Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-12-10

our own. Bayard Taylor travelled all
over the world and found no such
delightful spot as Cedarcroft at Kennett
Square.
The speaker mlde strong supplication
for unrestricted emigration to our shores,
making special plea for the Chinese.
Touching upon the history of Garfield,
MIR. Miller paid high eulogy TO his
genins in bringing himself TO the promi.
nent position he held. He reverted to
the great advantages of education and
claimed through il the safety of the con-
stitution and the intelligent vote by
ballot. President Cleveland was COM
plimented for vindicating the rights of
the Indians and driving the cattle men off
the reserves.
The speaker condemned monopolies as
one of the great dangers of the state, and
alluded TO the Union Club, New York, as
hotbed of vice. He criticised the
divorce laws Of various states, stigma
tizing some Of them as evolving condi-
tion worse than Mormonism. After max
ing reference to the evils of intemperance
the lecturer closed by condemning. MS an
enemy to tho dearest interests of his coun-
try the man who stays away from the
primaries.
About 200 teachers were present at the
opening of the institute Thursday morning
besides good number of visitors. Pune
tually at 8 the institute came to order.
Prayer was offered by DR.. N. O. Schaeffer
of Keystone State Normal School of
Kutztown, Pa.
Minutes of the previous afternoon and
I..,
tary, Miss M. L. Withers, and approved
DIR. Caldwell, president of Delaware
College, was introduced to the teachers.
President Baird of the Board of Educa-
tion, who was present, also received an
invitation to the platform.
DIR. Schneffer then took up the first
subject-on the programme, spelling. He
talked of the peculiar difficulties of our
language.
The speaker thought he did not gain a
knowledge of spelling by learning or in
formation, but simply by memory. Spell
ing is q mechanical process. He adyo-
Gated the use of lists of synonymous
words for practice in schools. The senses
should be used as far as possible in the
acquisition of correct spelling. The eyes
and ears can be used and occasionally the
sense of touch as an auxiliary. DR..
Schaeifer aided his demonstration by
liberal use Of the blackboard. He said
he perceived that short a time as he had
been in Wilmington he saw that the
people of this city spoke in double
tongue, referring probably to German
English enunciation which he claimed to
have recognized in our speech. This was
thoroughly appreciated by the large audi
ence who had already listened with anus
ing interest to the speakers Pennsylvania
patois of readily-recognizable origin.
DIR. Schaeffer approved oral spelling.
For instance, he said you never saw a
spelling bee where written spelling was
the order. You would not hold your
audience for 10 minutes. A vocabulary
is rich that contains $500 words. But
you go down stairs into the library and
read class of literature that ranges over
vocabulary of from 10000 to so, 900.
But then look at the small number of
them you can use. There is difference
between apprehension and comprehen-
sion.
Here the lecturer invited questions
from the audience. "HoR does a boy
learn to spell knife p asked Superinten-
dent Harlan. The lecturer replied in
sense by the memory
Miss Trump of No. 8, Wilmington,
asked whether it is we'll to pass word in
class that has been first misspelled from
pupil to pupil, each in turn wrongly
spelling the word. thus impressing on the
different pupils minds wrong picture of
the word. DR.. Schaeffer though that
while great difficulties existed in regard
to this question in oral class exercise of
spelling the proper theory is to have the
true spelling of the word placed before
the eyes and minds Of children immedi-
ately.
The lecturer advised the teachers not
to 'Inake fool of yourself by Judging
the scholarship of person by his ability
of exact spelling.
An impromptu debate then followed
upon the acoustic difficulties of Institute
Hall. The Rev. @. w. Prettyman sug-
gested that the hall be turned around.
Prof. Graham principal of the boys high
school suggested the use of that building
for the day sessions.
DIR. A. N. Raub then addressed the
meeting. He said with some mirthful-
ness that, though he did not consider
himself as good-looking man as DR..
Schaeffer, he still thought he sailed pretty
close to that gentleman when that ques-
tion was raised. He and DIR. Schaeffer
are old friends. They have both essayed
themselves politically as state superiuten-
dent of instruction, and both got badly left.
He said in substance that written analysis
in grammar is time and labor saver.
He said with class of 200 he, the
speaker, could examine written analyses
of every one of them, even if each were
| given two sentences of half dozen lines
and the speaker would finish the whole
examination in day.
| A great deal of the discussion was taken
up on the old question as to the definition
of predicate, whether the copula and
predicate, under certain contingencies,
form the predicate, or whether the two
should always be separated.
DIR. Raub made many valuable and in
genious suggestions in regard to the puz
zling question of grammatical analysis.
Superintendent Williams invited those
teachers of New Castle county who in the
past had taken exception to the lecturers
(Or. Raub) grammar, which is being used
in the county aud adopted by tue State
board, to come forward and give their
reasons of objections now. DIR. Rauh
repeated the invitation, saying he would
be delighted to reply to any inquirer.
lady teacher objected to tho idea of {
diversity of grammar textbooks as indi
Gated by the use of DIR. Raub's grammar
in the higher grades and other hooks il
the lower. Superintendent Harlan
thought that diversity of grammar wal
rather of an advantage for the principle
was always found and the diversity of ex
preston would be additionally advan
tageous.
Mr.. Graham asked whether diagramin(
was good thing-that is whether it wa,
iudicious to allow scholars to diagram
before they could reason. In reply DR.
Raub referred to the early part of hi
remarks.
Mr.. Graham was opposed to diagram
ing as going to much in the direction o
tho special education of the sense o
memory alone.
The annoyance created by. the mos
exeorable acoustic properties OF the hal
grew unbearable and the participants il
the exercises grew red in the face AM
J hoarse in the vain endeavor 10 max
themselves heard. The cries of "louder'
, were frequently raised in all parts of tn
house in queer discord of rich, soprano
bass and to the piccalo notes. Th
words of the speakers echoed m
/ re echoed through the apartmer
confusing and confounding tn
, words, until they were unintelligiblt
: Principal Graham, after giving I'm opinio
3 upon diagraming disappearing il, invite
I the institute to the boys high thool {
l hold its meetings. A motion TO this effet
. was seconded and passed, and only Ii
7 evening sessions were held in the apar
a ment where echoes are so abundant.