Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1880-09-25

partmsnt. Il was insisted upon In or.
biography. which consisted in spelling.
defining and using the words given out,
the exercise being conducted in writing.
This was illustrated in many ways.
In teaching geography there vas q
great field for teaching punctuation.
For instance, the subjec, was "Msfico."
The question would naturally follow
"Where Is Mexico1" and under the
head Of position" the answers could
be ranged and separated BY q ssmioolon.
All written exercises were required to
be ~punctuated. and by inviting criti-
cisms and asking reasons the subject
was readily taught. II should begin
early in the course and be continued to
the end.
In reading there was also q good op.
p~ortunity to teach punctuation. When
ever q pause was observed the question
why Il was there could be asked and the
principles OF the art ~slucidatsd.
In arithmetic Miss Mcdonnell also
taught punctuation. In making exam.
ples, and In bills. and In many ways
arithmetic offered Q beautifully illustrated
Geld for punctuation.
Professor Baker was called on for his
views ON punctuation. 10 thought II
important to be taught and difficult to
teach. II was not q Axsd science. A
few simple rules wars best and such
should DO taught thoroughly. It was
indispensable that even the little sohol-
airs should know the period or ~''closing
mark" the Interrogation or "asking
point" and other familiar and necessary
marks. They should be taken up with
the first reader.
One fault In schools generally was that
the work was too much oral and not
enough written. There should DO more
written exercises In reading and spelling
and grammar and arithmetic. and In
these written exercises punctuation
should DO taught. There was often too
much parrot work In spelling; children
repeat the letters and form the words,
but get NO idea from the exercise. The
children should be taught to construct
sentences, weaving In the words spelled,
and be taught to p%uuctuats the sentence.
Letter writing should commsnce early
and be continued to the end, both as an
accomplishment and because OF Its gen.
eral use. Children should especially
be taught to commence, close and direct
letters properly. 49,,
Prot. Young said . printer had told
him that be, the printer, never knew q
teacher who could punctuats. and hs
called the News man up to defend the
teachers against the craft or the craft
against the teachers, 1t IL not certain
which.
Tho Institute, taking the News man
a. q champion OF the printers (proba-
bly,. began to mako trouble at once.
He was requested to date and address q
letter TO "Mrs Mary Smith. "a. Market
street, San Francisco. Cal.." commence
II my dear Friend" and sign 1t "Yours
truly" It wal in vain that the poor
reporter pleaded that he was . married
man and they were getting him into hot
water. He was over.school-ma'amed
and compelled to yield. He completed
the task and punctuatsd It to put q stop
thereto. Then came more trouble for
capitalization was sprung on the mis-.
cradle wretch. What right had he or
Mr.. Printer man In the following sen.
tenos to capitalize State and not ma
tional2 and they drew the News OF last
evening on him:
1.-THE Chairman declared the Conven-
ton adjourned and 1t was so adjourned
sine die, with three cheers for The
national, State and county tickets"
To shit the responsibility. the re-
porter drew the Enterprise with the same
sentence and the word ''~national" capital.
lied and the word county" still 'run
down." The reporter. under this
diversion. disclaimed all knowledge Of
either punctuation or capitalization. and
then talked half an hour at them to get
even for tho foregoing abuse. He then
told them to p%unctuats the middle OF
sentences as little as possible. and only
to make tho meaning plain. and escaped.
After more discussion the subject was
dropped and Professor Gray read an
essay ON teaching. to which, however.
time would not allow the News man to
listen.