Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1876-09-08
TMI PUBLiC SCHOOL.
Notes Taken In the Grammar De.
partnent Yesterday.

school. It was soon after one o'clock.
aud the business of the closing half
Of the day had just begun. A good
many seats were vacant, but there
were enough pupils present to make
up interesting classes. The whole
number enrolled in the Grammar
Department is thirty-five. OF these
all were present but six. Very good
order prevailed, and Professor James
seemed to have excellent control over
the little ones who we're disposed to
be noisy.
The first class that recited was one
in the Fifth Reader (Sheldon series).
The reading was very we'll done, and
Miss Abbie TAFT and Miss Lizzie
Durrenberger acquitted themselves
in a manner deserving of special
praise. CThe Sheldon Series, we may
say in passing, is far inferior to the
Pacific Coast Series or to McGufiiie's,
and the change that was made by the
State Board whereby these books
were imposed upon the public will
not, we imagine, be soon forgotten).
The reading Of Annie Horn and
Annie Mathews was also very excel
lent. We noticed that the Professor
in this exercise tried to enlist the
interest Of the pupils in the spirit Of
the piece read and in the meaning
intended to be conveyed by the
author. This is the true way, in our
mind, to teach reading, as when a
pupil enters into the spirit of selec-
ton and has a proper pronunciation
of words he must read ut least ac-
ceptably.
After two classes in reading had
gone through with the exercise the
class in United States History was
called. The text book used in this
study is Swinton's. 1t is so brief
that it, is wholly uninteresting. The
bare facts are given, without enough
Of detail to make the study even toll
cradle. We imagine that when a
pupil has gone through with Swim
tons history and recited each lesson
with credit he has but a confused
idea Of the eveRts of our country at
most. There ere many other school
histories superior to Swinton's. Cram
ming the mind with lot of facts
and accompanying dates without
corresponding circumstances of mar
rative to make the whole agreeable
and impressive is q mere waste of
time. Swinton's History is the text
book authorized by law, and Of
course all teachers are obliged to use
it. Those composing the class in
History are Misses Naomi Angel,
Sarah Angel. Lottie Young. Annie
Henry and Masters Willie Henry and
Willie Jones. The first named
young ladies recited in a manner
showing thorough study and CO.
herent knowledge, of the events of the
lesson. The class Us q whole did
very we'll indeed.
The next exercise was spelling and
defining, in which the whole school
t,ok q part. We believe that bat one
word was missed in the photography
and not single one in the definition
throughout the Lesson. The exercise
was conducted in writing.
Following thr, and the closing ex-
ercise Of the day. was bout in men,
tai arithmetic, in which again the
whole school came into the field.
This is study that really belongs to
the Primary Department, but which
the Professor has concluded to drill
his pupils in once day, for mental
exercise aud tn keep them fresh in
analysis. Lizzie nurrenberger, a
little girl Of about ten years, mani
tested in this exercise an aptitude
for analysing that was quite re-
markable. The readiness with which
she disposed Of somewhat intricate
propositions (intricate for one Of her
sge) and the accuracy and logic with
which she arrived at the result were
calculated to astonish older mathe-
maticians. There Is form of analy-
SIS laid dowa in the text book which
We think might he simplitied and
improved. The latter part Of it Is
quite superauous. The logic, the
mental drilling and the full conclu-
sion Is reached In what precedes. In
long examples it isespecially SO. We
observed yesterday thatsome young
sters worked out the propositions
excellently up TO the closing portion
and then sat down in confusion or
stated that portion wrongly.
Professor James informed rs that
he expected to have \ class in Ma
tural Philosophy just rs soon as he
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