Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-02-10
THE PROGRESS OF EDUCATION

an Essay read By Mss s. Ella Nichoz
Of Watertoaon, before the Teachers IN
stitute, at WoteytoaOn, Friday eve., Jan
22d, and published By request Of tht
Institute.
AS we view the Mississippi where the
Missouri pours its vast sheet of turbid
water into it, the mind of the spectator
naturally glances a thought backward to
the north, where it dwindles to little
rill, flowing from the small lake Itasca.-
So it has been with our literary rivulet
Peering through the darkness OF the An
CedeluVian age into the dim twilight
which enyeloped the morning of creation
we find that the foundation of the temple
of knowledge was laid by the Great
Architect alone. To Adam and his des.
cendants were given the power of build
ing up this great structure. We recog-
nize the law of progress in education as
we'll as IN everything else The simple
form of communicat. on given to Adam at
the beginning has been improved from
time to time until we now have the beau
tiful English language. The Shepherds.
discovery while watching their focks by
night and wonderingly gazing upon the
sparkling lights scattered so profusely
upon the blue canopy of night, uncon-
sciously added one high column to the
great temple OF truth, for although, could
they have looked with Herschel through
his great telescope, they would have seen
many defects IN their theory, yet the
foundation was then laid for the science
of Astronomy. New ideas were then
formed; language was rendered more
complex /; people began to separate far
and near, adopting different views and
carrying on commerce with each other
The wealth of different minerals was dis
covered architecture studied; cities and
towns built. Then came long cessation,
and for d time it seemed as if ignorance,
thesPrlnce of Darkness, had suddenly
thrown dark forboding pail over the
mass Of the people, making the poor mere
slaves to their tyranny; using their ply
sical force to construct their lofty pyra-
mids which are so wonderful to the mod
ern world. Books could not be purchas
ed by them on account of the expense,
thus closing the doors of general know
ledge to the poorer class. At this period
of darkness, SO appropriately named the
Iron Age" suddenly ray of light
steadily advanced. The star of Hope,
which had become almost extinct with
the benighted populace, now beamed
brightly down and the hearts Of the peo-
pie were ready to receive the full blaze of
truth which was forced upon them by
Luther, who stood, as it were, beacon
light, beckoning them to advance and en-
ter the great temple which had been so
long barred to them. He welded the
press with resistless force pouring
streams of ancient learning through all
the channels of public thought
The careful mariner heretofore had
yentured but short distance from shore
when Fulton came to his rescue, and aid
ed him in steering his frail bark fearless
ly out into mid ocean, regardless of wind
or waves.
Gallileo's great discovery stands next
in order of time, thus finishing the gigan-
tic pillar to the temple, the foundation of
which was laid by the humble Shepherds
1t would require volumes for me tc
follow in detail the many improvements
which have been made, from time to time
Within the past century, woman has
partially g'ined the place that she was
destined to occupy. Once oar fate seem.
ed to be to sit passively by, to be seen and
not heard. How great the injustice done
US at the time of the fall Of the great
Roman Republic, when the proclamation
was issued that "Women should not meet
together to babble and talk, and all men
should keep their wives in their house
Voltaire and his imitators have passed
away, and but few meagerssand prevert
ed intellects remain who satirize the sex
which be held to possess, neither of the
masculine attributes "ideas or boards"
With many thanks to education WE
congratulate ourselves that the time has
| arrived when we received pre-eminence
for other powers than that of simple Ell
Iurlnce and while II Is orr off f-z 10 teach