The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1888-12-22
.nnnrsa nr WELCOME.

Session Of The 1f0chers fhS"tbte ~ o"-
bon County.
Mr.. PRESIDENT: Allow mo TO tender
you my sincere thanks for the distinguished,
h ut undeseryed, honor YOU have conferred
upon me, by designating Inc to speak words
of welcome to our many friends and CO.
laborers assembled here To day
FELLOW TEACHERS, LADIES AND
GENrLEMEs: 1t affords IN much genuine
pleasure to extend to each and all of you
cordial welcome TO this :he tweuty-hfth
annual session of the Teachers lnititnte of
Carbon County.
My short acquaintance here in lsehi9hton
has already fully convinced me that its
citizens, as class, are good-natured,
kind-hearted, whole-souled as well as
hospitable, intelligent and appreciatiye
people. SO in their name and on their be-
half, welcome you TO our town, to our
homes and to our firesidos.
Lehighton has been honcred with the
Teachers County Institute before. and
since session was held here last, one of
our enterprsing citizens saw fit TO build this
elegant, substantial, well-furnshed and
comfortable Opera House which we now
occupy. Our citizens are very grateful TO
the teachers of Carbon County for selecting
our town as the place where this years
session OF the Institute Is to be held.
OF course, the greater part of your time,
while in our midst, will be occupied, but
during your leisure hours, we should be
highly pleased to have you call on us at
our homes. Our lalch-strings hang on the
outside The logs on our hearths are
blazing brightly. We assure you hearty
welcome, and we will do our utmost to
please you and make you feel at home.
am glad to see each and every school
district of the county so fully and so
promptly represented in this large and
intelligent assemblage. | am, ,also glad to
see SO many citizens here. Their presence
encourages US in our work. As look into
your pleasant faces, and extend to ! ou the
right hand of fellowship, beg leave to
congratulate you on the personnel of this
Institute.
Our esteemed County Supt. Prof. T. A.
Snyder, who is officiating as Purveyor-in-
Chief and Toastmaster eJ-o6tcio of this
intellectual feast, has spared neither pains
nor expense in his preparations to cater to
our intellectual appetites. He has called
to his side faculty of instructors from
different parts of our country who are
ladies and gentlemen OF high culture and
pared Menu for each day and evening
that cannot fail to please even the most
fastidious. His faculty of instructors.
headed bY our Honorable State Superinten-
dent of public instruction, will set before
rs Yiands of choice intellectual food richly
seasoned with sound common sense and
ripe experience, and besides, our dlstin-
guished friend from Lancaster City, Prof.
Hall, will furnish us occasional draughts
of music to wash down, rs it were, the
pedagogic modcums.
The idea of holding Teachers Institutes
was conceived many years ago, and we
have fragmentary records of teachers
meetings" IN this country, held early in
the present century. However the idea
was first formally adopted in 1880, by Prof.
Henry Barnard, State Superintendent OF
Connecticut. The State of New York has
its Teachers Institutes since 1S43. Oul
own State stands on record as one of the
pioneer states in this important auxiliary
movement in education. Its recent legis
lation shows thorough earnestness in
the matter, and the consequence Is oul
Teachers Institutes are growing. The,
ale growing in attendance, IN interest, IL
effect. Teachers are now paid for theil
attendance, and :hey are expected to give
it their full time and attention. In every
state where public schools are duly ap
preciated, the Teachers Institute is re
garded as an indispensable factor in thu
system of public education. To abandon
Teachers Institutes would be big stel
backward and long step downward
Such Institutes are temporary Norma
Schools, and they cannot fail to result il
the professional improvement of tn
J teachers, and as a consequence, teacher
are becoming more practical and less book
ish. Whatever improves the teacher
Immediately :nures to the benefit of tn
children and the State.
The area of Carbon County Is compare
lively small. 1t would scarcely make fou
hundred farms Of a square mile each. L
. size, 1t is the ffty-sixth county in the state
0 and in population, it is the forty-seventf
q Hence, it ranks in size and population a
9 one OF the smallest counties in the stat,
o But. If we apply the intellectual yardsticl
q and measure the ardent and progressiy
9 spirit Of its people in the cause of education
o and il we figure its average school tern
9 and the average salary paid to its teacher
9 we find that our little county stands in II
. front rank. Therefore, judging from a
Q intellectual standpoint, we have a right {
% say that little Carbon is big county.
y If our vision were perfect, and we hs
Q the courage to seat ourselves In a coz
o wel-balanced balloon OH a clear, cal
. beautiful school-day morning, and sscer
% sufficiently high to overlook our lit
81 county we would see nearly eight hotsdT
% boys and girls vending their way to o.
90 public schools. II this small army
~ ~ young people could all be placed togeth
% in procession and march in files of tN
90 at comfortable walking distance apa
60 say four files to a rod, they would make
90 line over three miles long, reaching fro
!" Lehighton to Mauch Chunk.
Again, il we would drop few sand bs
'. from our aerial conveyance and asee
high enough to overlook the whole State
re Pennsylvania, we could see almost a mill
boys and girls going to school, II d
M laroa arnV Of VOun0 naonla xrNra ARA o