Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-09-06
THE LECTURE
AT THB FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH,
LAST EVENING,
By Prof. Henry Houck-A Large Audience Present
An Outline Of the Distinguished
Educators Remarks.

@NSN~
Presbyterian Church was well.filled, last
evening with teachers and others DESTROYS
of listening to the lecture by PfOf Henry |
Houck. one of the instructors in at
tendance upon the Peabody Iustitute,
now in session in this city. The lecture
was very interesting, and the large audi
ence showed its appreciation frequently
and in an unmistsk4ble wsy.
After short programme of vocal
music had been rendered by Miss s. j.
Meholin, Prof Armstrong, of the State
Normal school, Mrs. Nellie Sweeney
Palmer, and otherp, Prof. HOuck was in
troduced by Prof. Anderson, SupeEintend-
emit of the city schools.
The lecturer began by saying his hearers
ought to congratulate themselves that he
had not brought along one Of bis regularly
written lectures. 81 have written few
lectures in my time; only few. The first
lecture I wrote l call my moving lecture.
The first time l delivered it more than half
my audience got up and moved out Ever
after that called it the moving lecture.
| always take it with me wherever 90,
and whenever am not treated right l read
that lecture. That satisfies my vengeance.
AsI said, I take that lecture with me
everywhere, although it is very heavy.
Laughter. 1t adds a good deal TO the
weight of my baggage. Once, over in Ohio,
l got off at station, and the porter took
hold of my satchel. He 'befted' 1t, and
then said Yes, sab; l can always tell
what d travelling man doss, ss soon as l
take hold of his baggage, sab / asked
him what occupation l followed, and he
'hefted' the satchel again and said: Well,
sab; you'se in de hardware trade, eah.
There was nothing in that aatchel but my
lectures. Laughter.
Prof HOuck said he never came before
an audience without feeling that he had
mistaken his ayocation as a lecturer. A
good many people make such mistakes.
Many teschers had better be at work on
farm, and some farmers ought to have FOL-
lowed teaching. Itwas so with ministers,
and other professions. He illustrated this
in very pleasant way by telling little
story of a farmer who thought he had q
call to preach the Gospel He said he
could nor sleep at night, and always saw
the letters "P CO. even in the dark He
interpreted these initials to mean:
Preach Christi He consulted the Bish-
op about it, as a final precautoD, and was
told "P. c." meant "Plow corn" and not
Preach Christ, " as he had supposed.
The subject for his lecture was 1.-THE
old and the new" and he applied bis
theme to educational matters mainly. he
said he had travelled % coo miles during
the past year, and everywhere he found the
people asking themselves the question as
to which was the best, old or new meth
DDS. NJ doubt there were people here in
Wheeling who were lsmenting the depart
ure of the old order of things, and particu-
larly the old school methods. Some Of
these people thought the new education
better fitted O man for a lf5 of idleness
than q life Of activity. l. Was the distinct
impression of the lecturer that the people
were progressing. lie admired the indus
try, the energy and the activity Of the
people of this country, and thought the
year 1889 was the greatest year, in
all things, in the annals of the world. He
dWelt upon the magnificent charities OF
the country, striking example of which
was furnished by the recent JohnstoWn
disaster, the great progress made in edu-
cation, in the arts and sciences, and still
/ 49,, -. - -.eopla l,n cfUbad fn- safha old
times" He illustrated the advancement
in educational matters in a very hsppy
way BY taking the old time school of mis-
bOyhood days, and contrasting it with the
present system, and in doing this he Illus
trated many of his points with incidents
from his own personal experience, which
illustrations were always happy. He said
There was the writing Of letters. The
teachers had thai TO do, and it was always
welcome, because we got change Of board
when we went the rounds. Laughter,
That change of hoard was a great thing.
Laughter l used II be a beautiful
writer-in my young days; bat those OF
you who have seen me write on the black
board, during the Institute, would hardly
believe it. laughter used to write
4
used to think all the girls were after me,
then. II was a wonderful delusion.
Laughter I remember one experience
| had. They sent for me to write letter,
and l went to the farmhouse. got my
paper and ink. all ready, and commenced
my letter in the good old way:
81 take my pen in hand'-I had TO
put that in, for fear some Of the people
who got hold of the letter would wonder
how il was done-it was the old way-'tO
let you know We are all well, and hope
these few lines will find you enjoying TIE
same blessing Laughter. When
got that far the wife stopped me. She
said That wOb't dc, be,ause some of the
children have the measles Laughter.
l told her that didn't make any difference,
all the letters started of that way, and it
would have to 90. Finally she said:
Well, let it 20, because by the time the
letter gets way out to Iowa the children
will be well and it will be all right-just
let it CO.. Well, 1 got along ell right
clear down to the end. l told about the
price of corn and hay, and butter and oats
everything raised on the farm, and when
I finished l signed it and read it over.
'Is that alp 1 asked the wife. No. sad
she, you've forgotten one tbicg' What's
that, said l. Why, said she, Just put
at the bottom what all the letters have
IN. B -Please excuse poor writin' ar d
spellin".' Laughter And that" said
the lecturer, was the good old way"
Prof Houck said ne used to work on
farm when be was young, and there was
not shade'tree on the whole place that l
didn't know" Laughter He used to
drop the corn in the flrrOw, and his father
used to follow him with the hos-handle.
That reminded him Of the big change
which had been brought about in farming
methods. TIE work of the sickle and the
cradle was done forever, and the farmer sat
on the fence and watched the boy take the
reaper around the field. Still, farmers
could be found who sighed for the old
times.
In educational matters the change had
been greater still. The teachers were very
different. In the county in which the
speaker went to school there was about
seventy i've teachers Five Of them
we're brilliant mon and great edu-
Gators, whose fame even yet furnished
many an inspiring theme. But what
about the other seventy? They were bad
lot: thew were generally addicted to drink,