Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-09-05
THE INSTITUTE.
THE THIRD DAY A MOST INTERESTING
ONE.
Splendid Addresses by Miss BOusbsrg and Prof.
Houok-A Synopsis Of the Remarks
Of Bach Instructor.

eTS' Institute pIONco " 10 wv --N's
estipg meeting of the kind our teachers
have ever had the pleasure of attending
The Institute opened at 9 o'clock, with
good, live singing, in which every teacher
in tie room joined Justify. DR.. Houck
certainly puts every one in tune for work
by his stirring them up with thrilling
music.
After devotional exercises, Miss Bous-
berg held the audience closely for a good
half hours talk and lesson on the teaching
of music. Miss Bousberg is certainly win
ming the Institute to her by her mastery
way of conducting these lessons. During
the talk quite din was made by the fall
ing of the large blackboard, which she was
using, but she showed herself the true
teacher by being not the least disconcertea'
Miss Coffin next followed with talk on
geography. We intended to take notes on
this talk bat are free to confess that before
Miss Coffin had the flor three minutes we
were so completely engrOssed in what she
said. that our note book was entirely for
gotten. We have heard all of the teach
ers say after each of Miss Collins talks:
SIT is better than anything we have yet
heard" And We do not think they have
heard the best yet. Miss Coffin said
the study Of geography should not be
made study of bare facts, simply COM
hitting to memory Of long list OF geo.
graphical names.
There is a reason for everything in geog-
rapby, and the child should know this
reason. All of the soil on the face OF the
earth has been deposited there by water.
Rocks have decomposed on the hillsides
and their substance has been washed down
into the valleys. This accounts for the
fact that all Of the elluvial soil Of the
earth is found in the low lands. Go a
little farther up along our hillsides and
YOU find the gravel, which was heavier
than the fine loan and thus came TO
rest sooner and did not reach
the valley. Still higher up we
find the rocky and barren hilleside,
and mountainside. What does this
mean? Why, thu character of the soil de-
termines largely the.Occupat'On OF the peo-
ple. The child will soon learn that he
may expect to fnd the people engaged IN
agricultural pursuits 10 the valley, grazing
on the hills, while he will also koow by
observation that our mountains yield to
the pick-axe and spade Of the miner the
precious and useful metals. Oaly tell him
Louisiana or Egypt are in valleys, and he
will instantly tell you the people are
farmers or planters. Then the laws of
Temperature are developed in the same
way, But the child must remember that
the mOistures of certain place
ia 90 and so. He must remember
that for instance the eastern cOass OF South
America is far the most rainless, and that
the plains of the AmszOn arewell watered.
He must remember simply the facts and
not know the reason. OH no, no; all
these things can be developed. Show
that the moisture is taken up from the
earth and that it is carried by the wind to
the different parts of the earth. 0, yes,
but what causes these winds? The child
can easily see that the hot air rises over
the register or burning lamp. 1t is but
an easy step to show that the no! air rises
at the equator and that the revolution of
the earth causes the trade winds to assume
their direction. Then show how this air
in motion carries along the moisture
aud thus helps to fix the occups-
tions of man. Show what effect
the high mountains have in these winds.
A child can easily see that If the Andes
were on the eastern instead Of the western
side of South America all the great low
land of that continent would be desert
instead of a valley the most luKuriently
clothed with vegetation Of any on the face
of the globe. Always remember there's q
reason for everything in geography.
There's a reason why New York is where
it is. There's reason why New Orleans
ia where it is, aad Chicago and San Fran
cisco. You must find this reason. l have
seen a class taught by Prof. Prys so inter
ested in the subject that they refused
TO leave the school room when excused.
Teachers, if your geography Is dull
the fault is in you and not in the subject.
l can do my hearers no greater kindness
than TO mention three works which have
been written on the subject of teaching
geography within the last fifteen months.
| do this simply because l know every
teacher is in search CT better way to
teach. The three works commend are
Frye's 1.-THE Child and Nature" Col.
Parker's Glow to Study Geography" and
''King's Methods" After this feast we
listened to the whole Institute join
earnestly in another song.
Then we all laughed at the witty say
ings Of Superintendent HOuck, in one Of
those speeches which he alone can make.
Why, this man could repeat the multiple
cation table from beginning to end and
everybody would listen intently and
laugh immoderately. Superintendent
Hauck has been all along the line Of teach
ing. He began early in Pennsylvania as q
country school teacher. He told his audi
ence not to have too many "don'ts" and
"musts" at ths outset. He illustrates
this well by personal anecdOte.
"When 1 began my first term, l spent
several weeks before school making out
my list of rules. l purchased several
sheets of fco'scap, and wrote them out in
full. Opposite each rule was the penalty
to be inflicted if it was broken.
"First day OF school came, and I started
to my first school with my list of rules
rolled up in big bundle. 1 found the
school house. On the way l had mean
time found a large beech tree. one of
those ne ones, the pride of Pennsylyania's
woods, with great long slender limbs, Just
grown there for the very use of q stout
young schoOlmaster.
So out came my knife, and under one
arm was my bundle of beech, under the
other my bundle of rules. The children
all stood about afraid to move. found
some pegs back of the desk, put there Just
for my use. 1 put those long straight
beech gads there. l called 10 books l
produced the Testament and read a chap
ter huIriedly and then eagerly brought out
my roll of rules-those rules on which l
had spent so much time and which had
written so neatly. I read them with the
penalties. The boys were all awe stricken.
Noon came ard the children went out to
get breath of fresh air. They gathered
in a little knot in the school ground.
sat sober as Chief Justice
behind my desk. At last one boy
holder than the rest left the group
and came to my desk to ask if 1 had any
thing in my rules against getting drink
at noon. l looked them over carefully,
but found nothing. There was at once
stampede for the spring Of pure water,
which danced forth happy to meet Gods
sunlight and fresh air. Next day some Of
the bows gathered a few chestnuts from a