Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg Court House [S.C.]) 1877-1881, 1881-08-04
Odd Field Schools.
Editor Or ,ngebury Times :

A1"''" ~ 1h9eoH'Y 4"tS
Reading extracts from the pro
ceeIings Of the National Education
al Association at Atlanta, l see that
D NV i Of Maryland said, sin this
day every one is taught rs if going
to college when in fact ninety per
cent. never go beyond the country
school" 1t is so.
Now as to the higher schools in
towns. which will include say, one
twentieth of the list. Let these, if
you please, carry satchels holding
alf busiicl, Or aipyranid Of books
balanced on the head, very likely the
people are able to pay for them, and
it Looks like getting on, the big
dictionary being the base and taper
ing up with somebody's very best"
ofSralnlnars-a myth to parents and
mystery to the pupil, although he
may commit the whole to memory
and repeat it parrot like; the pyra-
mid further raised by Nos. lst, 2nd.
3rd, 4th and 5th Of somebody elses
,unexccptionable pictorial readers
fvcry much pictorial, and very little
reading lesson, but popular and
counting to the publisher in proper
tiou as they raise the pyramid say
four dollars fOrserics.
shall the pyramid be capped with
the eve: c:ybouy's first i'riend-the his.
tory of the boy who stole apples and
wouldn't comedown. the black bear,
the dog light, split milk and ''if and
it," sai'' the farmer? No. Fol we
have this: under the law the books
adopted, ana None Lther coulu be
used until Sept. 1st 1881" This cx
cludcs from the list our old blue
backed friend Of sixty years. Well
we have round toed boots, square
tocd boots, box tneu boots: Are our
toes any easier for the changes? w
have flop hats, felt hats, round top
ped hats-do they cover any more
brains? Every one who has the
means can follow fashion. But,
when it comes to this we will sup
pose widow with half dozen child.
rem to buy boots for ut All expense OF
ten or fifteen dollars for each success
sivc tcachtra, it is tine for fashion
and cSpe laii6TsNStop.in. SO far ms it re-
garls sch0df3Sno!is. Better that the
State furnish looks if it wants to
subsitiizc certain authors, anil let
the patrons employ the teacher. Tie
expense to our supposed widow
wn'!i he nnch less. But the object
of ,nis article is to how how like the
hT,t a
| sarH aS il ,a,,ct.s the !:inclecn
| twcntieths Of shr ok, tic.,i schools" T"
1t is no dr;.hl :S we'll arrange! rs
possible SO tar as theory goes so
.ar rs the superintendent iii reach
with his supervision. l,ut when we
com" to the field OF operation. ask
any o.' lhc citizens. al,. they Will say
ihas ihc cxprn iilur. OF the public
tundin most cases is Il miserable
i;liiGsy.
Very generally the trns' &C is inert
IL inUnrrativc III, lass to do
,vcrytilln. without pay. does not
r,.l disposal iocy:ri Am self unl 'ss
personally inle.c.st,ti, an il he be
Competent 10 rxaninr he school
| Nhich is nnt often III" ease. H. don,
tel lisposc; 10 lose The time 10 d. it.
\ goo plan wonll he to have an
Nanincr, with 4 moderate salary. to
.Sa'ninr and ialuirc mo lnc c:Btricn-
\. OF teachers.
some teachers (courtcously so
:allcd) are continuously looking for
S:hn,l w!irrc thev .nay sc! Into n
sleepy hollow r;i'iy AMI sure pay,
even if it dun'l amount Ia much.
They will teach in Il ten hY Twelve
cabin, ul-ier an arhnr. or almost any
where with any number Of children
from ten up to Que hundred. In fact
lhtre is no end tr their capabilities.
They never have loo many nor too
few. Tile name Tor these is "Pliahlr.'
They teach after their fashion, the
high sounding dictionary, the mys-
tcrious grammar, history, &c, &c.
ostcnsih!y aiming at the moon wien
in reality their objective mark is on
the horizon.
In connection with this and in con
"lusion DR.. Newell says, and think
his plan an excellent one. II would
each only one fourth as much spell
ing" ct may be South Carolina re
quires a little more than Maryland.
No grammar, leaving that for the
college, simple arithmetic, abolish
history and geography rs text
hooks; but allowing the former to be
used as n reader. would substi-
tute the following; drawing, writing,
reading, composition and simple
ari thmetic." The writer would sug-
gcst spelling the most difficult and