Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1878-04-27


set down as merely ornamental 1
would say, that vocal music. book
keeping and commercial law have been
dropped, aud that drawing ought not
to be considered as ornamental. but
on the contrary as eminently prac-
teal.
Drawing is taught. first. because II
is deemed necessary that Eevery
teacher should be able to place upon
the blackboard appropriate illustra-
tlous, aud in order TO do this cor
rectlv, he must have learned how to
draw: and secondly. because a kuowl-
edge of drawing is useful to every
body.
In perusing the last article in your
paper, a careless reader might sup
pose thai in some terms four hours
in each day are employed by the
whole school III drawing.
In the four years of the;scourse a
student gets il drawing one lesson a
Az for thirty weeks. In regard to
the buildings occupied by the Normal
Schools, they were built by the coun-
ties and towns in which they are
located. and in case the schools were
abolished, the buildings would revert
to these. That there should be more
in attendance from Warrensburg
than from any other point is not sin-
gular. In every school there are
more in proportions, who attend from
the town where the school is stu
ated thar from any other single
point. We do not pretend TO assert
that all, who attend from Warrens-
bnrg intend to teach. but the proper
ton of students from points outside
Of Warren>hurg is constantly IN
creasInG, and the town is sending
GU! many teachers.
The purpose of the Missouri ssNor-
NAL schools is 10 prepare teachers
for Missouri, and if their students
become competent teachers. who de-
vote themselves TO teaching III the
state. that purpose is accomplished,
no matter whether they all come
from one place or from five hundred
different places. In the session OF
1S75-76 twenty-one counties, and i'll
the session 1907 %thlrty-one coun-
ties were represented.
The average age of the four hundred
and eighty-one students enrolled Ill
the session of 1876 II was over eigh'
teen years. The annual session Is
divided into four terms of ten weeks
each. This year, of seventy who en-
tered at the beginning of the thlrd
term about fifty clme directly from
the school-ro5ma whore they had
b zen eng cd in teaching during the
first half t the year. II seems to mt
tina, these persons must think that
they can be prolile't by the school, OF
they certainly would not come.
Ifany Que suppp>es that the Nor
mails are simply intend d 10 pay Ger
tain teachers large salaries for small
work. he is welcome to take III!
place for Il week, and to try tn
work, and, if lie does not f1ni it
pleHGctre instead Tf q ~stnecure, | vii
: admit that | know nothing about it
1t is not ny desire to engage i'll
controversy, and to argue for argu
ment's sake, because | am a man o
peace, and have no time to spare.
have written the foregoing because
: have the conscientious convIctlo
that Normal Schools at do, and will
do a good work, and Will repay t
the state all that they cost.
Iappeal to the writer Of the articles
p whether it does not TAX time
build up a gooi school, and to max
it as useful as its friends desire. Th
teachers of this school have sedulou:
:, ~ avoided saying anything in di'
arrangement Of other Glasses
schools.
We believe that there is amp
- room and more than work suttiCiei
" for all the schools both public an
private, anl We wish them all tt
fullest measure Of success. In CO
:, clusion. permit me to say that Il
= writer of the articles in question
we'll assured of tue kindly feelings
entertain for him, and the hearty il
= terest | take in his welfare, al
- therefore viii not take anything tn
I, go, ,yritfn, ns i,tn,,ln,t 70 r.H q
upon him in any way. lie know
that | have written as | have, n
because Hove Cesar less, but Ron
more. b.
~ With Regard to the above comm
W uication, we have to say that, col
= ing from a valuable friend and /
I'll teligent gentlemen and discussiI
the question dispassionatcly, we q
glad to receive and psblish it. '
!" would further remark:
Jill |. That the question at issue is II
NJ as to the d~e-irability of Normal i
H. struction. We believe in it as fully
~ the most ardent advocates Of Noru
w Schools. We all agree as to the ell
we differ rs to the best means tor
curing the end.
2. We think the Normal Soho
do Normal work, ana are o help
-. those teachers who attend them !;
49,. we also think that they, as now
49,, gained, do & great deal beside n
NAL work. Indeed it Is believed t
most of their labor is outside of tn
special sphere. This not only MA
them needle-sly expensive, bat
uuires the teachers who attend tn
oo,, To spend Il much longer time thai
necessary for the securing of
needful professional instruction.
hill 8. If the state was wealthy
~, could Dear the taxation, it would
well to have n Normal High Sci
frs, in every county, instead of four
we now have. As the state car
: mr. afford this to every county, we I'll
it best in every way to give Nor
,h. instruction by means of Teach
,as WJich ccn hp hold