Morning journal and courier., 1880-10-16

l vanced the power of observation by imita- | ton exercised the analytical and sympathet- | ic faculties of the mind; trained the hand | furnished a means of communicating ideas l second only to written or spoken language :; permitted experimental designs to be placed
 before the mind and tended to bring it in connection with natural forms; acquainted 1 it better with the beauties of the world was 1 means of livelihood and of intellectual recreation bridged the gulf between theory and practice Drawing required no exception | al talent. It was not art any more than lan- l guage was poetry. Anybody who could write l could learn to draw. He criticised severely l some absurd questions about drawing pre- pared for school examination in New York ! State, finding no sense to most of them. Art in its highest form was beauty and beauty | was truth.
 l Professor Weir's paper will be published
 in the North American Re0teao.
 The following committees were next ap- l pointed:
 Nominations-A. H. Stevens H. E. Sawyer A. P
 somers, F. T Barrows F E. Bangs.
 C. Hitchcock, H. M. Adams. .I0% Wii1isms. '' It, Necrology-J. c. stockwen, M. A. Warren, J. G. l Lewis.
 Teachers Journal-L L. Camp R. B. Fuller, Angus l tus Morse.
 1 Teachers and Teachers Plans-J. H. Carleton, H. P Enrollment-s T. Dutton, s. c. Minor, French. c. L. Ames.
 | tion introduced last year that the annual fee l for ladies would be twenty-five instead of fifty cents.
 After the address by Professor Weir an ex- hibition wand exercise was given under the direction of Miss Jennie Catin and twenty ! three of her pupils at the Washington street school. Each scholars wand was gaily paint l ed and decorated with red, white and blue ribbons.
 Afternoon.
 In the afternoon Mrs. l.. w. Betts, of
 Stamford, gave talk on the subject 'tAbout Numbers in Primary Room" A discussion followed, participated in by Messrs. J. D. Whit
 more, Principals Bangs, Putnam and Bur
 ton of this city, Barrows of Hartford, Super
 intendent Harrington of the Bridgeport schools, MT. Sheldon of Boston and others.
 There were evidently two sides to the ques-
 tion, and the Grube or German method of
 coupling information and illustration as to
 the uses, power, quality and effect of num-
 bers with the actual work of adding, sub
 tracting, etc., found an animated and spirited
 defense. Several on the other hand, cham
 pioned the old-fashioned methods of
 putting the scholars through the actual
 elementary work in arithmetic, without seek
 ing to cumber the youthful mind with too
 much learning. It was claimed that the
 youthful mind was unable to endure the
 mental strain which the Grube system would
 involve. One speaker of long experience in
 teaching had gone back to the old fashioned
 way after years of experience Nevertheless.
 he included in his method such exercise of
 the reasoning powers as was compatible with
 the youthful mind and it's healthful growth
 but left the full requirement of the reasons
 and rules, why's and wherefores, till later
 period. Another speaker intimated plainly l
 that life was too short for cramming every
 thing into the youthful mind Finally in- 1
 quiry arose as to what the Grube system was 1
 in behalf of host of teachers in the primary 1
 schools, who were in Egyptian darkness on
 the subject, and had never even heard of ]
 Grube. Principal Burton at once defended ! New Haven from sharing in the general dark l ness, as he had himself delivered lecture on the Grube system in his school, the Wash ! ington in this city, beside which his corps of | system. It appeared that the Grube system I had not only been imported, but had got big | foothold out West and far away, even also to the golden strands of the Pacific coast. MT. | Sheldon arose and let gleam of sunshine all | over the pretty faces of the brigade of young school teachers present by informing the as- sembly that the superintendent of the public schools of Dover, N. H.. had come to the rescue, as he was just about to publish in full an explanation of the Grube business at five or perhaps ten cents copy. This settled A.. I itself back into happy state of expectancy, caused by the announcement that Miss Anna c. l Waiter, New Britain, would favor the audience with readings, and were further pleased at the prepossessing appearance of the young el- | ocutionist. She was attired in a light brocade satin overshrt with an olive green silk un- derskirt, while around her plump waist was cord of red color with red tassels depending She gave 'The Relief of Lucknow" you know, and ''An Evening with Helen's Babies," without the slightest approach to stage fright, and the verdict was very favorable to the young lady, even with such finished readings many present had heard the evening before from Professor Hubbard viv- idly in mind.
 Following Hon. Henry Barnard, of Hart ford, delivered an address on the progress of , school work in progress during the past fifty , years. He gave very interesting reflections n glance backward over the field, and told l bout the convention held in Hartford in s3O. The steps to hold the convention were taken in this city in September of 1 hat year, and the convention was held 1 n November. Under that call was assembled ( he first State convention in the State of i Connecticut for the consideration of the S ondition of the public schools. One hun ( red and fifty men attended, almost all of ( 7hom were practically engaged in teaching, 7ith minds in dead earnest on the subject of I eaching. Noah Webster presided. Mir. ' 'arnard eulogized the addresses of President I of Amherst, Connecticut man, William A. olcott, then for thirty years . eaeher, and of William C. Woodbridge and s thers, delivered before the convention. MT. D arnard praised MT. Olcott's address as being Inl way ahead of the times on the subject of h sform in school architecture. Forty years V