Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-11-17
TEACHERS INSTITUTE.
THIRTIETh ANNUAL SESSION


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PROGRESS OF THE WEEKS MEETING.
PrOfs. Byerly, Heiges, Brown, French AM.
Young Treating Timely Topics.
Wednesday afternoon. French made
some remark on methods of teaching eie-
mentary arithmetic. In working either on
slate or on blackboard the work by the
pupil should be done neatly. The letters
aud figures should be plainly and carefully
made, and the figures should be properly
placed. He recommended for beginners
the use Of column rules, in sums OF addi-
ton, to separate the units, tens and hun.
dreds AS an exercise in addition, DR..
French wrote upon the blackboard a long
sum the figures of which were taken down
by the class who bad instructions to make
the addition as rapidly as possible and
rise as soon as they had finished it. Near
ly hundred teachers made tho addition,
and on comparing them it was found that
ten different results were obtained and yet
nearly all the ladders" were sure they
were right. Accuracy in addition can be
obtained only by care and practice, and
accountants are much more apt to make
mistakes in it than in subtraction OF multi
plicatiOn. 70 secure correctness in addi-
tiOn the lecturer recommended practice
with the forty five combinations used
in the Pittsburgh schools. He gave All
explanation Of the system, with which
most teachers are familiar, and also some
illustrations of the wonderful rapidity and
accuracy acquired by accountants by con-
slant practice. 1t was shown in the drill
given this afternoon that rapidity and
accuracy accompany each other-the
teacher who first made the addition hav-
ing made it correctly, while the slower
ones were those who had made mistakes.
Prof. 1;yerly on Grammar.
Prof. Byerly resumed his lecture on
grammar, giving special attention to the
relation of words with words, and to the
formation and analysis of sentences. He
would have teachers as they read the
masterpieces of the greatest authors,
analyze. transpose and reconstruct them.
In conclusion he advised teachers to not
touch technical grammar in the primary
schools, but only to improve the language
of the pupils, By correcting their mistakes,
aud instructing them in analysis then,
when they enter higher grade Of school,
and any good work Oh grammar is placed
in their hands, they will have 10 difficulty
of mastering it. He believed that with pro-
per culture in this direction the schools
could do without either Latin or Greek, as
the main object in teaching these branches
is to secure culture.
Prof Heiges resumed his lecture on physi-
olOgy. He said that rs soon as the teacher
had awakened in his class an interest in
the study lie should take it up systema,i-
caily. He advised that the teacher COM
mence with the bones, as they arc the
foundation upon which the muscles and
other parts Of the body are built. He
would call all these bones by their sc;en-
tific names, because these are as unchange.
able as the bones themselves, and if the
significance of the names is explained to
the children they will be delighted as well
as instructed thereby. After speaking of
the Importance of keeping the cavities of
the body-thc mouth, the throat, the
thorax, the abdomen-in cleanly and
healthy condition, the lecturer explained
the structure and some of the natural dis
cases of tho eye, including mycpy,or short
sightedness; hypcropy, or long-sighted-
ness ; prcsbyopy, or long siGhtedness
caused by age, and asthenory, or want of
clearness of vision during u part of the
day.
The Human Voice.
DR.. Brown resumed his talk on the Or
ganS of the human voice, the most Won
Gerful of all human musical instruments.
1e said that he who wanted to play upon
any instrument so as to charm his hearers
must first have learned how to use it, So
aS to get out of it the best work it is Ca
pable of doing, and this can only BE- done
by study and constant practice. A great
pianist had said that if he neglected prac-
tice Tor single day he knew it if he
neglected it for two days his friends knew
it, and il he neglected it a week the public
knew it. Constant practice produces a deli
cate and automatic action of which the
practitioner himself is scarcely cognizant.
Every musical instrument must pos
sess three clements-motvr, vibratory
and resonant. The human voice has
all of these in the greatest perfection,
and therefore man sings and is capable of
producing Sweeter sounds than can be
produced by the finest instrument. Savage
or civilized, he sings. Prof. Brown de-
scribed minutely the manner in which the
various sounds are produced by the human
vocal organs, and pointed out the differ
cnces that exist between those of all other
mammals. Among the lower order of
animals he gave the no. a high place,
declaring in all seriousness that he had in
his own experience detected in the voice of
the hog at least twelve emotional tones !!
In the wonderful compass, purity and
variety of its tones the nightingale sur
passes all inarticulate creatures, and has
been given these graces, perhaps, rs 4
check upon man s vanity
Gettysburg.
Wednesday, Erening. entertainment
as announced was lecture by Rev. Jesse
Bowman Young, entitled, ECHOES from
Round Top or the Bloody Fields of Get
tysburg." The lower part of the opera
house was filled and the gallery more than
half filled.
Prior to the lecture the pupils of the
girls high school sang several pieces
" Lift Thine Eyes," from tho oratorio of
Elijah - "Come with the Gipsy Bride'
from the opera OF "Boheman Girl
" The Hunters Chorus" from Freis-
chutz ;" and "Robin Redbreast," all of
which were rendered with much spirit.
Prof. John Surman followed with violin
solo, a fantasie dc ballet, from De BeriOt.
He was loudly ercored. and in response
played my Dear Grandmother" by
Langc.
Tho lecture Of Rev. Young Was we'll
written and we'll delivered, albei: the icc
turer does not possess in an emincn; dc
gree tho graces of the platform orator.
He only talked right Oh, aud in mat
ter-of-fact way related the leading Incl
dents of tue war, from the Union deieat at
to the crowning victory
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