The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1890-01-31
EDUCATIONAL COLUMN.
CONDUCTED BY w. j. NC KONE.

|
HERRICK.
We take the above for text but you
need not complain il we do not stick to it
very clese for we can tell you right here and
| now that we don't intend to, but we have
some things to say and we might as well say
| them under one head as another And
| first let us tell you what we are not driving
at for fear we may not make ourselves very
clear and you may misconstrue our remarks.
| We are not crying, the compositor will tell
| you That there is not tear on this sheet of
manuscript. We are not finding fault. We
| believe that there Is no use of finding fault
with condition of affairs that can be RENE
| edied as easily as rolling off log. Excuse
our homely SMILES because that Is all we
| have at our disposal. We are not trying to
prove that this Educational column is
whOpping success. AxiOms never need
demonstration. We are not trying to prove
that the Educational column is weak or
weakening or that there is the slightest dam
ger of its doing so before the end of the
school year. We can keep the Educational
column just as good as it is and has been
and possibly little better without the aid
of single teacher in Shiawasse county.
Enough of negatiOn for we are right at the
point we want to make clear to you.
There is nothing of close communion
of monopoly in this affair. In fact as
we understand it, it was the sole aim and
purpose of the column to constitute sort of
mutual admiration society in which every one
was to say and do something and be properly
petted and praised by the rest of us for it.
Did you ever think my dear teacher what an
investment you had made? Suppose you
are getting an average of $25 per month for
0 months, l think that is low enough and
high enough for illustration. Your educa-
ton and qualifications are your capital,
your wages your interest, and the way fig
ure 1t the above wages would mean an ill
vestment of SIS, 900 at 9 per cent for months.
Now we are going to admit that you are
worth in common sense, arithMetic and NOR
ality $1,000, and we believe you are, then
why not increase your capital? Our text
says MANS fortunes are according to his
palms, and Ii you increase that fortune it
will be by an effort on your own part and
we believe you owe it to your friends and
Creator to make the most of your capital.
You remember the parable of the talents,
don't you?
Now we think an effort for this column
would Je a good investment for little tai
ent and effort that you may have lying
around loose somewhere. Did you ever stOYA
to think what you did last summer when at
Owosso? You elected an editor for this col
umn, thOughtlessly l fear Never mind,
maybe have done enough thinking for you
all. i tell you what, gentle reader, / have
had chills of doubt creep up and down my
spinal column some Monday nights about
midnight when l have had to lay aside
my regular, everyday duties and devote
from one to three hours in compiling matter
for this column; doubts, tell you, whether
these efforts were being appreciated, were
being read by the teachers, whom they were
intended primarily for; doubts, fellow teach
ers, whether l owed it to you, to the county,
to the cause, to myself to spend this time
and effort when those who should assist me
ably with their pen never even said Good
boy" l tell you it helps amazingly some
times to have somebody shout ''hec-aw-
hee" with tone that indicates that it comes
from down near the region of chest pro-
tectOr. This column is iseXerting silent, pow
erfu influence for good in your village, in your
district throughout the county, and you
have no right, it doesn't show kindly feel
ing, to sit parasite like and absorb the good
things this column offers you every week
and not contribute something for its sup-
port.
There is one Principal i'm this county, he
has good sense and won't be angry for my
speaking OF him not mentioning his name,
who has several times sympathized with me
but has never contributed word of manu-
script. l don't want any sympathy, l don't
need any, there is no occasion for it,
want your ideas, your plans, your devices,
your thoughts, your methods, your work,
your results, where you are, what you are
at and what is going ON around you of an
educational nature.
Now understand this matter is not going
to drop, but it will be a greater success IL
you help as you ought to, a greater success
in itself and of more benefit to all concern
ed. i have written postal cards to teachers
who have never deigned to reply. Now
know who / write to and know they have
something to tell MS If they will. 1 know
there are teachers in this county that are
not earning 13 cents month and IL would
be better for their district to pay them a
bonus and have them leave; we should
make 1t so uncomfortable for these people
by making our own schools something better
that they would give up and leave work
they never can do.
Now to wind up this rambe, what are
you going to do about 1t? Please look it
over, turn 1t around and see If you cannot
write few items every week about Fri
day or Saturday and mail to me. About
once month write short article ON some
school work or topic and send il in. am
with you in anything to better schools or
school teachers. May 1 rely on you as you
rely on Yours truly,
| w. j. MCKoNE.
COUNTY NOTES.
Work for some good be 1t ever so slowly;
Cherish some flower be 1t ever SO lowly;
| Labor-all labor is noble and holy.