon. O. h. 8swstt Of BrownviIIe, a graduate of
Bowdoin College, Maine, and Col. @. II. Irish Of the
Press we're appointed by the State as examiners.
Mr.. Irish Was not present. The method Of con-
Quoting the exercises consisted Of general reviews
of the principles passed over by the class during the
term and an explanation of the general method of
instruction which was then followed by general ques
tions to the class by Judge Hewett. The Arithme-
tic class of Mrs. McKenzio's department was FIRST
heard, extending so far as to per centage. We heard
but a small part of this recitation.
Mrs. McKenzie's Reading and Spelling class came
next. The Reading lesson was assigned the day
previous. The difficult words of the Lesson were
noted and each scholar was required to be prepare at
recitation, when called for, to arise and give tker def
milton ard stymology Of these words. Every schol-
ar was required to spell as well by the Phonetic me-
thod as by the usual way Of naming each letter in
the word.
The Spelling lesson was short. Each scholar was
required to write a short composition which should
contain all the words OF the spelling lesson,
or some assigned number of them. at the recita-
ton their c~ompositi ons are read and criticised.
Mr.. McKeuzie's Grammar class was then called
and were rigidly examined in the analasis of SEN
fences by diagrams on the board and in tho gram
matical relation Of the words Of the diagram.
The sdvaneed Spelling class we're next Called
The lesson selected was pronounced by one of the
class. The other members wrote the words on q
slate, dividing the SO mt into syllables, marking the
accented syllable, and giving the vowel the mark
representing the proper sound. This finished, the
states were exchanged, and as the correct spelling
division of sylables, and vowel sounds were gwen,
Mr.. A. having BIS slate, was requested to say whsth
er B had made a mistake in spelling, in dividing in
to s~yllsbles, or in giving sounds of vowels. Out
ola difficult lesson of thirty words, but two. or three
mistakes were made and they unimportant.
A short lesson vas then read by the advanced
reading class. Much time and pains we're taken in
getting at the sense of tho author and giving the
stymology of words. They were drinei in thu
stress, power, and pitch Of voice in emphasis and
infections of the voice.
A Pnyst14l, or Ca!isthenic exercise came next
which was performed wi tn military precision, and
gave much east aud animation to the school.
Mkt ca1ne a thorough examination Of the AID
vanced Arithmetic class, from per centage, on through
the book, and Of the Advanced Geography class,
the result Of which was alike ereditable to teacher
and scholar. Thus ended the programme of the
18th.
ALectrre was then announced for the evening by
Judge newett. The storm through the day did not
abate until ate in the evening, still a respectable
audience assembled to hear the lecture, which was
well written, and delivered in the Judges nappiest
style. The subject was "The Necessity for a More
General and Complete Education" And allow me
here to suggest the prepriety Of requesting the
Judge to deliver the same before the Ugh School in
BrOwnville, some evening soon.
The Rhetoric class was the first to recite the
next morning. The arguments for the two theo-
ries-ths Divine and the Gonventional-of accoun-
ting fer the origin of Language, and the Telegraph
10, verbal, syllable, and the alphabetical, and now
the phonetic method Of writing language, wera
subjects Of discussion, and we were wen pleased
with the ease and with the clear understanding Of
the subjeet5 which was eviaeed on the part Of tbs
class during the reeitation.
Ahe advanced GraRhA SlaS WAS oalleQ which
was drilled in analysis and parsing, and many diff
fcult words and sentences were disposed Of to the
abstraction Of all present.
And last cane the Teachers ola IS, which wa,
composed oils pupils, and they ware thoroughly ex-
amined in all the arts anG beat methods or teach.
ing and in the fundamental principles taught in
our public schools, and none of them "Were found
wanting" in all that appertains to goo teachers.
Miss Allie Myers then read the critics report d