Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1890-12-19
The Teachers Institute.

The Teachers Institute now being heid
in the Court House appears to De one oi
| the best and most successful ever held IN
.h;s nlaee. There are two hundred and
saventv- one teachers in attendance, ana
| unusual earnestness and attention are oo-
| served among them. The list of instruc-
tors embraces q large and able set of men,
and their teachings have been carefully
and studiously considered by the mass of
taacbers. and we believe the present ses-
sions are as wholesome and productive of
good as could be reasonably desired.
list of the foreign instructors must
naturally begin with Prof c. E. Leslie, oil
Chicago, who might be innocently styled;
Musical Director. The Professor plainly
commands the hearts of four -ffths OF the
teachers and is certainly musical genus
| if rather peculiar one. He understands
his audiences and never fails in getting
them in perfect sympathy with him. When
he has the floor there is no question as to
who has the attention of the house.
Prof. G. j. Luckey, of Pittsburg, spoke
and will speak on a variety of subjects,
principally methods of teaching the ordi-
nary branches of study. He is very enter
tanning as well as practical, and is much
liked.
DR. SNYDER, of Indiana, Pa, has spoken
frequently and well. His talks are OF a
higher order and a statement of his tnat
struck us was that the greatest deficiency
4 of the average teacher is in mathematics,
certainly one of the most important OF all
the branches taught in our public schools
The list of foreign instructors is com
pleted with Prof A. e. Maltby,o OF Slippery
rock, DR.. Crawford. Of Tidioute, Pa, and
Prof. winship, of Boston.
The address of welcome was made on
Monday afternoon by Lev. McQulsuoh,
ESQ. and was pronounced by many the
best welcoming address ever made to the
teachers in Butler, amid the flow oi
elocuence of which Mr.. McQuistion is SO
much master of, were many potent truths
and much food for meditation Tor tne
teachers. He urged that in all teaching
the moral nature Of the pupils should be
educated as the mental training progressed
and called attention to the self evident
fact that an educated villain is the worst
man known to society. The address was
couched in the most elegant language ana
was most satisfactory.
MI NJ. II. Young, Of Harrisrilie, SOL
of Rev. Young, of North Washington,
responded in a practical and well consider
ed speech, in which he forcibly spoke o.
the prominence of country born and breo
men in all the walks of city and national
life. The lives of James A. Garfield and
Aaron Burr were contrasted and morals
drawn from them. His response was good
Hon. Henry Hall, of Mercer, lectured II
the evening, and his subject, "The Coming
Man" was treated in such new and move
phase as to greatly interest all. Inf
Coming Man. was located in the United
States and was to be the product of thii
country, arising from our wonderful growth
and genius. From the present mixed anc
different races, or bloods rather. OF the
people who now compose our population
future was forecast by Mr.. Hall, II
which all these bloods will be united VIII
erander and better education, better
manners, customs and laws, making US
better and more just and rational people
1t is most sincerely to be hopee
that Mr. Hall may be prophet
in this view of our future. Ihe
Coming Man" cannot come too soon he
in fact. is needed now. Many things arr
plainly wrong in our present civilization
and laws. Reforms have been and VII
continue to be made for the better, bu
what the future of hundred years may
have in store for this country no maj
knoweth. That it may be the condition
and Improvement described in ''The Com
, ing Man" is the hope of all and should b
the " ork and effort of all to bring about.
/. At the conclusion Of the lecture, th'
social event of the occasion occurred in th'
reception rendered by the town teacher
to those visiting. The reception was hel'
} at the Y. NJ. c. A. rooms, and alter som'
time spent in becoming acquainted, refresh
ments were served. 1t was delicate ant
we'll timed action by our teachers and VII
be remembered as the feature of these ses
sions by many.
Tuesday was spent listening to the in
structors and there was an oppressive jan
in the courtroom all afternoon. Thi
, feature is, perhaps, the greatest fault
our institutes, and there is no doubt tina
this crushing i'm by disinterested crowds
especially of the youthful classes, Interfere
greatly with the actual good done by th'
sessions. This fault has always existed
and probably will SO long as the Institutes
remains so popular among the amusemen
; loving public for to such, the Institute
, are exactly that.
, Taken as whole,to use Hibernianism
such of the present Institute as has tran
spired up to the present writing has beer
an unqualified success, and reflects credi
on the superintendents of whose labor it il
the result.
Weddings lecture Tuesday evening wa
one of the grandest efforts we have eve
heard. He proved, perhaps as well as any
human being can prove, that death is no
the end of our spiritual existence.
The principal features of Wednesday
programme were Prot. Maltby's talks OF
imagination and the theory Of teaching
which were very instructive and wer'
highly appreciated by the teachers.
The proceedings of the Directors Meet
ing will appear next week.
Clearfield Twp.