The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-04-07


The editor Of the Lansing Republican visited
the schools in that city few days ago Ito -.
certain TO some extent what is done with the
large taxes raised in Lansing for school pur-
poses, the proportion being SO cents in every
81" He put series Of questions on local and
State geography and history with results which
were very Illuminating. The pupils could not
correctly give the boundaries Of their own city,
town. or county; couldn't tell how much land
there was in the corporation, nor the distance
from east to west and from north to south be-
tween the boundaries. One pupil said the first
ward was in the northwest parr OF the city,
Clt is IN the northeast part.) Nor could they
tell how the city was divided into wards. Sew
eral pupils answered correctly questions on the
area Of township, and how 1t is subdivided.
But We will let the editor tell his experience
from this point
how do the sections run, -commencing at
which corner and proceeding in which drec-
ton, from first to last No correct answer
One pupil said the sections commence with No.
1 81 the northeast corner.
What is the county-seat of Ingbam? Plenty
OF answers, Mason.-Of Van Buren,? No
answer-Of st. Joseph? No answer.-Of
Macomb? No answer,-Of Isabella? No an
swer-Of Clinton? Several pupils answered,
"st. Johns."-Of Gratiot One answered
"St Louis, 4" another Alma. third Ithaca"
(Which last is correctly
The capitals Of the States Of Georgia, aud YER
mont were gwen by plenty Of pupils. So were
the capitals of Italy and Venezuela.
The distance by railroad between Lansing
and Battle Creek was stated by one pupil at A
miles. Qt is 45). The distance between Lam
sung and East Saginaw was stated by several
pupils at GA. Git is 66.) The distance between
Lansing and Detroit was stated at SO and "a I;
one pupil answered IS which is correct. The
distance between Lansing and Chicago by way
Of Jackson was correctly stated by one pupil at
245 miles. No one could state the distance be-
Lansing and Toledo by way Of Michigan South
ern * Lake Shore road. ct is 129 miles.)
Of our State history there was some knowl-
edge, but it did not seem to be general. Three
or four pupils told who was our first governor
under territoria, organization (Wm. Hull, }
and who the last governor under the same Or
ganization (stevens T. Mason,) and who the
first governor under the State organization
(the same.)
To the question, Does the governor appoint
any cabinet officers 2-one pupil answered, Z" A
secretary OF war"
10 the question, How old is Michigan as
state? plenty of answers cane, 1884,
tneaning that it was admitted into the union
that year.
AS final question. we asked, what produc-
tion of Michigan contains the most value in
the smallest compass ?" and few answers
came, Copper" The pupils all seemed ig-
norant of the silver production of this State,
which commenced on a profitable scale some
FIX years ago.
We were informed that visit to some Of the
younger classes, which are now busy with
geography would have secured more correct
answers than we got. Perhaps this is true
baJ system of study which imparts better
knowledge OF the capital Of small country IN
south america than of the county seat OF as
old county in Michigan as Macomb-a system
whi>a Will doubtless teach the area in square
miles of the island OF Great Britain but not of
the city Of Lansing seems 10 us radically de-
iec.ive and in need of appointment.