Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-03-20

to give satisfaction. Go to New York,
Charleston, Atlanta or any of our towns
where it has becn properly worked and you
will find that the people are satisfied with
it, and it is daily growing in favor. 1t
saves timo and consequently money. Be-
sides tho above, will here state that
instead of tho pupil being taught how to
think aud study TO the best advantage, how
to Investigate for himself, how to originate
ideas nnd become mentally independent,
the students is discouraged by the meth.
dds employed by his instructors from any
originality or Independence of thought, aud
thus makes him non issuing depository of
facts. Students should DO taught that the
object of their school work is not so much
to impart to them knowledge Of facts as
to teach them how to acquire facts, how to
observe, how to investigate, how to reason,
how to compose, how to utilize knowledge
alter it has been acquired. Now we want
teachers who can apply facts after they have
received them. This is why want to sec
a normal school established but moro on
this in tho future
We do not claim that smarter men will
DC turned out by this ncw system than we
formally had. Smart men arc not found
every day. The result obtained is not what
the world ia struggling for so much rs it is
tor the manner Of obtaining tha. result, aud
with an eye to giving csery one practical
education. When Kocug invented the
cylinder press sixty years ago, we had
equally os good news ns We get from the
Andrew Campbell press of 1876, but what
vast difference in tho manner of priting
now ana then, with how much more ease,
how much morc rapidly, and what a saving
OF labor, time and expense, when We com
pare the two. Besides, what am ad yocnt.
ing is no new idea, just sprung up, Tie
practlcatiity of which is to be tested, but
it is almost now universally conceded fact.
If the method were not practicable, why
has 1t been SO universally adopted and if
there is not any usc Of it, Why all this cry
about teachers ard norn,aI schools?
fon state that there are now ten cduca-
ted persons where there used to be one,
truc, and it is the result of the gradual
Improvement which has been made in our
educational system, and nm sorry to say
that our good old State is not fully UP to
the mark in this respect, taking it as n
whole. We must enlcavor to educate that
tenth man. AS proof of tho advantage Of
system, compare tho pupils of to-day with
pupils of your own boyhood, and if am
not greatly mistaken, you will now find
children Of eight or ten to know moro about
geography, arithmetic, &c., than pupils for.
mcrly knew at fourteen or fifteen. | mean,
of course take those who have been using
the first, second aud third steps or grades
under the improved method.
| | nm In,,I, tI =, H.,
forests of Oconcc, more so than lever thought
would be in any thing, say Of Oconcc;
but not only this particular spot of South
Carolina; but the whole State In any way
that can aid in the matter am willing
and ready.
You state that our free school system has
been injurious to our schools think that
it has decidedly injured them; not that the
plan is q bad one, but the State has not been
able to conduct it as it should AS you say
we have it as u law and must abide by it,
but unless we cndeavor to improve it, it will
always stand as it is. We must moi
only cndcavor to Improve our free schoo
system, but must impress upon tho people
the necessity Of educating their children
This is the main point and the great trouble
and again if We be idle, how arc We to ac-
complish this? An interest will have to bt
awakened While we have new books and
a new method of teaching; wo must devils:
so,,,c method to get good teachers, with
good pay, aud method by which we car
get the parents to educate their children
for we cannot Guild house without ma
tcrial never miu6 how good our tools orc
AS this letter has slready grown too long
| will have to stop III tho middle almost Of
my remarks, but break of more Willingly
as l will some time have something
to say on this subject, especial!
the latter parts of these remarks uGd OF
normal schools. Look into the machinery
and sec if it does not work moro smoothly
than the old did. I would not like to ad.
vocate anything that would interfere with
our colleges. a normal school will not,
guess, interfere with thom, as you seem tt
think. c..
FAIR PLAY, S. G., March 8, 1870.
Is Memphis Doomed?