The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1872-01-12

the ''University Series of School
Books.
What are we to think Of Teachers
and School Commissioners, here in
Tennessee, the birth State of MAURY.
who reject and try to keep out Of our
schools, these books, thus receiving
goIden opiniaus in England? Tho Sat
,,rday RcUjc10 of London, is the highest
authority in such matters in Europe.
From the Saturday ReUicC, London Of
Nor. %, 1671.l
American Literature
There is probably no department of
literature or science in which Americans
themselves would question the superb
GRITTY of England either as regards aver
age quality or quantity of production.
The bubble documents of the States, in
deed, are, as our readers well know, of
far more varied and general value and
interest than our own, and many scien-
tific and practical works of the highest
merit have been, and are yearly pub
lished at the expense OF the country.
But even though thus aided, there is no
branch of study to which the entire re-
cent contribution OF America is any
thing like as import aDt as our own.
And in no class Of books, perhaps, is
this inferiOrity more manifest than those
intended for the use of schools and col
Ieucs But we must make one imDOr-
tant exception alike to the general rule
and the particular example. Upon Ge-
ograEhy and kindred subjects Ameri-
cans have written much and carefully,
stimulated and assisted no dOubt by the
energetic encouragement which the
Federal Government has constantly
given to explorations of every kind in
almost every part of the Western CONT
nent Geograpbers proper, biologists,
mineralOCiStS and naturaliStS have
been enabled to pursue their inquiries
at the public cost, and have been en-
couraged to painstalSinO investigation,
and to the publication of ample records
oftheir discoveries by the interest which
all classes of Americans have always
manifested in these subjects. 1t is no
doubt to their peculiar situation, as
people of high civilization and unrest
ing enterprise, in possession OF an I'M
mensa, rich, and imperfectly known
territory, that this interest is due, and
it has led apparently to study of geog-
raphY much more general and thorough
| than is common in English schools.
As the demand creates the supply, the
American textbooks of geography arc
often more complete, and certainly
much better calculated to fulfil their
purpose of instruction, than oul own.
| Mr. NJ. +. Maury'S series, one OF which
we have already had occasion TO notice,
| are eSpCcially adapted to excite the GU
riOsitY of boys and girls, and to make
| that which as taught to our children, IS
about the dulIeSt and most tedious Of
all dry matters of routine, the agree
able and interesting subject it Cught to
| be- The volume now before us IS fitted
| to be the delight of any schOOlrOOm III
which the teacher is not utterly and
| hOpelessly unfit to teach. 1t cOntrives
! to make the geographical definitions to
| which children so rarely learn to attach
! a meaning Ineligible at sight, by an
| illustration in which each of the cOm~
mon terms OF physical geOgraphY-cOn-
tinent. island sound, strait, ocean, sea,
mountain, tableland, 6c.-is clearly
| presented to the readers eye. 1t con-
| tains not only the ordinary maps which
| show the political demarcations OF man
kind, but physical maps in which the
great natural features of every region
are clearly shown with equal distinct
ness. And, finally, multitude ofillns-
! tratiOns attach living inter est and VS.
| ible meaning to the multitude of names
| and facts which form the drudgery of
| geography; presenting to the sight and
intelligence of the pupil characteristic
| scenes which his memory Will ever al
| ter associate with the names of capitals,
| the course of rivers, the local scenery,
| flora. fauna, history, and industrial Oc-
cupatiOn which the writers Of English
textbooks expect him to learn by rOte.
We can heartily recommend this vol
ume, and its companions, to the use OF
every family, and the junior classes of
every school; and we are sure that
where it is adopted the geography lesson
will become suddenly and surprisingly
popular.