The Mineral argus., 1885-01-29

In the pubic SCHOOLS Oh SWeuen IOuI
hours u week are devoted to instruc.
ton in the mechanical arts.
About hundred Of the public school
teachers of Texas visited the chief OBJ
jects Of interest in the New-Orleans
Exposition last week. Commissioner
Eaton made an address before them.
calling their attention to the value Of
the Exposition rs an educator.
The Indianapolis journal hits on one
or two minor evils connected with the
meetings of educational associations.
Speaking Of an approaching state
teachers meeting it says: There
will be the usual buncombe and peden.
try. inseparable from such associations.
Most Of the male teachers will be
known as professors There will he
much windy discussion, and many
theories and hobbies will receive their
annual trOtting out and airing. But
the old rcliables will be there, cOnserv-
ativc and thoughtful. and many a
young college or normal graduate will
take his seat much more quietly and
less inflated than he rose. The book
agent will be there-the seductive
book agent, who captures some super.
intendent or school principal with his
sheer sOciability, takes him to the
hotel. feeds him. smokes him, thea.
tres him, presents editions dc luxe at
a cost to his house Of perhaps IS cents
a volume, and finally succeeds in dis
placing some good textbook for the
new wares of the agent, and at q cost
to the county of more than the teach.
er's or superintendent salary"
THE Cumberland Farm School,"
says The Nashville american, twas
founded several years ago by Miss 4.
T. Morgan, formerly Of New York.
who has been % successful teacher at
Knoxville, Columbia and in this city.
She saw that under our present ineffi.
cient system Of public schools the
more sparscly settled sections Of the
state could not enjoy even the mea-
gre benefits derived from that system
by the densely populated portions:
Attracted by the healthful air and
charming scenery Of what are known
as the Cumberland Table-lands, she
resolved to devote herself to building
up school in the benefits Of which
the children and youth of that region
might share-practical education, in
its largest and widest sense, being the
chief object in view. Miss Morgan's
early struggles were of a most discour-
aging nature; help came slowly; more
than once il seemed that her labor of
love must be abandoned as hopeless.
But for the outside aid already men,
toned she could not have gained a
fOothold. This she has at last sue
cecded in doing-and barely this.
Her merits should have the hearty
sympathy and cooperation Of every
friend of education in Tennessee. The
more influential citizens in her imme-
date vicinity are already beginning
to appreciate her work. They pro-
pose to ask the Legislature to make
some substantial recognition of the
school, and petition with this object
in view has already been prepared. IL
they do not obtain the appropriation.
it Is hoped that they will at least be
able to draw attention to the school in
such way as to enlist Il more liberal
popular support than it has hitherto
received.
Says The Macon (Ga.) Telegraph.
1.-THE question of whether or no the
chewing Of gum in schools and col
leges affects the pupil as tn his studies
has been mOOted one since gum
chewing became so popular. 1t was
left for u Macon school teacher to put
the matter to test and determine the
question. On Friday afternoon, rs a
certain school was being dismissed,
she gave out that the class in arithme'
tic, composed of twelve bright pupils
of both sexes, would be divided on the
following Monday. Six If the pupil.
were to provide themselves with q
moderate allowance of tirst-clas'
chewing gum /; the other six were t.
be gumless. Accordingly on Monday
morning there were six bright scholars
armed tn the teeth with chewing gum
Their Jaws were working like SO many
steam triphammers, and they wers
eager for the fray. From the arith
metic the teacher selected twenty
nine problems and then the clas'
buckled down to business. The Othe
scholar. stopped nudging each Othe
and looked over their biographies ant
grammars at the dozen yOungster
who were to decide a very impOrtan
educational question. The teacher be
gan 10 throw the mathematical prob
lens into the class like SO many jave
Inns. The tOlu-mashers warded OF
the blows and held their ground BE
fore half the problems were givsA GU
it was evident to the school that tn
tolu-trOublers had more gum in then
than they had been given credit fol-
Finally the twenty-nine problems wer
given. and on counting up the scor
It was found that the chewers OF gun
had correctly answered twenty.One
while the guimless six had only eight
Thu. will probab y work revolution
in schools, SD far as chewing gum