Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-07-03
[CCnmuuicated.I

+ o-e OF the board of examiners for 1869.
Perhaps few facts gathered while
/ there may not be uninteresting to some
+ Of your readers.
I he school was established bv the
/ Board of Regents Of Normal Schools ~
/ ylrtne Of power conferred by chapter 2l6.
| of the General Laws Of 1866. On the
/ 18th day of February 1866, the Board.
/ after considering the several proposals
! for the establishment Of Normal Schools.
/ by ballot selected Platteyiile as the To-
\ cation for one OF them. In May follow
/ Ing the transfer to the State of the
( title to the building and grounds of the
/ Platte'ilie Academy was accepted and
/ the school finally located there Suita-
+ bic repairs having been made, the first
/ term Of the school opened October 9Th,
4 1866.
1 The size Of the building may be known
/ when | state that the Plattevi e Academy
/ was 10 by 20 feet, :hree stories the new
/ building built by the State, as an addi-
/ ton on the south side Of the Academy,
/ IS 40 by so feet, two stories: and a
/ corridor b by 40 feet, three stories high
/ 1t Is built Of an excellent quality OF
/ stone, beautiful blue limestone found
| in the vicinity. The structure is inn
/ posing ana very durable credit to
our state There is a basement under
! all in which are six hot air furnaces, for
/ heating the building. leaving room for
/ the wood required, Of which about 100
/ cords are used annually, besides room
/ for protecting delicate plants from the
/ rIGOrs Of our winters
| The philosophical and chemical APP
! paratus belonging 70 the school is worth
/ about $1,000. The general library is
/ small. The reference library is worth
/ 500. The seats are Of the most approx
/ ed in use The Normal Hal" where
/ the commencement exercises are held
/ lyceums, ETC., and used for general edu-
/ cational purposes, is not vet fully seated
| Three hundred dollars will complete the
| seating of it, and It seems to me that the
/ State should furnish that amount for the
/ purpose. The arrangement of the builds
/ ing IS good, in fact it is model school
/ building
Prof Chas H. Allen, one Of the Lead
! ing educational men of the State with his
thorough educational advantages, great
energy and excellent Administrative abil-
/ Ity, having a large, generous heart, is
principal. When he takes you by the
hand he greets YOU as though he meant
it, and like other large souled men. has
| time 20 make you know It. When he
appears before any of the classes, he is
there 10 inspire confidence. and not to
destroy it in those under him, performs
the part OF an instructor rather than
fault finder. 1t is not at all strange
that al the students esteem Prof Allen
50 highly His assistants are we'll quaI~
flied and thorough, like Napol-
con : generals, for the special part each
Is TO perform.
There | met Prof Purman with his
warm heart and fine classical attainments
The cheerful face he brings into the
schoolroom makes all feel at home, while
he i master of all taught there.
There you may find Prof. McGrecor
who has charge of the higher mathemat-
les. Observing, and apt in applying his
society is always to be desired
The scholarly bearing ard keo 1 per~
ceptire faculties of PROT Futile, convince
one that he is well qualified to have
charge of Astronomy, Geology, and Phvsi
ology, notwithstanding they are branches
which require much thought and re-
search.
Miss Joslyn, for years pillar in the
Plattevi r. Academy, is now following
the line of duty by dispensing light and
knowledge in the Normal School Per-
haps no better compliment could be paid
"A teacher, yet Miss Joslyn in Untitled to
it, when | say it is proyerbial that no stu
dent whom she taught ever found any
fault with Miss Joslyn
Prof Terry, n gradute of n State NoI-
nal School in the state of New York,
has charge of the Preparatory or Aca-
demic Department, and Judging from his
method Of imparting instruction, one
must be convinced that those in the Pre-
paratory Department are we'll cared for
Mrs Graham, an experienced teacher,
has charge OF the Model Department,
and IS master Of her work. How much
better is her genial nature for securing
order and harmony in the schoolroOm,
than the birch Of years ago, or the /" rod
of correction as used in some Of our
schools mt his day
Prof Sanford has charge of the music
in the school 1t is by no means the
least important branch cf education, vet
it is most sadly neglected in our schools
Mirabeau said Let me die to the sound
OF delicious music. Then how fit for
the schoo!room.
The methods of instruction pursued in
the SEi0bl ar NATURAL ana thorough,
the design being to make each recitation
an Illustrative exercise in the art Of
rchjnG The recitations consist more
If training than teacbiag thas requiring
students before leaving a study, not only
to know what pertains to it, but to be
able to DO with accuracy and facility
those things for which the study should
prepare them. In the studies which are
taught it our public schools, the knowl
edge Is made especially clear and well
defined.
The course of instruction in the Nor
NAL School embraces period of three
years, and includes Mathematics, Lam
-uage, Natural Science, miscellaneous
instruction including History, science of
Government, Political Economy, Mental
and Moral Philosophy, Essays, Profess
sional aid, etc.
\ class of the teachers, two ladies and
six gentlemen, graduate this term, and
no doubt viii sustain the character Of
the institution which they are about to
leave, and materially aid in diSpelhng
the gloom of ignorance by property train
ing the youth OF the country.
The board Of examiners examined
classes in Physical Geography, Astrono-
my, Descriptive Geography Rhetoric,
I English Literature, Geology. Higher Al
zebra, Botany, Latin. Science OF Goy>
eminent, Geometry, Physiology, Gram
mar. Reading Spelling Criticism, and
Theory and Practice of Teaching The
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