River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1874-03-13
EDUCATIONAL.
MARTIN 4. CADY, A. W.,
Comfy Superintendent Of Schools.
intelligence,

that one has, that renders him intell-
: gent. Intelligence may be defined as a
knowledge OF common things. 1t Is
not he who is ab.e to take you with him
into the intriosces of science, or the
mazes Of philoe5phy, or 10 delight you
with stories a. travel and adventure
that the world regards as intelligent;
but rather he gAo is able 10 converse
Understandings bout those matters
that are daily aud hourly brought be-
fore us BY the moving panorama Of life.
Learned men d. the former things, in
telhgent men the latter.
Now it IS Intelligence that the state
proposes to give the citizeus through
the common schools 1t seeks to lay
the broad basis OF general kuowledge'
upoa which the individual eau build
the structure that he chooses, and which,
if circumstances require, shall be sufi-
cient for the common exgencies Of life
How far our common schools accom-.
piish this objeet we leave our readers to
judge. Ifthey fail it is not because of
any railcal defect in the system, for
that Is constructed with view to this
very end. Tae tgo1ble lies with those
who are entrusted With the responsible
ity Of applyiugtho system. There is a
lack Of originality il method with many
teachers that readers their labor Of little
value. They have fallen in1 sts.e1-
typed way Of teaching, and nothing nea
is ever heard fron them. Othefs stop
stulyiog whea they begin teaching.
aud 50 stop growing, aad prolle.lg.
Every teacher has two oil ses to Ill,
quite dissiocr, yet exactly supplemental
[ ~, that Of examiner aud instructor
In the former capacity he tests tie pu-
pills knowledge 81 subjoei, AMI in the
latter he add, to alas kaaF'clga H
may be successful in one Of these de-
partments Of labor aul totally tail IN tn,
o,her. Ia the otiJ5 OF iastrac or he Is
expected to give bis pupils Information
Gu vast range Of sa5jec.s thu, are not
specially treItel 81 ID the text book
many Of them Of more practical imp1r
tancs than the Lesson itself Every
teacher owes it to the responsibility OF
lis vocation that he continue to really
enlarge his kn9geIse ofmen anl tairgs
by judioious course Of reading, aud
especially that he fanliiarize himself
aud his pupils with the practical aud
economical priuc plas OF business life
We have recsivei a com nuaicl.ion
10 reference to tao article tina. appear
? ed ia this cllunl tev weeks ago up
on tho noa.attendauco Of children at the
public schools. The writer suggests
J chat one oft e CT uses why many are
unable to attend schools is, that school
house are 90 far away that 10 small
children can % 10 the winter. This
10 undoubtably true, and while Il IS
frequently one of the unavoidable IN
conveniancies Of oewIy settled coun.
Is, il is often the result OF a purely
me-eenary spirit Our correspondents,
in -peakng Of his own and adjoining dis
tricts, saws: These districts are too
large those living ldrlheresl away hay.
ing three mite, and more to 20 to get
to school. We have petitionel these dis.
tricts 10 SET otf portion from each to
form new district. but they refuse to
do so; although they are willing that
we should be taxed to build a new
school house from which We can never
expect n derive any benefit. There
are at least dozen families 10 this i'm.
mediate neighb lrhood, within radius
Of about two miles, who would gladly
SEND. but cannot OWING 10 ul'tihcf'
We have introduced this quotation
not for the purpose OF suggesting a
remedy for this particular case, 70: We
will communicate personally With our
correspondent, in regard 70 that but 70
exhibit tho kind OF seiishncss that
many are afflicted with. This is ano,h
er Que Of the expressions Of capital.
similar in spirit 70 that which pcrnits
railroad lands to be exempted from taxa.
ton
Il il shamo 10 any town @ have
such a state of things existing in i
!. described 10 the ab9,e paragraph
aud we ars sorry 70 balr ih., tbs can
ba recorded Of any pace 10 Pierce 60.
We earnestly hope that the citizens Of
f...H. Z