The Red Cloud chief., 1883-05-11
Education In Japan.

Among the treasures of the Bureau of
Education is an exhibit Of japanese ed
ucational progress. This exhibit is es.
p~ecially valuable in giving the old meth
DDS of teaching i'm contrast with the new.
and As marking the facility with which
the japanese intellect grapples with the
scientific truths Of the most advanced
civilization. The history of this cxhib-
it is rather an interesting one. When
the first Embassy of japanese came to
this country they called on the Commits
sioner and made inquiries into the work.
ings of his department. Not satisfied
with examining the department itself.
they came day after day propounding
questions which showed not only adecp
interest in the matter, but a most intel
ligent conception of the merits and the
Importance of the American education
al system. The information they re-
ceived WAS carefully digested and sent
back to Japan, and the prominent part
the educational business had played in
the very extraordinary social and polit-
ical revolution which the country went
through vas shown i'm the exhibit sent
To the Centennial. At the close of the
latter the Japanese authorities begged
the acceptance Of this exhibit BY the
Bureau Of Education. The old-fash-
Toned sc~hool-house in Japan. as illus
trated by a painting. was n bare room
with no desk but the low stand in front
of the teacher and another on his side
to place books on. The teacher squat
ted on the floor. So did the pupils.
The teacher read aloud. and the pupils
repeated after him. To memorize was
the alpha and omega of Japanese school
instruction.
The new-fashiOned school-hOuse in
Japan, as illustrated by drawings and
engravings, is generally a handsome
building, often \ temple whose worship
has ceased and whose devotees are dead.
The teacher has a desk modelled after
the American style. placed on y plat
form, and garnished like the New Eng
land pre,eptor's. The desks and seats
of the pupils are fashioned after the
same pattern. In Japan they write
with a brush instead of a pen. and make
their ink by triturating hard paints
against a prepared stone. The incradi-
cable instinct of the people to draw ex-
plains the universal use of the brush,
and their constant practice from time
immemorial gives the secret of their
wonderful skill with color. In the ex-
hibit are specimens of machinery. sur
gical and mathematical tools. educa-
tional appliances. and various kinds Of
mechanism required by modern sciences.
There are japanese copies from Occi-
dental models but they are not slavish
imitators merely. Their intelligence
is shown in the frequency with
which they adapt their own original
devices to American machines. always
improving on the model. Among others
is a school globe. This is a wire frame
covered with linen. OIL which is painted
the natural objects to be studied. The
destruction of this globe does not in
volve the great outlay for a new one
which our costly globes would make
necessary in the event of destruction.
Again. they adapt an angle measure to
q spirit or water level, thus killing two
birds with one stone. In the exhibit is
3 model of . Japanese house. This
has become d~isarranged, and no native
mechanic has been found skilfful
enough to mend it. In the narrow linn
its Of two small rooms are thus shown
the progress of centuries which really
was consummated in q few years. les
terday the feudalism of the Daimio
regime exhibits its medieval tenden-
cies, usages and spirit; to day the same
actors are manifesting the temper and
the tastes and exhibiting thorough ia
miliarity with the customs of the pies
ent age. The exhibit is complete in
every respect, and is one of the most in
.teresting and suggestive collections
ever prepared by man.-Natioadl Ee-
pG6lican.
The death of PostmasteruGenera
Howe leaves in active life only three
men who. with him. occupied seats in
the United States Senate when Presi-
dent Lincoln called it together in special
session At the outbreak Of the war.
They are Senators Anthony and Sher-
man and Daniel Clark. United States
District Judge for New Hampshire. Not
more than half . dozen other members