Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1888-12-24
BOSSES PUBLIC SCHOOL.
AN INSTITUTION OF WHICH BOISE.
TIES ARE JUSTLY PROUD.

Eleven Rooms Filled With as Capable
Teachers and as Bright Scholars as
Can be Found Anywhere-Pupils In
Attendance from Distant Points Etc,
While in Boise last Tuesday q
TINES reporter visited the public
schools on invitation of the Trustees.
In company with James A. Pinney,
the reporter called at the school with
out previous notice, so that pupils and
teachers could be seen at their regu-
lar, everyday work.
The first room visited was Miss
Capweli's. She was teaching her
class Of children from 6 to s years
old the very elements of knowledge,
after the Kindergarten method. This
system is well-known here, as Miss
Capwell taught it in our schools until
couple of weeks ago. 1t consists,
briefly, in taking the little toddlers on
their entrance in school and preparing
them for the primary grades. She
has 81 pupils now, but will have twice
as many in the spring. This will be
many for one teacher to look after;
but Miss Capwell's method is such
that she will take care of them with.
out being overworked. Promotions
from her room are frequent, and usu-
ally every other month or so class is
transferred to the primary.
The visitors paid their respects to
the Principal, who was teaching classes
in bookkeeping and physics in the
same room and (this reporter was
about to state) at the same time; for
Professor Daniels possesses the rare
faculty Of teaching two or more classes
in different subjects at one and the
same time, and in the same ROOM
The class in bookkeeping were exam
med in business principles, the an
swers being uniformly given with a
readiness which was really surprising
in children of 13 to Is. Piles of
lesson papers containing hundreds
each were submitted to the inspection
Of the visitors; and all showed re-
markable excellence, and high av-
erage ability in the class. The latest
lessons had been page of the Day
Book and page of the Cash Book
in Bookkeeping; and "The Force
Pump" and "The Steam Engine Gov
ernor" in Physics and Drawing
The subjects had been called out to
the class, without any directions as to
size, proportion, or manner of treat.
ment. Yet the result was uniform
ity which was really remarkable. All
the pupils used sheets of foolscap Of
uniform make, and drew fancy bor-
ders on the edge, in red and blue ink,
ornamented according to their indi-
vidual taste. The subject illustrated
was drawn in the center of the page,
with few explanatory notes below,
accompanied by the name of the pu.
pill. Near the top Of the page the
name of the subject illustrated was
written, or drawn, in plain English,
block letters, script or German text
as the taste of the pupil inclined. The
shading, which was delicately graded,
to show the varying density OF the
water in the pump, for instance, and
every part of the drawing, was done
with common Falcon writing pens
the use Of shading-pens being disap-
proved Of. Every sheet of paper was
as bright, clean and free of finger.
marks as when it came from the mill, the
writing was all of it far above the av
erage, and much of it as perfect as
copper plate engraving. lnterroga
tories addressed to the pupils proved
that they were thoroughly familiar with
the subjects treated. And all this in
the first or lowest in grade of the High
School classes.
1t was not without regret that the
visitors left Professor Daniels's classe.
to call at some Of the other rooms ir
the building. There the same readi
ness to answer, thorough mastery o
subjects, and uniform excellence wa
noticeable as elsewhere in the build
ing. In the FIRST primary every chile
in tho room was called upon in turn
and answered promptly and correctly
Even a lii.le China boy, seven year.
old, seemed as bright as the rest o
them. and made a long sum in add