The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-10-22

lOunu blldb elcNen tOuIlIltS III JIG Slhlt
representatives present, and committee of
one from each of these counties was ap
pointed to bring before the convention four
names for electors. The convention also
provided for state committee to be COM
posed of one member from each county. A
stirring address was then delivered by Rev.
H. G. Farrar of Troy, N. Y. Mr. Farrar is a
finished and able speaker, and he was lis
tened to with deep attention for nearly two
hours. The following electoral ticket was
put in nomination: Electors at large, DIR.
Charles Woodhouse of Rutland and G. w.
Wyman of Brattleboro; first district, Judge
G. S. Parker of Elmore; second district, j.
b. Pickett of Bradford. The following
state committee was also elected: Ad-
Olson county, II. f. Austin, Vergennes;
Caledonia, Professor Brackett, st. Johns
bury; Chittenden, r. NJ. Clapp, Burlington;
Essex, George Burnham, Concord; Frank
lin, A. George, st. Albsns; Grand Isle, j.
L. Puffer, Alburgh; Lamolle, S. w. Royce,
Cambridge; Orange Ezra Walker, Chelsea
Orleans, L. NJ. Hogaboom, Greensboro
Bend; Rutland, A. B. Bixby, Poultney;
Washington, j. X. Rartlett, Middlesex
Windham, John S. Brown, Brattleboro
Windsor and Bennington counties are not
represented on the committee.
No such crowd has been at the state house,
thus far, this session as filled representa-
tives' hall Thursday afternoon to witness
the progress made by some of the pupils
from the American Asylum for the Deaf and
Dumb at Hartford, Conn. Mr.. job Williams,
principal of the asylum, who was here four
years ago on a similar errand, conducted the
exercises, assisted by Mr.. A. S. Clark and
Miss Ada X. King, two of the teachers. The
names of the children whom they brought
with them are as follows: Florence NJ.
Kendall of Strafford, VT; Henry Il. Thayer
of Hartland, VT; John Culver of East Dor
set, Vt; Dana b. Taylor of Wells, Maine;
Edith Marshall of Bridgeport Conn; Belle
Il. Brown of East Boston, Mass, and Alfred
Porter of Spencer, Mass. In his preliminary
remarks Mr. Williams made brief state
ment of what was being done for the educa-
ton of the deaf and dumb throughout the
country, and especially at the school which
he represented. There have been in all
about two hundred fifty from this state
there, about one hundred seventy-ive in
all being in the institution. The state
pays $175 per year for each pupil the
balance of the expense being borne from
the income OF permanent fund. The
method of communicating ideas to the chill
| dren was explained and illustrated by Mr..
Williams. and then they were called upon
| to show for themselves. They wrote de-
| scription of a picture placed before them; Mr..
Williams related a little incident to them
| in sign language (Mr. Clark interpreting to
| the audience) and they afterward transferred
the ideas to paper; one bright young girl
was questioned in American history and she
| acquitted herself with great credit; boy of
| eighteen recited in geography, showing him
self to be well versed in what he had stud
ied three who never heard the sound of
their own voices spoke so that they could be
understood by nearly all of the audience,
showing the result of much careful and pa
| tent training; some who had been taught
to understand what was said to them by
watching the speakers lips gave an exhibi-
| ton of their proficiency in this direction.
J The exercises closed with the telling of "A
story in sign language by Master Dana b.
| Taylor and the recitation Of the hymn, my
| faith looks up to thee,' by Miss Edith Mar
| shall. The large audience was deeply inter-
ested, and frequently applauded the sue
! cessful efforts of the children. Parents of
deaf and dumb children throughout the
state should remember that, on application
to the governor, provision will be made for
them to be sent to this institution, there be-
ing an annual appropriation for this pur-
| pose.
A SPECIAL meeting of the principals of the
higher grades of the schools of the state was
the meeting was to consider How the state
may best supervise its schools and examine
| its teachers" As to the question of super.
vision, Mr. Alger of Burlington referred tc
improvements made in public travel, which
are carried out by parts of the work being
assigned to different men and each one
made to carry out his part and perform his
work faithfully by having men at the head
of each grade or department of work who
supervise those under them, and they in
turn all work under the general manager
| ~ ny tnO olutl vi dIIduStllltHl lllt
educational interest of the state can be best
promoted by a harmonious working of the
different authorities, each one depending
upon higher power and all under the gen
eral control and supervision of the state SUI
perintendent As the first step in this ad
vancement he strongly advocated the abol
ishment of the district and the adoption o.
the town system of school management
Many teachers followed with practical sug
gestions, all substantially agreeing in rec
ommending the adoption Mt once of the town
system and that it be made compulsory by
the legislature. In the afternoon the ques
ton How may the state best examine its
teachers?" was opened by Principal Conant
of Randolph. First, they should be exam
ined by representatives of the people, as
schools are supported by the people; by
competent men, who may give a license t
teach as far as their authority extends fol
| terms of one year; then after an eXamina
tion OF higher grade for five years, ant
when this period is completed, or after
proper test for, they should be able to gran
a permanent license during good behavior
the license to be revoked only for caus,
shown. The people will be able to guarC
against a rusty school teacher IA they ar,
against rusty doctor or lawyer. This eX
animation should extend beyond the com
mon school branches of study and should b,
partly written and partly oral A commit
tee was appointed to present the draft of
bill for town system of instruction to the ed
| nf ha SIatn m