Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1885-07-11
THE STATE TEACHERS AssOOIA
TION.

/
TION.
This body of teachers met at the Sweet
| Springs, Tuesday, June 93, and adjourned
| Thursday afternoon, after q most pleasant
and profitable session. 1t was an earnest and
Intelligent body of men and women, worthy
of the state whose future is so largely IN their
hands. The attendance was good, all sections
being represented. Our own county does not
appreciate this yearly meeting, If we may
Judge from the meagre stteriancs of its
Eteachers. Beside the writer anG Prof. Lem
mon, there were present from Lafayette,
Misses Spears, Greer and Welborn. Prof.
Launean looked in one day.
The papers read and the discussions that
followed were unusually able and interesting.
Among the most noticeable were one by
Inmau Z. Page, the colored president Of
Lincoln Institute, ON s'The Educational Needs
of the Negro;" "Illuminate the Bottom of
Society, > by Prot. Vandever of the Bellevue
Collegiate Institute; and "The Study of the
Classics," by C. Emmet Miller, principal of
the St. Joseph High School. was most in
terested In the last one named, which re-
per presented; giving an exhaustive and un-
answerable argument In favor of the con-
| tinued study Of Greek and Latin. 1t was
threatened with furious rejoinder, but
when the time came the opponents were not
| to be found. Prof. Fleet also gave an elegant
paper on the same subject, and advocating
the same view.
On Tuesday evening, DR.. Jno. A. Brooks.
the apostle Of prohibition. spoke on the rela-
| tions Of the teacher to the temperance re-
FORM. 1 was not able to be present.
Wednesday evening, we enjoyed rare
| treat in listening to Pftf r. A. Proctor, the
| renowned astronomer. IS he gave us a very
| lucid lecture, splendidly illustrated by the
laatern. on 1.-The History Of Worlds" He
said that the worlds are known to pass
through the following periods, or stages:-1.
Incandescence; when all the elements are SO
highly heated as to be gaseous. This was IL
lustratt by the sun, our central orb, several
| striking photographs of which were given.
This Is the period Of infancy. 2. When an
outercrust has been formed. but the world is
yet 80 hot that no water is found upon the
| surface. but is seen as q cloudy, vaporous
mass enxeloping the globe. This was illus
trated by pictures of Jupiter and Saturn, the
great planets. A conclusive proof that these
extended globes are largely vaporous was
given in the fact, that in weight Jupiter is
only little more than half as heavy as It's
bulk would demand, were it as compact as
the earth. In speaking of Saturn, he gave
the opinion that its rings were cosmic mat
ter. which would some day form additional
moons as satellites for that planet. This is
the youth period Of world existence. 8. The
life stage; when the world becomes fitted for
Inhabitants, and is peopled with living plants
and animals. The esrth represe ents this. the
period Of manhood. 4. The stage of de-
crepitude; when the water upon the surface
OF the world 1s becoming gradually exhaust
ed. The smaller planets were shown to rep
resent this, the period of old age. s. Finally.
the death stage; when the world has become
destccsted, its plants and animals gone, and
itself psrched and blasted.
Beautiful photographs of our moon showed
the condition of a world at this terminal
period. He said that the longevity of world
depended on its size. The sun, therefore, is
still in its infancy, the earth In its middle life
while the moon Is dead. Each world passes
through all these periods. We have had our
Infancy and youth, and are yet to have our
old age, snd then our world will die, as have
the moons. The lecture was from an evolu
tion, but theistic, standpoint.
Another interesting feature of this years
gathering, was the School Exhibit, in the
lower room Of the hall where the association
met. Not many schools responded. but there
were some very creditable displays. Prof
Haynes, OF Boonville, furnished the most no.
ticeabie. 1t was collection to represent thu
minerals of Cooper county. Lincoln Institute
had some good work on exhibition, showing
that the colored youth are neatly and correct
ly taught. The E. A. S. presented the ex.
animation papers of its two graduates for tn,
past year. Should we hold county institute
can we not have school exhibit as one of it.
features?
The association inaugurated "School O
Science and Pedagogy" which Is now in ses
sion at the Springs, and will continue TO
three weeks. Some Of the ablest teachers il
the state, DR.. Laws at their head, will Civ
instruction in their respective specialties. !
Is designed chiefly for teachers in active ser
vice. In no way can three weeks be NOR
e Dro6tably spent. Were it not for special res
sons which detain me at home. should Ger
> tainly attend. have a great desire to hea
the lectures of DR.. Laws and Prof. Allen.
Fellow-teachers of Lafayette, would 1t no
be we'll for US to form q summer institute 70
our mutual benefit? 1 am sure there ar
many of you from whom 1 could get som
!; good ideas. We would cheer and stimulat
each other, even il we did not instruct on
& another. move that Prof. Catron. our ex
ceiient commissioner, summon to his al
Capt. Bahlman or some other Normal profe
D sor, and hold an institute in July or Augu.
at Higginsville or Odessa, as may seem mo:
convenient. Does any one second the mo
tionf If 50, Prof. Catron, put it to the vot,
and let us ee II will nnt carrv a n