Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1870-12-09

| in attendance was over one hundred
and fifty. Prof. J. Allen was the
regular conductor, but his labors were
attended by frequent class exercises
conducted by members of the Insti.
tute. Our County Superintendent
showed his tact and interest in the
work by having a good programme
previously prepared, and having Sc
cured good lectures for the evening
sessions. The regular programme
was, In the main, adhered to. Only
on one or two occasions were outside
axe.grinders permitted to interfere,
and that for very few moments
Prof. Allen manifested both skill fol
his work and a deep interest i'm the
success of our common schools, as
he labored especially to interest the
teachers Of our rural districts in,
and prepare them for more faithful
and successful discharge of their du-
ties. But the interests of city and
overlooked. The Professor is special
ly skillful in all the departments OF
geography and grammar, or with our
own part of the universe, and the
language we should use in commune
eating our ideas. He is an educator
who, we would infer, has escaped the
the educational mania of the west,
viz: Arithmetic and other branches
of mathematics. We think this
madness in the west, is caused by an
other mania-money. making, and
patrons are as much to blame for il,
if not more, than the teachers. All
the branches of education requiring
attention i'm our common schools,
however, received more or less atten-
tention by the conductor and other
instructors. There were, in all, i'm
GLIDING the evenings, fifteen sessions.
The evening sessions were mostly de-
voted to discussions on educational
topics and listening 10, the regular
lectures.
On Monday evening Prof. Allen
delivered an address on the "Use and
abuse of words" in which was DEM
onstrated the common origin of lam
guage by the similarity of word-roots
in sound, to the actions and charac-
teristics intended originally to be
communicated by them. The versa
tility and richness of verbiage of our
language, and the beautiful and deli
cate shades of meaning that may be
expressed by the skillful selection of
appropriate terms from its rich store
of words, were also amusingly and
pointedly exhibited.
On Tuesday evening the audience
listened with wrapped attention to
an appropriate and eloquent address
by DR.. Keller, on the Moral influ>
ence Of the teacher"
So appropriate. pointed, and peril
nent were the demonstrations, Illus.
trations, and arguments of the speak
er, that no nearer worthy the position
of teacher could avoid feeling pro-
founder consciousness of the respon>
sibility of his work.
Wednesday evening was principally
appropriated to hearing an address by
Prof. Bum, OH the Relation oi
music to our public schools" AS we
did not hear this address, we cannot
speak knowingly Of It's merits, but
from the Professors skill and enthu-
siasm i'm the art of music, we are
warranted in assuming that it was al
least very good.
Rev. Griffith was the crater for
Thursday evening, and he handled
his theme" What you have been
told, lin very skillful and instruc-
tive manner, and reminded US OF
many scenes and sayings of those OF
our patrons who are exceedingly wise
i'm the art of teaching, minus all
practice or experience, and who sell
dom see either school or school room,
save when they go in haste to "reg-
erlate things"
Rev. Church entertained the audi
ence on Friday evening, He gave
the customs of the day some keen
hits. We did not learn exactly what
was his subject, but were pleased
with the lecture and the oratory.-
After the lecture, Mrs. Hoxie, for
mer pupil, and, we believe, q gradu-
ate of the Oswego Training School,
read, In compliance TO the solicita-
tons Of the audience, three selections
in true artistic style. Her rendering
Of "Daniel Green" was the mirth
exciting and closing exercise of the
evening. Mrs. III. also gave us some
very interesting and thorough drill
exercises during the day sessions
We think it wrong that one with hel
abilities, is not in active service in the
school.room.
Institutes have sometimes, by 6
peculiar sort of school-keepers, beer
decided "bores," but In all sucI
cases it will be found that those com
posing the majority of members have
produced such q state of affairs By
their own apathy In the work ant
are themselves, in spite of Institutes
bore to their employers and theil
pupils.
With such a conductor as Professor
Allen, and with such a corps of edu
catienal workers as were In this In
stitute. no one. who is not dron,
constitutionally, or of that class wh'
weep at the thought of their owl
death, because wisdom Is to die with
them, and all future generations b,
left in darkness and ignorance, could
spend even few days attending will
them, without realizing a benefi
that will tell in his school-room, ant
we surmise that if the teachers O
Black Hawk county will put int
practical application, even a moiety
of what they there learned, tile char
aeter of the schools will be elevated.
PAIRS INSTITUTES.
A TROY paper published two arti
cles recently, one of which was al
obituary notice, and the other ,