The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1873-05-22
ron GOVERNOR,
y. w. TuROCKmO Of Collin.
THURSDAY, MAY 90, 1873.
OUR VIENNA LETTERING. 4.


been held in the city, thus giving the pco.
ple an opportunity to enjoy in advance q
part Of the great treat in store for them,
was particularly pleased with that part
Of the Vorsicllung which illustrated the
method of teaching. The United States
has the reputation Of bcng in advance Of
tho world in educational matters.
Object teaching which ~ to u certain
extent adopted by US, especially in prima-
ry schools, is here carried through MI
branches Of learning, and must make of
study renl pleasure.
We know there il no ''royal road TO
learning" but there may he corduroy
roads and railroads, mny there noi2 How
much easier 10 understand that two pints
make quart, and four pecks make II
bushel when one has the pint, quart peck
and bushel measures and demonstrates
the fact for themselves, than to sit down
and learn the words out of book, having
no definite idea Of what the words mean.
And so with all of these dry arithmetical
tables of weights and measures Tho truth
is we may have tho theory well learned,
and yet not know much about il when IL
comes to tho practice tut having once had
tho practice, the theory is merely an ailir.
nation of what we already know, so that
it would seem that our general system of
teaching is wrong.
to have practice tho theories would take
caro- of them selves.
In the room devoted TO lLe exhibition
of the articles used in their practical
method of tooching we saw in small boxes
the seeds of different grasses, grains and
vegetables, and in some instances the
plants themselves dried and properly ar
ranged. Beautiful enlarged specimens of
flowers made in paper machs, help in the
teaching of tho Cryptogsmia, and sections
OF these hewers show the internal arrange
ment of stamers and pistils. In physiolo-
gy, also, pdp'er mschc is of great value in
illustrating the form and position of the
different organs of The human body, aud
the woman who invented the manikia ought
to be acknowledged as one of the bencfac-
tors, not only of the medical world, but
also Of the educational
In natural philosophy the three diileren,
for ms Of levers were shown, and pupils
who have ouse aetually demonstrated
the different amount Of force needed in
raising weight according to the relativc
position of power, weight and fulcrum,
Will never have to learn the proposition
from book. There were also displayed
'orlous apparatus demonstrating tow
water always seeks its level how it is
drawn into vacuum and how its weight
depends on the height Of the column. OFF.
f0ront forms of mirrors, levers and prisms
illustrate the laws of light, and the power
of heat is demonstrated in the locomotive
and steam engine.
In teaching geography they have assur-
edly made great advance, their maps and
globes being not merely a smooth surface
with certain lines upon il, but show in re-
atty the unevencss of the eGrth's surface.
A
A map of Austria, several feet square, is
fine specimen of their skill in this line. il
is maze of some plastic material, and
shows not only the lakes, rivers, mountains,
roads, railroads and telegrapha, but The
actual elevation Of the land. Thus the low
land along the sea and river bottoms is of
bright yellow color t. he second bottom
is dark yellow and elevated, say, the six.
teenth Of an inch.
The table lands, still more elevated, is
brown, the low hills light green, the
higher ones dark green, the mountains
blue, and the fields of perpetual snow ap
prOpriately marked in white. The highes,
points of the mountains are perhaps two
inches higher than the rivers at their base:
An explanation ut one corner of the man
sets off the exact height Of each colorabove
the sea level. The whole forms a beanti.
full birds eye view of the country, aud
will teach more 10 few hours than whole
days of studying words iu book can
possibly do. The propositions in geonie-
try are madc 10 be easily comprehended
by means of figures in paper, words or
formed Of wires, or of glass with tho dia.
meters shown in colored lines running
through.
Galvanism and electricity are explained
by the needed apparatus for making as
also by apparatus for illustrating their
practical use.
The insect world is represented fully
by prepared specimens. The bee is shown
in connection with the honey comb, and
the silk worm in various stages Of devel-
opment, accompanies its product in diff.
ferents stages Of manufacture. Different
models in paper Of cylinders, balls, pyra.
mids, &c, are used in teaching perspec-
live drawing. Most of these we're sent
from Prague, and forty pieces cost about
six dollars.
A second room was devoted TO the exhi-
bition Of articles made by the students in