Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1884-04-19
OUR SCHOOLS.
Thoroughly Recognized and Sef
30 Going Right.

Athtkeu Ahhu 6Ot
80 Going Right.
1t is the duty Of the press to get in
formation Of public interest and import.
ance and publish it for the benefit CT it's
patrons and the general good. The public
schools are the property Of the people, and
there is no institution 80 near the hearts
OF the great majority as it is. Parents, il
called upon TO ponder on the question,
what matter is Of the greatest concern to
them, would, in every instance, after in
telligent and thorough consideration, an
swer, the education of our children. In Eu-
reka there is no means of general education
except in the public school house. If there
were, this method Of tuition would still be
held in preference by most persons. Pri-
vate schools, or private tutorship is excel
lent under some circumstances but the
common school, while it is open to criti-
cism in some respects, is the acknowledged
nursery of the men and women OF the
future. 1t is in this seminary that chill
dren, while made thorough in the
simpies of an education and disciplined
to use their faculties for higher
grades of knowledge beyond, are also
brought into companionship friction with
the human world that they are to become
factors in and struggle with when they are
grown up. There are practical lessons of
life got by early association in the public
school that no exclusive, privateinstitution
Of learning can furnish-and on account of
which, perhaps, the former is not Alto
gether agreeable to some parents of aristo-
cratic temper. While it is not within the
sphere Of the public schools to make
scholars, in the higher sense of the term,
it ought to develop boys and girls into
clear thinking intelligent men and women,
adapted to life in a country which does not
recognize, or does not admit that it recog-
nizes, any distinctions in society but those
that are based on individual merit. But
this, though pertinent to the subject in
hand, is a depression from the topic pro-
posed.
The Trustees of Eureka District have
visited the public schools under their
charge as often as practicable, considering
their personal business engagements.
Recently they visiteds day after day,
until they had made the entire round
q inspected the work of the teachers
in each department. 1t is upon informa-
ton thus obtained that this scribe is en-
abled to report to its patrons and friends
with regard to the condition of their
school. 1t is not the most agreeable state
ment for us to publish, but it is a fact
| which it Is wholesome to recognize, that
the standard OF our school is not the
highest in the State. We are consider
ably behind several schools i'll the western
part of the State-for example, at least q
year behind the Carson school, which ia
second to none in Nevada. We come to
this conclusion, Of course, by comparing
the Advancement of the pupils in the
highest classes respectively. The reason Of
this is obvious, and it is to be regretted
that it was not observed and that steps were
not taken several years ago to place our
school IN the plane that it ought to occu-
Ply. 1t has been remarked by intelligent
and candid judges that the children in
Eureka are as bright and as docile as the
children in any other town OF the
~State-which, however, need not be ques.
toned. To be plain about it, they had
| been taught in a loose and unskilful man
Ter. There had been lack of discipline to
such al extent that on one occasion when
| the writer made an official visit to the in
stitution, some years ago, he found it in
such a condition that rational teaching, in
all but one or two of the departments.
was an impossibility. The Eureka school
then gave the visitor the impression of an
| incipient juvenile mob. The fault had
| not been with the children nor altogether
| with the teachers. Nobody in town ap-
peared to take any interest in
school affairs. 1t was a sort of
go-as-you-please institution, and it vent as
it pleased. It is pleasant to be able to say
that, at this time. though our school is
behind others in advancement, there is not
q better disciplined school anywhere in the
State than ours. Order, precision and in
| telligent, faithful labor characterize every
department. By this we do not mean to
say that all Of our teachers are the best,
| but they are doing their best. The school
has been thoroughly graded from top to
bottom, and where the work in one depart
ment ends the work in another depart
ment begins without gap or jar. Each
teacher has the department course of study
clearly defined, and need not waste an
| hours labor outside of the prescribed up
ward scale. The school is just about now
| feeling the lively and wholesome impulse
| which is the result OF perfect discipline,
| thorough grading and u~nconfused teach
ing within lines clearly defined. So that,
while our boys and girls are at present
considerably behind ether Nevada boys
| and girls that have had the benefit of years
Of skilful and systematic instruction with
| out disturbance for years, there is no rea-
son why they should linger in the rear
any longer. The road is open and clear,
and all they have to do is to go ahead
without impeachment or handicap. Their
advancement now depends entirely upon
! themselves. In the present condition of
| our school there is no good reason why q
| boy or girl, starting in at any point in the
| course Of study to-day may, not. in q given
| time, accomplish as much in the text
| books as any boy or girl of equal capacity
and industry in any other public school Of
| Nevada.
The credit for recognizing the Eureka
schools and bringing them into this health
| full state of discipline and order is due
mainly to the loyal efforts and superior
| ability of State Superintendent Young
and Mr.. Mcdonald, the present Principal.
| The work of recognizing and grading
started by Mr.. Young on the first Monday
in September and continued up to the
Christmas holidays of 1888, has been ably
| advanced by his successor, Mr.. Mcdonald,
| since the reopening of school in January.
| These gentlemen, in their difficult task of
bringing system out of confusion, as the
head of the school, have had hearty and