The Republican journal., 1870-01-13
For the Republican Journal.
A TEACHERS INSTITUTE.

MIR. EDITOR. Perhaps the following may be
admissible toyour columns, ,as news item, that may
not be alt ogether unintercSting to the world in
general, and ''the rest Of mankind i'll particular"
Then say to your readers that Il town Teachers III
stitute was naugurated in this place, Wcsheag,
some two CT three weeks ago, based upon teachers,
experimenting school committees, cx-teachers and
those aiming toqualify themselves torearthe tender
thoughts, and teach young ideas how to shoot'-and
citizens and scholars, AS honarary members, priy-
legged to make suggestions and to PROFOUND queS-
tions.
Last evening, at the school house in District No
y, was held meeting Of the above institute, at
which was gathered respectable number Of
teachers, citizens aud scholars, of the latter Il
goodly number, composing mixed audience re-
specthlly attentive.
The order of exercises pursued WAS as follows:
The president who is chosen at each meeting, as
signs to the teachers members their several parts
for the next or succeeding meeting, and the eXer-
cises the occasion were dissertations on arithme
tic, grammar, geography and last though not least
the reading of article from your paper found
the first page and was the second of series of
three upon the subject of education, which by
some, is detinedxas drawing out of the faculties OF
the mind, the grand desideratum, and when that is
eie cted by having those faculties properly drawn
out, then and not till then viii the world of mankind
have reached condition such rs never yet attained
1t appeared to be the aim of the writer of the ari-
ces, referred to above, to reclaim people from be-
ing held under the sway of Sleeping hollor and its
deadening influences, and if its incucations We're
but needed an improvement in the physical, mental
and moral departments of our would soon be
perceptible, and those noble faculties of the mind
would soon be fully and nobly developed.
''That the world moves" l am fully satisfied for
at the Institute hold the eve of the close of the
year 1869, coincidence such rarely happens, oc
cured, and that was, the teachers generally, and
one in particular, and one too who had longest pur
sued the calling, claimed as the best method of I'M
parting instruction. and that too, which would be
most practical and lasting, was to almost discard
books, and especially in teaching grammar, and to
teach it in an easy conversational manner; thus
adducing the identical arguments used by the author
above referred to and embracing and embodying the
same ideas.
Perhaps, upon more mature and deliberate con-
sideration, we should arrive at quite different
conclu sion, and not wonder, that thinking men and
thin king women, too, in Waldo county, should
think alike with thinking men and women in Knox
county. and more especially so, while thinking up
on the same subject. Hree we may nationally
enough conclude, that Il new era is about to dawn
if it has not already upon us, and that the delect
able times of Ichabod Cranes brchen sway and
yea too that of the witty James Sullivan mentioned
in Eatons History of Thomaston a little more an
cient, ma yhap, going back to some few years sub
sequently to the year 1910, when he first landed al
this place, Weskeag, and holding, if not bircher
sway, at least sole leather tcrule sway, over
children Of four years of age and upwards anC
young men and madens of the age of % or &C. fol
often his school would have several scholars o.
that age; besides being an expert ut boxing of ear
| of those not favoritcs, administering blows, amos
sufficient to fell All which was not half Sc
degrading AS the al powerful sway lie held oyel
the people by his considered and admitted fInt
Of learning, and his unbridled wit and sarcasm
which he welded without stint and unmercifnlly
| A prediction may be advcntured that decades t(
the number of three will not pass off, before bet
ter condition of educational matters will obtain
and those who are then alive will leave the worlt
| in better condition, as regards impartmg nstruc-
lion and the education of the human mind than the,
| found ii in. PHILOGIAN.
| South ThOmaston, Jan. /.