St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-01-09
Our Boston Letter.
HOWARD.

tereSt compressed into snort space o
time, that it was difficult to decide wha
was the most interesting. The 35tl
Annual State Teachers Association wa
held Dec. Doth to 3lst, in the Girls Higl
School Building, West Newton street
In the afternoon of Monday, those in
terested in the Metric System were adj
dressed by Dr. Barnard of Columbia
College, and other speakers. Prof. G.
o. Thompson of Worcester, delivered
quite lengthy and wellwritten essay
to small but attentive audience Oh
"Handicraft in Schools" The invention
of so many machines into our country
had destroyed the connection between
master and apprentice. 1t was the Opin-
ion in the days of our forefathers that
lads who received collegiate course OF
instruction, should become ministers,
lawyers and doctors; while those who
were bound out to learn a trade, were
to become artisans. The artisan here
after will be the one who takes charge
of machine-but not the inventor of
it. The speaker renewed many reasons
given for and against the introduction
of handicraft into the Public Schools of
the state, and in conclusion argued that
knowledge and skill are as essential for
and if taught in the schools, the school
hours must be increased or some studies
dropped hence unwise and impracti-
cable for all classes, but it was far pre-
ferable to send pupils to schools of
technology, founded for the purpose,
supported by private benefcence or
aided by the state.
Miss Ida F. Powell, an amateur in
elocutiOn, gave two readings in quite a
charming manner, "The Last Hymn -
and "Robert of Lincoln The two DAYS
following, all the sessions of the meet
ings were well attended by delegations
from differet parts of the state.
Tuesday morning the preliminary
business items were transacted. Mr..
Bradbury, the President, introduced Mr.
A. P. Marble of Worcester, who read a
spicy article on "The Public Schools
and their critics." III which the scathing
critics of teachers and schools were
treated in most summary and ludi-
crOus manner, as one after another were
made to appear before the audience in
their true light, Occasioning much mer-
riment among the teachers, who doubt
less recognized some of them in their
experience in teaching; also provoking
some discussion from several gentlemen
present, who considered it just as alb
surd for business men to instruct teach
ers how to govern and teach as it would
be to take a horse to a tailor to be shod
hence unwise to place such men on our
School Board of Instruction, those who
had not been in school perhaps since Is
years of age.
An essay on "Public Schools as a
Preparation for citizenship" was read
by Col. H. B. Sprague, master of the
Girls High School, Boston. He showed
how necessary was good, sound edu-
cation, not only in books, but that his
patriotic sentiments should be aroused
and moral nature stimulated, so wheI
free from school restrictions, he shall bt
entitled to the duties and privileges o
| 81 aIt
: the repetition of such acts of usurpatioI
as that which recently occurred in tn,
state of Maine. In how few of ou
J schools do we find Civil Government il
) its regular course of study How man,
of our scholars leave school in the city
: not much advanced beyond the Primar,
: Dept, and do we wonder at their ignor
! ance of citizens duties How few
2 Americans realize that they have dutie
S to perform, as well as privileges to en-
! joy | have sometimes thought that W
| may have misunderstood our forefath
= ers' meaning, when we, as citizens O
the United States, feel we have certain
i inalienable rights, but rather rights re
sulting from performing our duties, no
e neglecting those of loyal citizen.
= A pretty spirited discussion occurre
d upon the assertion made that this Asso
= citation originated and was founded fo
d the purpose of opposing Horace NAM
e which Col. Parker of Quincy affirmed
a but denied decidedly by leading educa
e tors present.
d Mr.. Hagar, of the State Norma
IS School, Salem, announced in his usu;
: witty way, that he should be glad t
e cast spell over the troubled water
;, His theme was 1.-The Spelling Reform
n He enumerated many leading papers i
England and the United States, as we
g as writer's, who had partially adopte
1t OF were in sympathy with this ne
d movement of reform in this direction
st Children talk before they read, an
o language should represent sound, an
IN the phonetic is the best adapted for tn
is purpose. Our rules and exceptions al
IN SO numerous and puzzling, that not onl
'e children and foreigners, but some of OF
lie best educated men make bad mistak,
ic in spelling, as for instance short tin
of since he received letter from gentl,
man, with the word Elementary mi
f. spelled. Think of it, 80 ways of e,
t. pressing 16 sounds We noticed I'll
ct word program" in the Order of Exc
as cises of the Association was spelled IL