The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1879-10-10
Educational DEPARTMENT.
]. H. SAUNDERS, Bona.
TEXT BOOKS

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The Teacher's Insrituls s,s III ses
sion last week. and 1 had thspleasure
of meeting every teacherin lie county
in person. We talked ailh Zach other
three days. and shall. theretre. make
my talk in the Courier 70 school trus
tees and patrons. sm mswsrs of the
fact thar have selected dangerous
ground for an article this week, bnt |
shall attempr to give yoa few sug
ge.iions on text books.
Although the papers Ill ak about
he business boom" the "Fo. porous
times. the resumption Of wrk." Sc /.
&c , ssiil | think see some I'D croak
er's face lengrhen When es,tion tex,
books 9i- speech is s!sg II a 1II made up:
s satseers stsa-Eeaes- = ssr-Sa-ss>--si.
books" "My children haS, a cart
load now, aud you wan, sohe new
ones"
Let US look at both sides of his
book question Our school law his
made ample provision for uniformity
of text books Our first Institute,
held nine years ago. made.an effort in
that direction, but few influential
patrons opposed the measure aud the
school officers quaileG. Suppose we
had all gone TO work together nine
years ago, aud used the same books III
over the county during that time? /
venture the assertion that at leas, one
half the money paid for books would
have been saved. But this is only a
part of the loss The children of the
county have been oontinually begin
ming books and never completing any
We are no nearer uniformity nov than
we were niue years ago. aud still the
trouble goes on. Many Of our patrons
are -rill opposing uniformity and q
few old croakers are absolutely refus
ing to buy any books at all Suppose
farmer refuses 10 buy plovs and
other farming Implements His hands
are all in the field idle while be runs
round the neigh borhood borrowing a
hoe here, plow there, aud 4 reaper
somewhere else Do you suppose he
will make a very prosperous farmer Z
His urighbor has an assortment of
tools which were bequeathed to him
by his grandfather He proposes to
make Il crop with these WhIie others
are u-ing improved farming implements
he piud- on with hi bar shear, sick lie
sni hook Don't you suppose his
crops vii be enormous Merchaui 4
'hihk- ~ ton EXPENSIVE 10 buy yard
-iIcN- quart measures, basauses aud
scales When he has customer he
must borrow all these things to meas
uIe out hi goods M.rch4ut b ha-
plenty II measures, su imperial bushrl
avo,rdupuI> balances with troy weights,
u Freueh ell and dry quart measure
This certalaly seems fair assortment,
bur do ynu >uPpO-e he could eve. SAT
isis hi> customers? Carpenter e ha-
chest iuil OF tools. You want q
house built or bridge Iraued which
requires new set c. refuses tn dc
The work because it will require a new
chi>ei. rip ~aw, broader plane, or q
heavier hammer So We might 20 OG
our visit 10 the smith shop, the jewel
err, the furniture factory aud the tin
ners All these men find il necessary
to purchase tools aud implements rC
suit the tunes aud trade. But the
teacher is expected 10 classify his
-chOUi with John in Smiths arIthme
lie, Charles iu Rays, Mary in Robin
sous aud Susan IL Pixies Ye-. Jess'
bring MirchelI's geography. George
the Eclscfic, Lizzie, Monieirh's auc
aud Willie, Smiths NOT only are ",
expected 10 torn classes in all these
but to DO good work with this beauIi
tul assortment
All this Is the result of our fsiliul
TO sdopt books for the county "Ii
union there Is strength" is true il
-chOol matters as we'll as elsewhere. |
We pull like balky horses. one at
time. We may expect endless troubl'
aud expense 10 this matter. But il ",
go TO work harmouiOusly, every on'
pulling IN the same direction, u yer,
slight effort will make the burden easy
Let u have one set of books for ever,
district Then When lines arc ohangrt
or you are compelled to send to you
neishboring district. you will not b
compelled to purchase a new outfit.
Uuril something of this kind
done. patrons will be subjected to
great deal of expense There is d
denying this fact. The feople shoui'
think of this matter, for il is none,
in their pockets to have uniformity o
text books.