The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1875-12-16
> THE Stair SUPERINTENDENT.

ooatu OF Educatlon, the Rev. D. Burt,
State Superintendent Of Public Instruction:
came to this city Tuesday to deliver a lee.
ture on the subject Of Education. By rea.
son q the Good Templsrs' meeting at the
NJ =. church that evening, the lecture was
postponed until tie following evening,
Yesterday forenoon he devoted I'd the
Normal School, examining thoroughly the
building, the management of the school,
etc., and expressed himself highly pleased
with all. He made brief address to the
pupils. County Superintendent Kaiser
was also present.
The audience room of the Normal build
ing was we'll filed last evening to listen to
the lecture; which occupied about one hour
and a-half in its delivery. The speaker
began with reference to the lamentable
ignorance of the majority Of people a. to
schools and school matters, and urged that
much more attention should be devoted to
them, He held that the welk place in our
educational system is in the elementary
schools, showing by statistics that of the
large numbers Of pupils enrolled in these
schools but an insignificant fraction ever
pursue their studies through the higher de-
partments and pass out as graduates. The
cause for this, he argued, lies in the unat-
tractive manner of teaching which is so
prevalent-children being crammed from
text books with things which they cannot I'M
derstand and their minds burdened with
what they find it a relief soon to forget He
urged the teaching of them to think
giving them ideas instead of mere words
cultivating their perceptive faculties. This
was dwelt upon and illustrated at some
length, as its Importance fully deserved.
The value of Normal Schools as institu-
tons for training teachers for doing the
great work Of the elementary schools was
shown.
1t was an excellent and timely lecture
and will be productive of good results.
Superintendent Burt is wholly interested
in the work and il giving to it his best
time and energies. He lectures at Itch
field Saturday evening, and has now en-
gagements at number of other places in
rapid succession. -
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AsSOCIA-
TION MEETING.
The time Tor holding the annual meeting
of the State Fire Department Association
at this place has been postponed until JAN
uary 18th. Essays are to be read upon the
following.subjects:
l: How far are paid fire. departments
applicable to small towns or villages.
2. The advantage of stand pipes, hose
elevators and stationery ladders and their
positions.
8. The duty of fire departments in rela-
ton to the protection Of property from
damage by water as we'll as by FIRE. -.
4. The importance and advantage of
fire patrol or salvage corps.
5. The Importance of order and disci-
pine during fire, with rules and regula-
tons relative thereto.
6. Cause of fire and means of extin-
gushing same.
7. Firemans State Life Association and
the general benefits.
The postponement was made because
number of the delegates are members of
the Legislature and cannot get off until the
middle of the month. The attendance will
be larger than at any previous meeting Of
the Association. It has not vet hqen do,
termined whether the sessions will be held
at the Court House or the old Masonic
Hall, but it is probable that the former
place will be decided upon. There will be
a dance at Schwartz & Zeis's Hall, with a
banquet in the evening, probably at the
West House. A special meeting of the
Little Giant Company will be held this
evening to decide upon programme.
They propose to make it .'lively for the
boys"