Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-10-20
FLORIDA.
Notes from Lake Weir.

pony, through the carelesness Of the
ploughman, was stifled; the next
day the roam was fOundered, and
the next, Edward OverWorked him.
self; the ponies are in fair way to
recover, and Edward will soon be
himself again.
Mr.. Clearance Smith has been see
ing Florida. Last week he crossed
the Oclawaha and viewed some of
Uncle Sans possessions. He thinks
he will invest. Clarence says Flor
ida is hardly up with Tennessee,
but in a few years she may over
take, if not surpass her older sister.
Some two weeks ago L visited
Ocala and attended the eXamina-
ton OF teachers by the Board of
Commissioners.
Several persons, who considered
themselves compliant to teach were
present.
The examination of the Negros
interested me. They formed rather
a dark picture. Upon their faces
the shadows of ignorance were
plainly seen. There may have been
two or three of medium qualifica-
tions. One, with "a very fOrbidding
cOuntenance requested a re-eXami-
nation, as he failed a short time be-
fore. His request was not granted.
When [ left the seminary, he came
to me with long complaint said
he knew how to teach; could work
any sum up to fractions, and knew
fractions too. | asked him if he was
good in fractions, and on his giving
a very persistent answer in the af-
formative | asked him to tell me,
the price of two fishes, when ga fish
and half cost cent and half"
he was dumb; the shadows were
too deep upon his Uranium.
There is a vast amount of mis-
teaching; principles are passed by;
the given problems worked by rule.
Ten years agoI gave this same
old question to young Miss who
was consequential Junior in a
popular institution of learning. She
said she did know how to work it
once but had forgotten. This young
lady was not an ignoramus, though
that hideHus looking word flashed
across my mind, when l heard her
say she did not know what country
it was that George Washington was
the father of. She stood well in
her ciasS, but was here machine,
taught to repeat the words printed
in the book, without comprehend
ing them.
Somewhat similar to this, was the
boy in an English school, who said
Luther was wicked man 'because
he burnt the pope's bull, and any
body who would burn Il bull was
wicked"
l remember pOmpOus young
fellow who tried to be Freshman
but was laughed out of the class.
On one occasion he informed us
that there would "soon be change
out home as father is going to have
a revenue built from the house to
the front gate" The other day l
received an invitation to attend a
picnic; it was written in the usual
form slightly modified. 1t began
81 take this application OfinfOrm-
ing you" sc. L knew what was
meant, and that cannot be said of
all compositions, especially those
written by the wise.
Teachers should devote more time
to principles, especially in the scien-
ces and mathematics. How many
pupils can tell why interest at six
per cent. is equal to the principle
multiplied by the number denOting
the number of days and divide the
product by six, pointing off three
figures in quOtient when there are
only dollars in the principal, and
five when there are dollars and
cents?
have found September no more
facilitating than any of thesummer
months, though it is called the
dangerous season. / have spent |
more time in the sunshine during
August and September than any
other two months since / have |
been in the State. 1t is hot with |
Thermometer Indicating 1902, but |
step under tree and you can keep !
remarkably cool. The days are few /
when there is no breeze. 1t is 90
in the shade to-day-and yet we
would not think so without looking
at the thermometer.
The whistle of the narrowgauge |
is now heard on the lake, and we /
feel almost like being in the sub
urbs of city.
Prof Tobey's school for young |
ladies opened on last Monday, and
on the Sth your correspondent takes
charge of the "yOung idea" in the
public school. 1t is pleasure to
teach when your pupils take per-
sonaI interest in their studies. Such
students were the Misses Matte
Beach, Lizzie Merriwether, Lena
Dale, Jennie Keesee, Nora Baker
and Edward Turnkey. These adj
vanced far enough to have an in
sight into the difficulties of higher
mathematics and some of them dis
covered the beauties in the hexam-