The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-07-24
FRAIs4xy gns RIA ON s,Rs. i 8
Tho Nofinal Institnts at tspartanbnrk..1Yotv
~ Camo About and What It 10 70 IDo.-An
Attractive and Pleasing Prog rS,,,r,a -

80 HoA""i A""Hthb ~ eSpnrtanbnrE..1rot OF,
Camo ABOUT and What It js TO Do.-An
4 A"Fa''iVo ana Pleasing Programme.
From tho News and Courlor.
Ihe Normal Institute to ba held a,
spatanburg next month, beginning on
the 3d ofAugust should, awaken the
keehestinterest in tho minds ofall teach.
ers and friends Of education III South
Carolina. This Institute marks anoth.
or decided step IN the progress of our
Public School system, and If It bo
largely attended will have most bone.
llcinl results. Ono Of the most import
ant features Of q State educational
system Is tho enrolment Of it's teachors
into an organized body, and their sub.
)cctioit TO constant and Intelligent
trimming and supervision, developing
an esprit de corps among them, and
stimulating thcm to earnest efforts for
selt-improvcme1,t. Tho annual exami-
nations rcquiredE Ey tho State Board
havo already accomplished much good
in wccding-out Incompetent teachoss
and requiring the rest to strengthen
themselves where They arc weak. A
demand for some attractive method of
soli-inippovcment hns bccn created.
Thus hayo arisen County Tcachcrs'
Associations IN many parts of tho
state, while these In turn have led to
4 desire for q general meeting of aIl
the teachcrs in tho State. Il,o propos-
Gu normal Institute supplies this de-
mand. As tho Common School sys-
TEN is still new, sono instruction as
TO It's aims and its methods is much
needed. While it is hoped TINT in a
icw years the genius Of public cduca-
lion may be fully comprehended, so
lhnt teachers may meet for cons,llta-
tlon among themselves rather than Tor
INSTRUCTION from others, in tho mean
time the wiscst disposition of tho share
OF the Peabody Fund allotted to South
Cnftlinn is undoubtedly tho establish
mcnt ofa Normal Institute, such as Is
propoa&d ky thc State Board of EN-
uminCrs.
The best method Of utilizing this
bcnclnction has been Il question for
years. For Il time The Peabody Trus-
Ices devoted the surplus fund to tho
nld OF certain designated schools i'm the
state. Last year, however, it was
uetcrmlntu to oNpcnd the whole quota
IN the training of teachers. Scholar
ships were EiHcn in tho white Normal
School at Nashville; and in the colorcd
school at Hampton. Besides this, Dr.,
Sears promised Il thousand dollars for
Institute work in the State. Thrcc
plans for cNpcndiug this sum present.
cu themselves. First, to apportion
about thirty dollars to each county for
n County Association or Institutes:
second, to cxpcnd two hundred dollars
encr Oh five Institutes, ono at some
frntral place in each Congressional
District; third to hold one central
institute tor the whole State, lasting
one month, and conducted by some
leading educator from nbrond. The
tlrst meant simply te tritter away the
money. Tho second was but little
better. II would have ontailod upon
the teacher almost rs heavy an expense
ns would attendance on State insti-
tutc, while offering no adequate in
uuccments to part with scanty earn
ingS., The third phn is unqucstiona-
hly the proper one. All tho attrac-
tionS arc centred ut ono point, and
superior advantages can be promised.
The location Of this Institute has been
wisely chosen. Spartanburw presents
special facilities i'm the Wotlnrl Col
lc%c buildings. Tho town is easily
accessible by railway, and it affords
cheap rates of board-h'om twelve to
twenty dollars Il month. Special ar
engagements arc expected to- be made
with the railroads, s0 that travelling
will be All inconsidcrble item. Stu
atcd within easy reach of Glenn
Springs, and almost in sight Of the
magnificent mountain scenery Of North
Carolina, ii is Just thc place TO visit TO
recruit strength lost iM tho classroom,
and to invigoratc the system for the
next school session.
Hut aside from these local advan-
tagcS, the Institute is rare attraction
III Itself. information furnished us bv
superintendent Thompson enables us
to outline the contemplated programme
more fnlly than has yet been done.
The course Of instruction will be
planned and earn led ont by Professor
Louis Soldan, Principal of the State
Normal School OF st. Louis, who
comes highly recommended by Pro-
trssor llarris, one Of tho most eminent
educators of the day. Professor Sol
dan is now filling engagements in the
East, besides being ono Of the lecturers
before tho National Tcachcrs' Associa-
tion at Saratoga.
Professor f.. s. Joyncs, formerly Of
Washington and Lee University, who
is as eminent in English Literature as
professor Gildcrslccvc is in Greek,
has been engaged, on the special re-
commendation Of DR.. Sears. to deliver
4 course of lectures on our language.
The lectures arc said TO be Of rare ex-
ccllcncc.
Superintendent Thompson will in
vitc the Presidents Of all the Colleges
in the State to be present aud to lee
turc on various topics of interest in
tho several departments Of literature
and science. They will add greatly to
tie success of the Institute and to the
profit and pleasure Of their hearers.
The regular course Of instruction in
the branches usually taught in schools
will hc conducted by some Of the most
accomplished teachers in the State in
conjunction with Prof. Soldan.
Never before has such an opportuui-