The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1873-03-06
SlHOOL ITEMS.
What the Boys and Girls are Learning.

In these modern days, when men whom
the people elect to govern, say out o nights
to learn how to steal themselves rich without
being detected, it il both instructive and
appropriate to visit the edIices Of instruc-
ton where the youthful representatives. Of
Kansas get their daily supplies Of knowl-
edge. To writeup school examinations every
day for fortnight in midsummer, and pub
lish the name of every deserving pupil, re-
quires the exercise Of patience that would
have made Job sick; but to casually "drop
in" during echool hours, and startle the
SCHOOL ma'am," and abash the young lady
pupils, and puzzle the boysto ascertain what
the reporter wants, is diversion both agree
able and refreshing. Yesterday We visited
some of the rooms of the Morris School,
and with no small degree OF
interest listened to the exercise of the hour.
In Miss McFarlane's room the boys and
girls were doing examples in per centage,
and they did them readily. One example was
something of this kind: 'If an army Of
5000 men loses ten per cent. in killed, nine
per cent. in wounded, and twenty five per
cent. are honorably discharged, how many
men will be left ?'' The answers were
given readily and correctly, but the example
wasn't appropriate. Something after this
fashion would have been better: Suppose a
man steals $500, 900 from his citizens,
and pays out ten per cent. Of that amount to
buy seat in the U. S. Senate, and gives five
per cent. of the sum remaining to silence in.
vestigation, and then receives as a free gift
twenty shares of Credit Mobilier stock, each
share OF the denomination Of $1,000, and
every share paying dividend of six per
cent month, how much money would the
man have at the end of Elk years, and how
many members of the Legislature could
he buy with the sum remaining, provided
members were in the market at $1,000
apiece. An example of that kind would be
''business" 1t would acquaint the pupil
with the current topics Of his native land,
and fit him for brilliant career in politics.
We don't know whether the pupils in the
public schools sre told that it is wrong ia
steal and perjure themselves, but We dc
know that such lessons ought to be taught.
In Miss Porter's room of the second
grade we found pupils struggling successful.
ly with analysis of compound proportion.
Possibly the youth of this class are cherish
ing the delusion that devotion to study, and
requirements of knowledge and culture will
will give them honored positions in political
and social circles, but We apprehend they
are too keen to be imposed on liz that man.
ner.
Miss Cases class in ancient history can tell
the visitor all about Athens. the beauty Of
Athens architecture, the eloquence Of Athe.
nian orators and the comeliness of the Athe-
MAN ladies.
The boys will recite also the history
of Helen, and how the gallant princes Of the
land rushed to the rescue OF the injured
beauty when she was carried captive to the
city of Troy. But what spicy diversion
could be found in the fresh modern history
of Alice Cation and her affidavits, supple.
mented with an account of York's strategy
when he laid siege to the land Office.
After all, there is a genuine pleasure in 8
visit to the public schools. The pupils arr
50 bright, entertaining and promising, thai
one cannot glance over the assembled groups
without thrill Of satisfaction. The school;
are stronger this term than ever before. Prof
Williams says there is not . weak poin
anywhere Visitors from distant cities and
towns view the classes and listen to thu
recital with words Of admiration. 4 note
worthy feature in the management of the
schools, is the cordial feeling existing
between pupils and teachers. The attend
ance is very large. Even at this period o
the term few vacant seats are seen, and
nowhere is there lack of that enthusiasm
or elan characteristic of the Kansas youth.