The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1880-08-26
SCHOOL BOOKS OF THE PAST.

The outbreak of the periodical shool-book war,
has brought to mind the various series of school
books that have come, nonrished, and passed away
in an ordinary lifetime. Our fathers and grand
fathers got their lessons from Dilworths Speller
and Dabolrs Arithmetic. What Grammar, if
any, we do not know. Malte Bruins and Morse's
Biographies hourislied abou. those times; while
wel,ster's Spelling Book was the favorite in that
branch of education. Among tbose in onr ear
liest recollection Of books somewhere near forty
five years ago, we can remember seeing an Oeea-
sional dingy, mnsty, worn volume of Dilworth,
| Daboll, and webster's Spelling hook. The lat
ter. when We first went to school, had been re-
yised and was called the Elementary Spelling
Book, and was popular for many years-perhaps
il in use still. An occasional copy of Horne
Tooke's Diversions of Purley, n higher grade
of Grammar, was also occasionally encountered.
The school generation before time learned
their figures from Pixies Arithmetic, which
treated exclusively Of pounds, shillings and
pence. There was but sum In the book that
treated Of dollars and cents. Pixies was followed
by TaIbot's, an American Arithmetic. After
worrying for several years through Pike, We
were very proud when our teacher presented us
have it yet, ny a keepsake. In the generation
before MS, very popular series Of books for read
ing and defamation, were by Caleb Bingham,
called the American Preceptor, the Columbian
Orator, and one Of still higher grade, the name
Of which has slipped our memory. In that gen.
Grafton, Murray's Grammar was the standard in
that branch, while two reading books compiled by
Lindley Murray, called the English Reader and
the Introduction 10 the English Reader were
the readers in usr. All these old hooks were ex-
cellent, and in the matter of selections, have
never since been cqualled. However, in onr
grandfathers' days, the Bible was the chief read
ing book in schools. When made our advent
in public school, the Elementary Spelling Book
was in the height of its popularity; the McGuffey
Reader had just got into use; Rirkham's Gram
mar was generally accepted; and Olney's Geog-
raphy was the approved thing. Cobbs Readers,
the Western Reader, and others, occasionally
made their appearance; but they were general
ly brought in by newcomers, from places where
they were probably the books in use. During
our school days, Mitchelrs Geography came into
popularity; and, toward the close, Davies Arith-
metie, Green's Grammar, and other new works
beck called the New American Reader, COM
piled by B. Bridge, made effort TO gain foot
ing, but did not succeed. A heavy raid was
made torun out the MeGuffey books with Sanders
series, and succeeded in many places, but Nc
Gnffry soon regained the lost ground, and has
hsiakit to this day. Since 1sIs, We have in a
nIessure lost the run of school-books, but pre-
sumo the usual number of new candidates for
public favor have come and gone.
Some one, thoroughly versed in the history of
schpoi-bOoks, could write an interesting article
on this subject-taking the various books and
their authors, for the past two hundred years,
and giving history Of each.