Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-07-19

acquired his proficiency by Icing on
his back in a hay now aud throwing
tobacco guilds through the diamond |
swallow hole in the gable end We
don't know where our pitchers did get
their practice.
The Chicago Post says:
The Paralysis of business and the
credit of the government are equally |
shown by the brilliant success of the
four per cent. loan. One year since
the belief was general that it could not
be marketed. The idle millions of
American capital can this summer be
put to no better use than to aid Secre-
tary She man in cutting two per cent.
from the interest on orr whole bonded
debt. When our people re qulrs to
realize on this investment the Europe
an market will readily accept the offer.
--Rrand Rapids Lodge A. F. and
A. NJ. No. 126, has recently made
very desirable improvements in its hall.
The ante-rooms have been changed to
the east end of the hall, and the mar
row stairs hitherto ascending along
side the building, have been wldened
and the entrance way made in the rear
of the structure. The whole interior
will be remodeled and repaintel by Mr..
Miller, the owner of the building, who
has made the above mentioned I'M
proyements for the convenience Of the
members.
Elsewhere We publish brief arti-
Gle upon the ineficiency of our schools
which is taken from the New York
Tribune The article tells deal of
truth. Our schools to day are, IN
many respects, totally inefficient. They
are made hot houses where young
minds are crowded through to the
graduating term by an artifcial pro-
cess, the chief aim Of the pupil being
found in desire to be Freshman or
Sophmore, without possessing the
necessary information, or knowledge
rather, which alone ought to entitle
him to the place. 1t is fact that
cannot be successfully denied, that
there ars young men in our Uni
versities who do not know the mean
ing Of simple words which occur in
the everyday conversation Of the
world, and whose spelling would shame
the boy or girl Of the old log school
house period of half a century ago,
There is a reason for this superficial
education which cannot be discussed
in so brief an article as this, but a
point or two may be given. The old
time spelling system, and the declama-
atory and composition exercises of our
fathers and mothers have become al
most obsolete The greed of publish
res has seduced the honest frank guar
dams of educational interests and so
blinded their vision or blinded their
perceptive faculties as to induce them
to believe that it is alb solutely ecessa-
ry to place in every school series, -
yes, the word is series of educational
books, the result Of which il super
fetal knowledge in the pupil 4 pleth-
ORIG pocket book for the publisher !;
dissatisfaction Of parents and guar
dams; and ffedglings in cole 5es who
may be squelched with an ''elementary'
in the hands of the rustic bare footed
boy who has had never thought Of a
diploma, though he has wisdom which
well might shame the average student
who has ran the gauntlet Of book pub
fishers, and has escaped. as facts are
developing, with hardly a wound.
The fact is, there is too much red tape
in our schools. In our schools as in
everything else we have been going too
fast; so fast that we are liable to de-
cay before we approach ripcness.
We believe in progress, in advance
ment; but that which makes superb
cial men is no progress, is not advan-
cement; it is rather retrogressien. 1t
were better to 90 back to the "Web-
ster's EIementaries and "Dayball's"
Of our dadies and know something,
than to sport a gilt faced diploma
though yet fool, or what is kin to
one, an ignoramus.
Personal.