Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-03-25

Aiu" onO, ehuo Ootu
The years holy hand have laid
Upon my life.
Confirming every promise made
To heart and soul, to board and bed;
Praise God, dear wife
Letters from the People.
Reply of Farmer" 60 superintendent of
Schools.
Editor Spectator,
In the reply Of the Super
intendent Of Schools to Farmer" occurs the
following paragraph: Having deemed it an
official duty to correct the mlscalculations into
which Farmers preiudices have led him,
will close with few suggestions.
l feel quite overwhelmed at the exposure Of
my mis- calculations, aud The only apology |
can offer, by way OF extenuation, for my bIun-
der is found in the fact that have not looked
into an arithmetic sincel 'ciphered" according
TO Pike; read the New Testament, and con-
s,rued Ceasar. at an ''old field school, with
tuition at the rate OF one dollar per month. =
According to Pike the cost of lot of mer-
chandise, or flock Of sheep at any given point
was ascertained by adding to the purchase mon-
ey, all the expenses incurred In delivery, no
matter whether they were freight, insurance,
or the hire OF hanus. And then if the price
per yard or per head was wanted, this aggre-
gate was divided by the number of yards Or
Sheep delivered. And | was, consequently,
not aware that the great advances in the science
Of arithmetic had obliterated this fundamental
rule Of ''old Pike" and substituted in Its stead
bran new one. For this Information am
indebted TO the sense OF Official duty" of the
''county superintendent OF tree schools" aud
for the new rule its5lf, doubtless, to the system
of public free education, of which system,
efficiency and cheapness are the very smallest
recommendations l therefore eagerly seize
this opportunity of ex pressing my profound ad-
miration tor a system which spontaneously
evolves such simple and admirable rules, anu
nv gratitude to the County Supt. Schools, y
tor the no less courteous than thorough manner
ln which he has corrected my s-calcula-
IONS" / shall know better for the future; and
shall not be found again undertaking to ascer-
tain the cost of tuition per pupil by the ab-
surd method of dividing the aggregate sum ex-
pended by the superintendent for pubic free
schools" by the number OF pupils actually at
tending school; but snail 10 the FIRST place, as
the Superintendent directs, deduct trom the
whole cost number Of items OF necessary ex-
penditure without 8hich The system could not
exist, and then divide the expenses, thus re-
duced, not by the number OF children actually
and srithWetlcal knowledge, but by the num-
Der of enrolled scholars. And although many
of these may not be personally eojoylng the
uenefts OF this enlghtening and elevalng tree
instruction, yet they have the lnestmable ad-
vantage of being enrolled, and OF performing
The patriotic aid publlc-sp spirited duty of appa-
r, ntly lessening the cost OF tree school educa-
ton.
| had an opportunity the other day of wit
Messing a pracLical illustration OF the vast ben
ttrs accruing to Individuals from this public
ii school method OF ascertalnlng thu cost per
head. A trend aud neighbor, who, by the way
is somewhat old-tashioned, and has no hesita-
tlOn In engaging In discussion OF the Mis-
souri, Com promlse," and is just as ready to de-
monstrate that secession" was, or Isl (which
ever you preter) constitutional remedy, as to
establish by an irrefragable argument ''our
rights in the Territories, and who has actual
y undertaken, on more than one occasion, to
make it plain to the comprehension OF the zeal
GUS advocates OF the pleasure OF accepting The
situation aud of the duty OF pressing the old
State into her true position ln the national
sisterhood," that Walker is more indebted to
Virginia, than Virginia Is to hltn. But must
hasten to my point. L found this old friend
with slate aud pencil ln hand and looking very
much crest fallen. l soon ascertalned that he
had undertaken TO fad the cost per head of a
flock Of sheep he had recently purchased In w.
Va, and that under his figuring, the margin
for handsome profits had been growing small
by degrees and beautifully less, until he was
quite cast down. On examining his slate, l
found that he was as far In the rear OF the pres
ent state of arltnmetical knowledge as Was,
when undertook to find out the COST per pu-
nil of ''pu olic free school education. felt a
urofouud pity for his benighted state, deepened
bv the rehecIlon thai had been SO recently
eroplpg In like darkness. l found that he
had added to the purchase price of the sheep,
his expenses IN buying, the hire OF hands to
drive them to his iarn, the cost OF forage on
the road, the toll be had paid, &C., and Inen,
this grand total, he had divided by the num-
Der of sheep he had got safely to his home
deducting several that had been lost on the
drive, and greater number killed by the dogs
[ informed him, perhaps with a somewhat trl-
umphant tone aud manner, that he had been
guilty uf gross 'mlscalcuIatlons, and proceeded
TO Inform h,m that as he could not have bought
the sheep without going to w. Va, and could
not have got them TO his farm without driving,
that therefore these items ought not to be
counted as a part Of the aggregate cost, and as
20 the forage furnished the sheep, it had been
eaten and converted luto wool aud mutton, he
therefore had it yet this Item then Instead of
being added to the COST ought TO De deducted
from the price paid for the sheep. AT this he
turned his face towards me, his lip CURED with
an expression very near akin to contempt, aud
replied with some warmth that he reckoDed
he knew Tow to make these calculations that
he had been doing it all his life that as for
me, it was precious little L knew about arith-
metlc that he we'll remembered l never Could
do one of old Pixies sums In the single rule
of three" He then added with euphatlc
earpestness that i5 was as plain as pikestatf
that the expense incurred ia buying the sheep,
and In driving them home, Constituted as legltl-
mate part OF their cost as the money paid old
j. NJ for them. Seeing that L, alone and un-
assisted, Was TO have the worst OF the argu-
ment / pulled from my pocket the Spectator
of lltb Of March, and read him the clear, able
and convincing exposition OF the general prin-
ciple controlling such cases, in the reply Of the
',County Superintendent OF Free Schools to
Farmer Ny friend having quick and appre.