Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1884-12-25
LEWISTON. TERRITORY.
our SCHOOLS.
Br PROF. =. n. HEparR.


The object Of school life b, slrange y
it may seem, mooted question. Should
l declare that the differences Of opinion
upon this subject existed between those
who know, and who have studied thsi
subject, and those who don't know aud
who have not studied the subject / might
be stating facts. but from:.what is to fol- ]
low, I should be liable to the charge Of
egotisu1.
Education is a draTing out Of the
mind, a training which accustoms one 70
use the mind; to think consecutively up
on given subject-not the gaining cf
more accumulation Of knowledge. Walk
ing encyclopedias are not orisinitoss. 3
am well aware that this is an age Of util-
itarianism, Of intensely dollars and cents
practically. Yet, in the face Of this, l
assert without iear Of successful contra
diction, that our schools--the public
schools aud colleges Of the land-are rs
practical as need be in order To-
be in perfect harmony with tho prevail
ing spirit Of the age. What do these
votaries Of extreme practically in our
schools, intend that we teachers, with the
assistance of our respective boards Of Cd
ucation; shall both directly and indirectly
train the boys and girls for the manifold
duties Of many vocations Of many lvesa
II so, We must have in our schools rooms,
or adjacent to them, the hammer and an
vii, and the dish-pan and cloth, the paow
and the soils, the needle and the goods,
the moving machine and the range, the
counting room and tho market, the store
and the need to articles Of housekeeping,
the pick and spade, the easle and brush,
etc., etc., ad i.fnitum. But to have
these in our school rooms il not only i'm.
possible, but entirely needless. It is far
from the province Of our common schools
or our colleges and universities to teach
trades, practical business operations, or
other than theoretical professions. Such
as these are, learned by those who for
the most part have commenced their life'a
work in concerns founded especially for
the prosecution Of successful housekecp.
! ing, trade, or whatsoever kind Of laboi
that may be chosen. School life is only
a commencement, training towards thai
methodical thinking which 6ts, and pro
pares for the after school days work o'
life. The great majority Of our pupil
are, morcver, too young to even com
mence bearing the burden Of this life.
absorbing, strenuous practicalness which
pervades the land. A shrewd farmer
sells his farm which he understands how
to manage with profit, buys a merchan'
tile business which he docs not under
stand, and fails; and yet many who "a,
that the failure was expected, us matter
Of course, seem to expect that the schoo
boy Ct sixteen, eighteen and twenty
should at once bc able to successful,
prosecute any or all Of the myraid bust
ness which our civilization support
Where is the consistency; Almost tn
sole ard only legitimate province 0
our schools, common or high, is to trail
the pupils consecutively, to teach then
to observe carefully, the why and where
fore, the cause and the effect; and tn
result of all this, is what is dcnominate
common sense; that power or instine
that perceivcs the true balance and phi
. osophy of all things. And that boy q
girl who has been trimmed to think wi
make much better operative or laboreI
|. teacher, lawyer or business men, and vi
y attain a higher sphere Of usefulness, tina
he will who only knows the work befol
him. True, there are lawyers, doctor
and merchants, who have been educate'
trained to think, BY the studying Of lav
medicine, or business operation; but the
lost time, which practically is money, B
gaining this power in this manner.
But the student, who while gainir
this training secures storehouse Of know
edge, has the advantage sver him vi
gains it not. True, it is also that this
an age of spccialties but those who fro
lack of training towards methodical thin
ing are specialists with the dish-clot
lspade or buck saw can never rise to MED
ocrity. 1t is the trained brains thes Al
in demand. Machinery is each day d
- ing more and more ofthe purely mecha
ical labor which has been done heretofo
by mere physical force, but train'
brains are nece ssary to direct these col
plieated machines. A beautiful peum'
is growing of less and less practical val
unless his hand obeys disciplined min