The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-21
The Sunday Journal has the largest and
Lest circulation Of any Sunday paper in In
iIiana Price five cents.
VARIOUS SCHOOL TOPICS.

school and the higher grades Of the grammar
schools, where expensive books are used.
The books necessary for the high-school
course Of four years cost nearly $40. They
are never worn out except in those families
which send a succession Of brothers and sis
ters, or cousins, through the High school, and
even then they may be changed for new ones
by the board, and so those purchased become
useless. These books are thrown aside when
students graduate, or are sold at the second
hand dealers for one-fifth Of the original cost.
The plan suggested by Mr.. Grant, and adopted
by the board for the classes in English litera-
ture seems to meet the necessity for cheap
books used until worn out in the school, and
with the advantage of getting them at whole
sale prices, instead Of at retail.
This is the book rental system, the books
being the property Of the board. The literary
library Of the High-school consists Of 40 copies
Of Lady of the Lake." 30 studies in Bryant,
20 Homer Spragues Millions Paradise Lost"
30 Irving's Sketch-book, 60 Of the "Twice-
told Tales rs Stones History Of England,
DO Chaucer's Prologue and Knights Tale;
90 of Merchant of Venice" 80 Hudsons edi-
ton Julius Cesar" Al copies Of Bacons Els
says, 80 Longfellow, 80 Whittier, 80 Lowell,
30 Emerson, 20 Holmes, so Tennyson, 20 Pope
and Moore so Byron and Hood, so Carlyle,
Lamb and Southey, 20 Wordsworth and Cole
ridge. The ten last named are in the s'Mod-
ern Classics" series Of Houghton & Mifflin.
The total rental for this entire series amounts
to but forty Gently year. The student may
have each of them for week, or whatever
time they study the anthor in class. Some
Of these books have been in use two years and
a half, have paid for themselves twice over,
and are still in good condition.
Mr.. Grant believes this plan is feasible for
all high-school textbooks and wherever chill
dren are old enough to take good care Of books
The text books in botany, zoology geology
physical geography, civil government and
political economy and some other subjects are
used, or should be used as reference books
rather than lesson books, and by this plan
could be furnished at one-fourth the present
cost. Moreover, as in English literature, the
works Of each of the leading science authors
could be had, and by changing around the
ideas and illustrations Of different scientists
made use of. In geology Dana, Leconte, Geike,
Winchell, Kingsley, Agassiz and Andrews all
emphasize particular different geological re-
gions and theories; all these would come up
for discussion, as pupils used the different
books And so with zoology and political
economy.
And if in the studies which require uni
form text book, as the languages and math-
ematics if there should be change made,
the books belong to the board, and so can be
turned over to the publishers, or laid aside,
as there would be few of them, and they
would be well worn; by this method the
complaints about changing textbooks
would cease, and these complaints are made
even when it is in the interests Of students to
make change. In Iowa and Minnesota the
effort has been to make the State the pub
Usher Of all school books, but to this plan
there are many objections. Pupils of our
higher grades who wish to own their books,
may of course, do SO; as fact many of them
buy and sell at secondhand, and at consider
able and unnecessary loss
Principal Grant is also firmly convinced
from the three summers work of the wood
working class, that tits q profitable investment,
and may, and should be carried on as part
of our grammar and high-school system,
using for this purpose, the sub-basement of
the High-school, four large and fairly we'll
lighted rooms
Much interest has been taken by the faculty
in the teachers meetings for the promotion of
new and better methods of teaching, particu-
1arly Of English literature and language Es-
says on the latter have been read on successive
Tuesday evenings after school by Misses An
derson, Brown and Paddock; upon chemistry,
by Miss Martin; physical geography, Miss
Thompson; general history Mrs. Lois Hufford.
Methods in Latin and Greek will be presented
by Mr.. G. Hufford; drawing, Miss Selleck;
primary English, Miss Platter, and in geome-
try by Professor Roberts. These have not
proved stereotyped teachers meetings, but es-
says and formulated methods with discussions.
Some Of the methods and papers have been
made the basis of similar work in sister cities,
and viii take form and place in educational
literature Mr. Grant regrets that ,,nder IL