Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-10-26
i'm the schoolroona
BY H. CLAY DAVIS.

| oI H. CLA1 DAv1Ss
Published BY request Of the rcadia Valley Teach
| ers' Associstion.
| Ata previous meeting of this insti
tute, Mr.. Calshan read . paper II
which he enumerated several ORDER
or classes Of things by fves. He sale
that there are Ave oceans. five natura
grand divisions Of land, five fundamen
tai rules Of arithmetic, and that we
have Eve fingers, Ave toes and five
senses, and that grammar might b<
divided into five divisions instead o.
eight. He might have added that
there are five eminent methods by
which we obtain . knowledge of all
the things around Us; and are thus
enumerated: Observation, reading, lee
lures, conversation and meditation.
We will now take short survey OF
them all. First observation 10 the
notice we take of all the things around
us. It il by this that we get knowl-
edge Of all the occurrences and events
of life, whether they relate to persons
or things. 1t 10 this that furnishes rs,
from our infancy to manhood, with .
rich variety Of ideas concerning per-
sons and things, whether animate or
inaninoate. It is by this that we know
fire will burn, that the sun gives light
and heat, that plants grow, that fishes
swim, that birds ny, that it Is the fate
Of all things to perish, and that one
generation succeeds another. In fact
all the things which we hear and feel,
which we see and taste, " which we think
aud reason about, may be included un-
der this general head-observa
Second-Readins is that method or
means whereby we scqusint ourselves
with the knowledge and learning Of
other men. We get this kind Of in
formation from books, papers and the
like. 1t will be seen that 1t is q diff
cult matter to treat this branch Of the
subject Independently, for In reading
something else 10 presupposed outside
Of reading, and that "something" is
"observation;" for we are bound to see
the letters or characters before we can
read them. Thus we will try to show
the connection between these things,
and the dependence Of one upon an
other. The art Of reading and writing
must be learned, and We learn them
through observation. When learned
they enable us to become acquainted
with the observations, reasonings and
improvements Of all the learned world,
almost from its beginning to the pres
ent. BY reading We may learn some
thing OF the habits, customs and modes
of living Of the people of the remotest
countries. BY this means We can find
out how old Father Adam and all the
people who have lived since his time
have lived. BY this means we know
all the improvements that have been
made from that time to the present,
and how nation after nation has arisen
and persisted. We can also commune
With the wisest and best men Of all
ages and countries; and that, too, with
- much profit as though they were
living. We can, in this way, get the
best thoughts Of ali the scholars, wheth.
er living or dead, and many other val
liable truths and improvements too
to mention in an article like
this. We can see in this the advant-
age reading has over observation. The
ono enables us to gather Information
from every quarter Of the globe, while
Lhe other narrows as down 10 the linn
ted sphere Of our own experience. I
will again speak of these further on.
Third-Private and public lectures Is
another means by which we learn of
persons and things. This Is the way
re learn Of religion from the pulpit, of
and mathematics from the
chair. The teacher gives
no instruction verbally, while his pu-
ills attend In silence. There is some
hing more sprightly, more delightful
= entertaining. in the discourse Of
i've, we'll qualified teacher than there :
) in the dull, sedentary practice Of
eading. The very turn Of voice, the
ood pronuncia ton aud the polite and
lluring manner which some teachers !
ave attained will engage the atten- I
lon and insinuate into the mind the
ieas Of things In a much more forcible =
,anner than the mere reading Of books r
, the solitude and retirement Of the Q
oset. A live instructor can enforce 9
pom the minds ofhis pupils those truths :
philosophy and mathematics with a t
reat deal more certainty and stable .
sss than It is possible for the pupil to Q
, for himself by reading. He makes = :
- experiment before the eyes Of his o
lpils. He describes figures and dia- II
AIMS, points 70 the lines and angles. =
ID thus teaches truth BY sensible - =,
cans. The pupil 10 kept interested "a
: the different changes Of position In N
a Hion. h To v,.f.x1a ,f mo- ll