New-York tribune., 1876-01-05

improving our textbooks Of the higher mathematics
generally. While our elementary Wolks on algebra ge-
omety, and trlgOnOmety, those in fact i'll which quantl-
ties are considered only constants are very good We
lind that when take those branches in which quan-
ties are considered variable or indetcrminate, the
textbooks most widely in use are quite imperfect one
deficiency consists in lack OF logical ceaness ana ygOr
Of explanation and Of fullness of explanation; and an
other, in the absence OF what may call the modern
improvements in lAc mode Of presenting and treating
these subjects Every opportunity call the attention
Of educators 10 these impIrtectiOnS III the
ties of our mathematical instruction should We think be
taken advantage Ofa view which must be an excuse ior
supplementn- our award by these reHarhS' 'ei' io
spectfully, our Obodient servants, ,,...-o,,,
&. II. DAVE,
yasbinoton. Dec Ia. 1875 ParER s. NICHE.
ESSAY PRIZES
The Chairman then announced the report oil the
Committee on Essays as the next proceeding, and
Col. T. W. HigginsOn, one of the Committee, spoke
~ follows:
Mr.. CHAIRMAN: The report Of the Committee on
Essays is very simple affair consisting simply in the
Of fate have concealed up to the present moment
I1p 10 this moment the Committee on Essays have nO
SFs tho % @ r ncse s have
read the essays simply under their assumed names, %
represented l shall have tho honor to announce, Mr;
Chairman simply the assumed name OF each individual
and then with your permission and with your aid
tonight shall open each envelope ana WIN II gf. @ at
ray rn rS ON SS i%e saee Dcicns and Tlacteray COM
pared That pn1e was AWARDED to he author % % & ,he
cover Applause There TO be one person IN the
audience WHO knows The author Of this essay Is Frank
Committee would likewise make honorary mention ~
this competition Of an essay signed " Yours tTmyc
Robert James Kent Of Williams College Is the HutHoi OF
There was also an announcement made. Mr.. Chairman.
and Disadvantages of Universal suffrage" The
Committee find itself painfully in the position
from any deficiency Of merit in The essays
offered but rather from an excess OF merit lT0 d S" Us
were nearly -ke that your Committee couiI ma DO
better way Than to announce them DOth ple cssy5 ana
Great appIsnsc The author Of one cf these gives
81 dias gdcei" 81 d,is piacef" is Nelson ,
applausei The other, signed g Burt Baker" was writ
ten by +. A. Hls, OF Northwestern University, OF
hI2 Seed aP M chda Gan M oo hoHf e T' man
J. a. Gregory OF Maibehead Mass. and placed
aArbtraiion as substitute FOR war The author Of
wilbur LarremOre of the College OF the City OF New"
York lLOng applauseI
The Chairman then announced that the Rev. DR..
T. w. Chambers would read the report of the Com
mitteo on Greek. which was as follows:
The Committee appointed to sdjadco the prlzcs for
proficiency in the study Of the Greek language respect
iuy report follows At an early period OF t,c ear
theme Of examination ana due notice was gwen of tht
other matters included IN the trial On the 1t day Of
December last eight competitors appeared representing
the following institutions: University of tho Guy oi
Ncw-York, College Of the City Of Ncw-York, 81 johns
Cornell University. Northwestern University, Syracuse
University. The competitors were subjected one ny one
10 an oral examination which. however COnfiutcd but
n small norton of the tests that were applied 4
series Of printed questions was furnished 10 each s,n-
dent. and lie required 10 prepare "nLifh
answers without any other ana thdn tucn as nii ,
memory supplied. These questions were prepared
with the view OF making reasonable but by no means
demand upon lhc attainncnts OF te con'e-ln-'
since this being the first examination Of the kind IT ""
not thought best 10 begin too high scale The papers
required the writers show their knowledge OF Some q"
TIE nicer points Of etymology, OF the G.cek theat oi
tie principles Of prOsOdy They fnrlher contained =
ccted passages ~ the play for literal aud Others for free
translation an English sentence 70 be rendered INTO
Greek, and also snort extracts from f!uiach Hr-lod
and Plato. presumed to be-as they doubtless Wero-
wholly unfamiliar to the students. who were 10 translate
tem 99and as te,t % & ., tne ry" "nr %e
allowed for the writing required out 10y hn unoraif
tho limitation OF tine and hence failed TO compete '
the papers. = -, Z, .,. ,o ., s,,, .,,,,fy
prcted with IT, FAR the result very encouraghs
c extraordinary prominence gwen to science III he ast
quarter of century has IN some drsree ll,d we III
study OF Greek the uObes vehicle for Thought known !"
= an. The Committee feel assured from tie ahAiiy as
played in this contest that were further mc allowed ana
lnS or surcia courses Of instruction col
egrs would produce such Grecans as would be creiH
Ar carcfu consideration Of the results Of the com
petition the Committee unanimously award the hIs
prize to Miss Julia j. Thomas OF Cornell University ana
the Henry Neghie Of Rutgers COLLEGE ihc eh-
am!ners find such general excellence III the payers
submitted 10y L. H. Crosby Of the University OF the Sy
o. Newly lorkonc Of those VINO suffered oy t'e acs..n
before referred o-ta they regard hih aS "e'eiNhs o
honorary mention In this report ,..,
We conclude by calling attention to tho fact that the
only lady among the egt competitors succcc."i ~ car
ryg of The iifst przr-a gratifying PROOF lhal lhr re-
cent efforts 10 elevate the STANDARD OF female education
have not without fruit II n also proper 10 hdd lhi
although Nils. Thomas passed c btst cAdinlnaOI, }cl
owing 10 change Of her relations II IL Nre JuntJ IRVINE
thar receives the pTzc. TALBOT W CHANNELS,
CHARLTON l. LEWI-,
WILLIAM X. DIMMOCK.
The Chairman then announced that the judges OF
oratOry-Willam Cullen Bryant, Whitelaw Red,
and George William Curtis-wero ready 10 report,
and that Nh Bryant would give the decision. Mr..
Bryant SAID:
MIR. PRESIDENT. LADIES AND GEsrIEsES: The com
mte tine judges oi ofatOry have consulted
together and have made thcir award Is, ana hu com
stoned u maze the announcements They have btrh
very much pleased vita tho exercises ia oI"Ioy from
beginning to end, and there - not one of the persons VINO
have APPEARED this occasion III whose Grafton or com
position there not some merit Ihey nave deer ed
me first pfize to Julian ~ Eliot OF Iimiiion college,
the second 10 ID. D. IOmpkins Of Cornell University
Nearly every one on the stage had risen and
pr, ssed eagerly forward as Nv Bryant BEGAN
Speaking ard when Mr. Elliot of Hamilton was an
nounced as the winner Of the first prize there was
great shout aud the successful student quickly
lifted high in the air by an applaudng throng of
Hamilton men, There great cheering, too. when
the winning Of the second prize by Mr.. Tompkns
was announced. The judges in oratOry cOmpari-
of notes, found that each had without any
previous discussion with the Others, marked the
same men for the prizes. They were unanimous IN
both awards. Their decision closed the exercises.
----
PLYMOUTH PEW RENTS.