Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-07-19

taiumeutS, there ought aiHa,s Ia be
communicated that kEawiedzr AI.Ict
will HJ the student fer hrs p-r' ia the
intercourse ard pursuits nt nfG-jat.
lite. Every mau among IS .i,ust D,-
more on less workja1 mtu. aud there
tore ne ought to be }yrGcticdi,y educated.
We have i'll this cunHtIy uu enurmous
entailed estates, 10 wealthy 'ccleSi2sii
cal establishments, rOr those many sin
ecureS which, in other CnuEtrieS, raise
large classes above the bus ness of the
world Nearly all our citizens are de-
pendent for subsistence upon their own
eXeTtiOns. and even the few vino are eN-
empt from this necessity must yet be su
situated as to make practical knuwl ledge
Indispensable TO them. The most opU-
lent among us cannot throw off all care
OF their possessions. and the most Seciu
ded must occasionally come forth into
business intercourse with the world.
Hence, we are a lCOFkHig pe1pte. For
eigners have noticed this characteristic
of cur nation. 1t impreSSes upon US a
busIling activity throughout the whole
length and breadth of our land. Now,
where every one must have Sumething
TO do, is not a DrOcficdg education uni
versaily necessary? And where shall il
be obtained ?-where most likely Sc
cured at our large or small colleges?
The question is not now whether AL
education at small college is equal To
al education at d large one. although
strong arguments might be adduced in
aupport of such propositions" bat
whether the education at Il small col
lege is not more practical. Is it not no.
,pr ba
colleges are, i'll comparison with The
larger colleges of other States, "dIsprO
pOrtiOnately prominent in public affair"
have gone To the front in politics, Is
military rank, educational service, gen
Pral literature and professional success?
Has not this practical part of education
been sadly neglected, at least overlook
ed, by our larger colleges and uniyerJi-
ties? Have they not in too many III
stances sent forth graduates utterly un-
qualified for any useful Office i'll life?"
During our official career as County
perintendent ia an adjoining State we
were frequently obliged TO refuse them
certificates 10 teach in our common
schools. \ careful, critical and impair
tial examination OF of their qualifica
tiOns and fitness only disclosed their III
competency. However well stored their
minds NAV have been with the highe
mathematics, with Latin and Greek,
they knew toe little %: nrthogrdphy. &C.
ography, English gramm..I and ariLhmt
tic 10 be iGtTusted with the charge of
instructig our future citizens. We
have n our mjad Il single instance. A
young gentleman, whom we had known
in his boyhood, after having gradua
ted from one of GU large colleges, and
desiring to teach school for short
time previous To his entering upon the
study of the law, presented himself for
examination. He was good classical
scholar, but WAS somewhat deficient in
geography. He failed 10 define a peuin-
ula-thouglIt he had yer heard of the
term before. Knowing h';1 very WELL
and TO relieve hlm Of his rmbarraSS
ment, said to him. Why, Bon, DO You
not know " hat peninsula Is? Think
Il moment. You understand Latin uUw,
give me the etymOlogy Of the word. I'm
mediately, as if he had received new
idea, he rumptly TespOned, Pe.te, al
most; iRSuLd, island Ii is by such in
stances that the most plausible Objec
tions have been furnished to, and used
by, the opponents OF classical learning,
and the frequent occurrence of them
cannot fail to impair popular confidence
in all such institutions of learning, be
they large or small, aud greatly re,ard
the advance of sound education.
1t very naturally followsto remark
here-that the work of inst uction shod
be practical. We cannot commend the
teacher whose qualification is his ability
70,
tion. The memory is an important fac
ulty and needs TO be cultivate /: but free
thought is, at least, IS important, and
ought also 10 be cultivated. No mind
eau retain its health withOnt nteliectu
al indepeudence-no mo.s than a nation
can long exist if freedom of thought is
denied it, or 4 church perform its duties
if it lives on tradition. The child that
is permitted to do its work by memoir
ZinE textbooks, without thinking of
tile connection and cause of the different
parts and the easily seen consequences.
will grow up to be a subseryi6ut, un
thinking man. We know there are
great natural differences among children
in this respect; bui if the teacher al
lows the textbook y mold the child,
that teacher is failure. Said Il young
miss 70 her uncle one day, AS he held up
an orange and. twirliug 1t, endeavOred
to Illustrate to her the rOtundity of the
earth, and that in its revolution round
the sun il turned on lis axis: But do
YOU really mean, uncle, that the earth is
round and tH.nS rOHld?' "Why. Ger
taiuly," SAID he, did you not learn that
at school =" "Ol,yes." said she. Il learned
it, but never EneIc it before
Now, the true teacher is sculptor.
The marble which he must shape into
humanity, perfect in all its features,
harmonious in all its movements and
symmetrical in all its parts, Is NOT
MERE MATTER. The eye sees it not.
the hand feels it not, ald the imple-
mentS with which he gives form and
spirituality TO the mass are invisible, |
and often, when he knows it not, the ST
lent look, the moving hand, the baSty |
step. the hPaving breast, are doing their |
work ON that imperishable marble fol l.
eternity. A Powers makes his chiSel |
bring from the uDheWn rock u Greclau |
slave in chainS-a spaechlesS, sightleSs, |
soulless statue,-and Fame wreathes MS |
brow in laurels. But how inferior is his |
sculpture to that Of the professional !
teacher. both in the skill requisite to its 1
execution and it's worth and durability. !
In the one case the friction of years will |
efface the memery of the sculpture and
the sculptor In the other eternity will |
be the only measurement of the soul,
the immortal mind he has developed,
will live forever, the immortal mUnu
ment of his skill.
Four harvesters. who had just been
paid off, boarded freight train AT
Whitehall, ILL.,. to steal ride. At the
same station four tramps boarded the
train. to all appearances for the same
purpose, but after starting they drew
revulvers and made the harveSters give
up their money. Then they drove them
=, fT tha train oUd in INN ,,iuU Oua of tho I