Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-05-31

Ed. JoURNAL:-You know I work on
the farm in the Summer and keep school
in the Winter that is, when can set n
school to keep. 1t may appear a good
deal cheeky" for a clOd-hopper such as
|, to criticise one of our honorable ex-
aminers of teachers, but this is a free
country and then, you know, "a cat may
look on king"
In last weeks JOURNAL you published a
letter from Item" to yourself, the first
sentence of which, as printed is rs follows.
In your very good paper of last week
(Nay 17th,) | see an example stated
to have been given hY "Itemn at the school
examination; while the statement is false
in reference to giving the example at the
examination as an arithmetical test, Ms it
is good example, and involves peculiar
points, | send you answers, m you requested,
and with the request that you publish it.
Here, it seems TO me, we have three dis
tinct sentences in thought and meaning.
but all made into one as the different links
make mp the string of sausages. ! think
| never saw Il more bungiiug or ili-con-
structed sentence, or one containing more
useless words. We have, given in our
grammars, erroneOuSlv constructed sem
tences as exercises for the pupil to correct.
| would suggest TO "Item," that he sub
nit the above sentence to the next class of
teachers ior correction in punctuation,
etymology, syntax, rhetoric and logic, and
ii they do not improve it in seventeen or
more particulars, they are not AZ we'll edu-
Gated as | think they are.
"Item" says he did not give the example
(problem, he means,) "as an arithmetical
test" For what purpose, then, did he
give it? To show his wit and smartness
Or as a puzzle? None of these should
have place in the serious affair Of ascer-
tanning whether persons are qualified to
aId in tiIe development of immortal
spirits.
"Item" says the problem "iarolres pecu-
liar points" Does he not mean contdiaS
Aud is there anything peculiar bout ninth.
ematics? 1t has always been denOminated
all exact science" and that which is ever
exact can have nothing peculiar, And
what does "Item" think Of the proprietv
of representing the word aasccrs 10y the
pronoun It! But he is an examiner and
must be correct.
Again "Item" says; "There are, as
you remember three differences TO be
found; lst, irithmeticaE. which is 500 and
2d, J1ckey, which is sos; and Sd, the t,1lc
or just, which is S45. These three diff
| fltFences any school boy can easily
demonstrate" As to the correctness
of the first answer given, l find my,
| self unable to assent, although "any
scheol boy can easily demonstrate" it. II
A. says to B will trade horses with you
you will give 500 boot money. and b
Says, no, | will not do that, tut will
trade even with y0U; now it seems tc
me the difference is 500. If h. says
will not give you 500, but | viii give
you $40; now the difference is 500. But
when B. says will trade if you will give
me 80 boot money, now the difference, as
it appears to me, is Sll0. can see il ia
no other light.
The second and third questions are nm
ineligible to me. lfthe parties were homes
in their demands there was no iockeying
and the true or just difference, it seems t
me, can be determined only when the tru,
I or just yalne of each horse is given. Bu
| am probably wrong and "Item" right, a
he is an examiner and I ana only clod
hopper | venture, however,So advis
him TO obtain his problems hereafter iron
| some ancient arithmetic.
Again "Item" says: "If he Group
wishes 10 measure swords with me in
newspaper war, will you please, Bro, Tim
mons, push him from the editorial to tn
correspondents columnp "Cook-a-doo
dle-do, kir-r-r. am pert as young quai
aud full of game as bantam rooster
You see that chip on my shoulder; Il
Tronp knock It Of il he dare Cooks
dOodle.doo."
wish to respect our examiners, but leC
hHmiliat when | reflect that my stan,
ing must be determined, in part, by m a
exhibiting the dttainments and charact,
above brought into view.
, COUNTRY TEACHER.
WEBSTER TWP, May 27, 1878.