The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1888-06-29

Editor Lake Charles EGhOi
Our community is out in Its summer clothes;
white muslin, iauntY straw hats aud many
GOlOTGd fans are in order and In use. Pic
MICS, fourth o. July celebrations and Gsh-frys
are getting to be vaguely limited at, and
many young man is no doubt planning his
summer campaign, and keeping account OF
how many bouquets "she" pins on his coat,
Your correspondent returned recently from
a visit to LamOurie, where crops looked
iOuriahing and people seemed happy, On
getting back to Dry Creek, several interest
ing events were happening. Miss Carrie
Miller had come home from Lake Charles;
a travelling photographer had pitched his
tent In our midst, and Prof Russell, Of Su-
gartoWn, was to lecture on educatiOn, Satur
day night, Although tired from q two days
ride, got on one OF Mr.. j. j. W. Mtller's
fat ponies and repaired to the school house
In eager expectation. At $40 p. m. intro
duCed Prof, Russell to the large and intelll-
gent audience. He walked out gracefully,
made a handsome sautatoTy, and then an
nOunCed his subject as "The Systematic Pro-
cess Of Mind Development" Following is
an imperfect abstract of his address
Mind Is a unit in Itself, yet having various
faculties. 1t is not complex. Conscious
ness, memory and the cOnCeptiVe power were
each defined and discussed as the faculties.
AS the physical vision takes light, connect
edly as red, blue, yellow, orange, etc, so
consciousness puts together in various ways
the concepts Of the human mind,
Memory is the store house of the mind,
There impressions and conceptions arc laid
away for future use and reference
Getting conceptions, or accurate ideas OF
things, was then explained. A child's mind
was like piece of blank-White paper, ready
to be written on, 1t would notice tree, for
instance, on first seeing it, and would be de-
lighted with the conception made by that
new object.
All through the address the deep pleasure
afforded by knowledge was well shown. II
such were the nature and power Of the child
mind, how weighty and grand an undertake
ing was their development Yet Its import
ance was scarcely ever really seen, Books
careful to explain the mental powers and
processes, but were strangely silent as to how
these wonderful faculties were to be drawn
out, improved, educated. Through eduGa-
ton, or methodical mind Improvement, the
young and impTesslonable mind became
larger, stronger, until like the bright sun OF
heaven, 1t stretched far up to the very zen
ith of intellectual day. 1t tgreW from latelcy
TO activity, from weakness 10 power. Eagle
like, 1t scared far above and beyond the
dead, stagpant plain Of ignorance into the
lofty heights and upper air OF knowledge.
That faculty Of the mind most deficient or
least trained should BET The teachers atten-
tion. Do not think because one boy has q
finer memory than another that he Is bright
er or more capable OF receiving education.
Look into his reasoning faculties, his GapaGl-
tY for Judging correctly and readily; most
likely he needs training there.
On the other hand, when boys memory
seems poor but his Judgment fine, draw out
his power Of retaining Impressions; educate
his memory A mind with good memory
and defective reasoning Is like store where
all the goods are thrown down helteF-skelter
In endless coliuslon. No arrangement, no
shelves, no classification. So In the mind.
The facts are there, but must be every one
oYeThanled In order to fish up any particular
one The great benefits Of q liberal educa-
uon were well illustrated. Education
brought ten thousand pleasures before IN.
known. For example, the young girl thai
studies drawing sees new beauties ~ every
leaf, tree, and running brook All mankind
were in eager search after pleasure, ana cd,
ncatiOn was the greatest means possible Of
increasing onr capacity to enjoy and furnish,
ing also the food for the enjoyment,
But this education was not TO be one-sided
or partial; Just here was most danger. Edu'
cate the head only and you graduate an inf,
| del; cultivate only the religious part, and the
| result is blgot, a moral fool educate
| both head and heart and then only viii you
| have the perfect man.
But did education do the farmer any good
| Yes. Compare the old wooden plOWs with
| the riding cultlyator; the llail with the reap
| or, WipnoWef and selt-DindeF,
| II education meant so much, thcp We
| ought to see TO 1t that no ignoramns and
| block heads are entrusted with u. Employ
/ no two-blt teachers. Hire no wandering
moptebank to draw out the minds Of YOU
girls and boys.
Again, with this great question, this ground
| work before us, we were not to throw y al
up through personal spleen and qulbble
| Build up the school anyhow, no matter whf
| wanted the leadership. Don't deny the child
| his right To be educated because you have
1 had d falling out with Smith, brown, ol
| Jones. And don't hang back because you
/ can't AFFORD ~ or were not educated your
/ self, Struggle to afford IT, Hundreds art
| 10 the penitentlafy to-day for lack Of cdgca
| ton. Statistics show tlree-fourths Of The
1 inmates TO be illitcrate.
The educated man Oh woman was pOwel
4 for enjoyment, for good, and was like lht
! light of the sun, beaming into every darb
\ spot with its genial rays 0f light and warmth
/ Education was for time and tor eternity; fol
4 this world and Tor she next.
take pleasure IN reporting this able and
4 eloquent discourse, on subject about Wlicl
the most Of our people meyer read Or bear q
1 word. Prof. Russell IS eXsupenptendept o
/ education oE Ircnnessee, q lawyer Df Ant
/ ability, d christian and q Jealous educator
he makes Il a point 70 address various com
j muniiies on education, and ! c0ngratplatl
/ BugaftoBn upon having secured bis ferylee
as Principal ol re school