The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-06-14
METHODS OF INSTRUCTION.
BY A. c. HoLBERT.
CHAPTER IN.

CHAPTER IN.
In early DAYS themethod of teach
! ing penmanship was very simple, al
though it involved much work on
the part of the teacher. Pens were
all fabricated by him from the goose
quill. Copies were all written by
him unless fortune favored him with
one or more larger pupils VINO
wrote passable hand. But it is
useless to recapitulate the doings of
the days that are gone. Quill pens
are among the things of the past, in
deed there are few men to-day who
can make good quill pen, or write
well with one after it is made. There
is one thing lacking for American
ingenuity to invent, and the man
who achieves it will have fortune
| in his hands; that thing is q pencil
which will write a clear, black, in
delible line, like ink. 1t has not
been reached yet, perhaps will not
for a century, but it must be some
day. The teacher should have con.
troll OF the pens, ink and writing ma
terials generally. He should fur
nish the pens, which should be fine
pointed and flexible. | do not like
"Gillott's 303," and thereia / differ
from very many teachers. My OBJ
lection is that they are too sharp.
"Gillott's Victoria" are much better:
they are indeed an excellent pen,
but they are very difficult to get
"The Duirs College PEN is my fa-
vorite for classes in penmanship.
They may be obtained by writing to
the proprietor of Duff's College,
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Having settled on a pen, the next
thing is ink. TIE first requisite of
ink is that it flows freely, is free of
sediment, permanent, and of pro-
nounced color, jet black. Fluids are
unfit for use in writing classes,
though very excellent for business
inks. Do not permit the use of fan
cy co!ored inks. Only black is adj
missible in business, and should be
permitted A number of years ago
it was discovered that records in
Washington, d. c., were fading out.
This necessitated the calling in of a
large extra force of clerks in order
to copy them. They had been done
in violet ink, which a few years since
was very popular. and recently is so
again. There i, an English ink
which | use for my own writings; it
is Liable to the objections of being a
slow drier and OF clogging the pen
unless frequently wiped off, but re-
gard it as the best ink made 1t is
called Walkdin's Japan ink. | new
er can obtain it otherwise than bv
sending to Pittsburgh for it.
= bsc.stn ordinary pen-holder, alid
insist on your pupils doing the same.
If one accustcms himself to special
ties he cannot do good work without
them. A number OF years since |
permitted myself to become accus.
toned to very large holder, ard
for months after | lost it | could
scarcely write ut all. In my own
writing l only permit myself one
specially, and that is | use Ester
brooks swan quill pens, No. 232,
but they are too coarse for penmar,
ship classes, and most writers OBJ
ject to them on occount of their
flexibility. 4 gold pen ! will not
allow in my school room. Accus-
tom a boy to good steel pens, and he
has all ne needs. One thing in re-
gard to the selection of pens aid
pencils. Does a person write heavy
hand? He wants a stiff pen, or a
hard pencil. Does he write a light
hand? He wants a Timber pen or a
soft pencil.
Paper should be clear white, and
pupils should be trained to write on
both ruled and unruled paper.
Fashion, for a few years past, has
seemed to dictate the use of unruled
paper.
At the present time few teachers
will have to write their copies, as
the country is flooded with ''sys
TENS of penmanship," al, possessed
of more or less excellence, all giving
very excellent instructions, and few
of them ever used in actual business
after our school days are over. My
plan is to allow a certain time twice
each day for writing. | endeavor to
assign this time when the pupils are
not nervous, from the excitement of
play, or any other cause, and in or
der to do this | place it just after
have heard my reading classes. The
period allotted is fifteen minutes in
forenoon and fifteen minutes in az
ternoon. While this time lasts all
must write. Previous to writing dis
tribute copy books. After writing
take them up and deposit them in
your own desk. Twice week dis
tribute pens, one to each pupil. See
to it that each pupil has piece of
old newspaper to serve as pen
wiper. | prefer it to anything else,
and it costs nothing. See that the
ink wells are properly filled. and
that they are closed when not in use. |
Notice that improper formations are |
not cultivated; if learned see TO It
that they are not persisted it. BY /
illustrating the improper forms with |
chalk on the black kboard, many of |
them may be guarded against. There
should be proper forms inculcated
for holding the pen, and yet | am
not in favor of teaching the same
mode to all pupils. Notwo persons
have the same precise formation of
hand, hence no two can hold pen
precisely alike. My fingers tingle
even now at the remembrance of
sundry gentle taps with the ferule
because / "cramped my fingers,
but / am not cured of the habit.
Many persons claim that writing
is natural gift. Ibelieve that any
one can makea legible writer. | do
not belive that every one can make
an artistic penman. regard the
great thing in penmanship as legi-
bility; next after that | place rapid
ity. Of two applicants for position