The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1869-07-29

held in Ebensburg. commencing Monoay'
December 2lst. Eighty-two teachers were
:, attendance This was gain OF eleven
over the Institute of the year before This
number. large as it was. would nave peen
Greatly augmented had not the weather been
50 extremely rough, and the roads SO much
blocked ND with snow. Through the greater
part of our county, the facilities for travel
mo are very poor at the best, and in such
Season as the last Institute-week, in many
narts of the county it was next to impossi-
BILE to get along.
The exercises of our meeting consisted
nrincipally of lectures, discussions, class
drills. and a contest in spelling. We had
crowded houses, and the entire community
seemed IN nterested IN our proceedings. Let
the croakers that have survived the flood,
clamor as they may, | am firmly convinced
that our county institutes have done, are
doing. and will continue to do good work
en- the educational field. The thanks of our
teachers are specially due Hon. J. P. Wick
trsham, Reys b. NJ. Kerr and Jos. Waugh,
and Profs. Andrew Burtt, A. G. johnson,
G., W. Cope, and F. S. Maloy, for the act
i've part which they took in the Institute.
". OBSTACLES IN THE WAY OF IMPROVEMENT.
] know of no serious obstacle in the way
OF Improvement but what grows out of the
lack of money. Our people almost unani-
mouslY favor popular education, and are
willing to make almost any sacrifice for the
good Of our schools. But we are very high
" taxed, and it is out of the question, at
least at present, to raise any greater amount
of funds 10 most of our districts. In many
Of them the very highest rate of taxation
allowed by law is imposed. 1t is impossi
bic 10 do more. If some Power would en-
dow us with the touch of Midas, we should
find an easy egress from all our difficulties.
We should like to lengthen our school terms.
increase the salaries of our teachers, erect
better school, houses than we have IN many
localities, and furnish these
' Incipient seats of knowledge -
with such apparatus as they should have.
But at present we are not able to accom-
pish all these desirable objects.
V. MEASURES CALCULATED I'd PROMOTE I'M
PRovEMENT.
As it is, many of our directors and teach
ers are honestly labOring to promote the i'm
| provement and increase the efficiency of our
| schools. This effort is indicated on the part
! of directors by the greater interest and zeal
which they have shown than in former years.
| During the year ] made 81 visits in compa-
! ny with directors-last year only l3. Quite
| a numb Der of directors also attended our coun-
| tv institute, and seemed to take interest in
| It's DGOceeUlDSS- III all SeClltIlS vi lIlc COuI-
| ty they have been moving in the cause. and
| doing all in their power TO advance its in
terests Better wages generally were paid
| during this year than last. Teachers evinced
! their interest in the cause by their attend
ance upon the county institute, the improved
| character of qualifications as shown at the
examinations. and the greater success with
which our schools were managed. In the
| absence of the great lever-noney-I thlnk K
that our schools will reap much advantage
! from we'll conducted county institutes, nor
! nal schools, and a constantly advancing
| standard of requirements. Graded salaries
! should not be overlooked. / cannot help
the term lust c6ssd # ag been oNg d9rpHse d8 Tie
/ graded salaries which were paid in many
districts These means Of improvement are
within our grasp. A paid directory, uni
formity cf text books in counties, equalized
taxation, double the length of our present
school term, and twice the salary now paid
to teachers, may possibly forever exist as
only the chimeras of the educationist's
dream.