Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-05-09
EDUCATIONAL.
The Weekly Budget of General In
formation.
Reading In Our COmmO ON schOOIs-Last
Evenings Board Meeting - school
Notes.
'KEADINU,
Horace E. Scudder writes as follows In

Horace E. Scudder writes as follows IL
the North american:
We have gone quite far enough in the
mechanical development of the common
school system. What we most need is
the breath of life, and reading offers the
nobest means for receiving and imparting
this breath of life. The tendency of our
schools is always toward an assimilation
Of the common life of the country, and
there is no danger that they will not be
practical enough. Arithmetic passes into
the making out of bills and the calcula>
ton of interest. Writing gravitates to>
ward business forms. Geography points
to commercial enterprises. Reading finds
its end in a Sunday newspaper. But the
common life of the country has also its
heroic. its ideal temper, and it Is the BUSH
ness of those who have to do with schools
to see to it that this side is not ne
elected. This requires thought adapta-
| ton of means to ends, organization. To
secure just equilibrium. we need to use
the great power of reading and apply
it to what is noble and inspir-
ing The spiritual element in education
in our common schools will be found to
lie in reseryein literature, and as | be-
lieve, most eifectually in American liter
ature. Think for moment Of that great
silent, resistless power for good which
might at this moment he lifting the youth
of the country, were the hours for read>
ing in school expended upon the undy
ing, life>giving books! Think of the sub
stantial growth of generous American
ism, were the boys and girls to be fed
from the fresh springs of American literS
ature. 1t would be no narrow provin-
cialism into which they would emerge.
The windows in Longfellow's mind look
to che east, and the children who have
entered into possession of his wealth
travel far. Bryauts flight carries one
through upper air, over broad cham~
paigns. The lover of Emerson has
learned to get far vision. The
companion of Thoreau finds Concord |
suddenly become the center of very
wide horizon. Irving has annexed Spain |
to America. Hawthorne has national |
lied the gods of Greece and given an at
mosphere to New England. Whittier |
has translated the Hebrew scripture into
the American dialect Lowell gives the |
American boy an academy without cut
ting down a stick of timber in the grove.
or disturbing the birds. Holmes supplies
that hickory which makes one careless of
the cracking of thorns. Franklin makes
the America of IA past generation part
of the great world before treaties have
bound the floating states into formal cons
nectiOn with venerable nations. What is
all this but saying that the rich iuherit>
ance which We have is no local ten acre
lot. but part of the undivided estate of
Universally. cosmopolitan.
ism-these are fine words, but no man
ever secured the freedom of the universe
who did not first pay taxes and vote in
his own village.
THE SCHOOL BOARD.
The board of education met in regular
session last evening. There
we're present President Reimers and Di-
,ectors Thomas, Yore and Welch.
The schools were ordered closed on
Decoration day, May 80
The board authorized the use of "Das I
Kalta Err" in the tenth grade German
class.
County Superintendent Southwell was t
.llowcl the use of the new high school F.,
or the annual two weeks county insti-
ute, beginning July 80. t
Messrs. Reimers and Yore were author I
zed to procure suitable place for hold c
ng the annual graduating exercises of |
he high school and ninth grade classes. c
Bills were allowed as follows: John @
J0lk & Co., 1918; Rock Island Gas e
To-, 81. 70 George Green, $780, David y
Jon, 1874 20; Central Union Telephone,
1898; J. M. Beardsley & Co, $3.50; =
:, 7. Noftsker, 81 80; Rock Island Lum- I
er Co., 50; s. s. Kemble, 81 rs; M.
chnell, $221 SO; total $313.54.
NOTES.
This, years high school graduating
lass will probably be composed of six :,
cen pupils.
The teachers and members of the sen"
Or class of the high school went to Mo-
ne this afternoon by invitation of Prin-
ipal Mcneil to attend Mr.. Bigsby's lee
IRE on "Word Wonders