Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-02
GAINING KNOWLEDGE.
An interesting educational visit.


season of 80 and 81 is now well under way
and gives promise in this city OF being
very successful one, judging from the num-
Der of students that are booked. The puDllc
schools are full and overfowing. the private
schools are taxed already for accommoda-
tions, the seminaries, colleges and UNIVERSE
ties report larger enrolment than at the
commencement of the year at any time In
their previous history. And the pupils ana
students that throng the streets, take pos
session of the street cars and monopolize the
suburban trains, how bright, energetic and
active they are, not in the least like the his
torical ones that went trudging away un-
willingly to school! No. indeed, their faces
and manner bespedk very plainly the pleas,
ure taken in the, school sessions ana
the interest taken in their studies.
Why this changed aspect OF pupil and
school? Why Instead Of funereal steps do
the students respond to the ringing OF the
bell with alacritY and eagerness? Because
the school and the pedagogue OF the past is
no more The dark, gloomy schoolroom,
the stiff, uncomfortable seats, the dry. unin-
teresting lessons and the stern, forbidding
master have all alike taken their departure
and with them has disappeared the an:ipatby
which they inspired, while in their places
are round light, airy, cheerful rooms, easy,
comfortable seats and talented, entertaining
instructors, who, BY their well-trained. per-
fectly disciplined minds, awaken an inter-
est and stim ulate desire Tor knowledge in
the minds of their pupils rather than COM
pei the coming of lessons. Such, indeed,
is the drift of the school of to-day, and fol-
lowing out that principle to the utmost
nicely will be found Curry Univer-
sity, to which very enjoyable
visit was paid during the week. 1t was
established in the year 1860, and by its con-
tinual and steady growth has reached re-
markable proportions. Indeed, this year
the enrolment has been surprisingly large,
so large, in fact, that iourth story will
very shortly be added to the building. Or
the various departments visited it would be
difficut to tell which was the most interest
ing; in the room OF Prot. james Nj. Wisman
mathematics in their higher form were
being expounded to a bright, intelli-
gent class of youths and p1aidens
who were not at all embarrassed by the ap-
pearance OF stranger, but in an easy con-
versatIonal tone proceeded to discuss poly
gons, polyhedral angles and talk of polyhe-
dron and parallelopiped prisms as if they
were the most adorable things in the uni
verse instead of the most perplexing. In
the teaching of his special branches, Prot.
Wisman is certainly an adept, and by
style peculiarly his own, succeeds in inn
pressing the facts upon the pupils minds in
such n manner that to forget would seem to
be impossible. and the strangest part of it all
is that he makes no apparent effort to teach,
but sits at his desk or stands at the board
and simply talks or invites the members of
mis- classes to talk. And the result of the
exchange of ideas is clear and definite un-
derstanding of the subject in question in
stead OF a few formulas or demonstrations
committed to memory. In the language
room Prof. Francis Schmid occupies
the chair, having previous to
his connection with this school
been identified with the high school at
Baden, Germany, as instructor in ancient
and modern languages, and also with the
classical academy established by him in this
city in 1867, and with Trinity Hall, Wash
Virgil, Livy, Tacitus and Horace, Keno
phon, Homer, Herodotus, Thucydides,
Demosthenes, Plato. and Sophocles are all
rendered Ineligible to the youthful student
at Curry University, and the languages OF
French and German are also taught. A class
in Greek was knitting its brows and running
its hand through its locks in truly ener-
getic way, when the room was visited, evil
IDENTIFY intent upon the capturing and retain
ing in me mory some of those treacherous,
willy verbs that have proven the root not of
ali tNll, puI VI sO IudLy Ol our OWu EuRllSN
words. In the conservatory o! music could
be heard the sweet voice of dainty
miss of about 16, as the door
was passed, trilling with birdlike
sweetness, and occasionally the deeper
tone of Prof. Bissell as he gave some needed
example with his own thoroughly trained
and cultivated voice. In the rooms devoted
to the study of elocution and dramatic cul-
ture Prof.. King was instructing an un-
usually bright class in the formation of
tone, using a text book compiled and writ
ten by himself. In numerous other depart
ments were seen large numbers OF ambitious
pupils busly engaged in preparing lessons
in history, geography, grammar, compost
tion or literature, as the case might be, each
intent upon his own particular study, while
recitation classes were receiving the atten-
tion OF the teachers. Prof. E. NJ. Wood
was conducting class in psychology, and
by his admirable treatise upon il the already
interesting subject OF mind training was
rendered doubly interesting. Prof. Wood
has cnarge OF the course in science, and in
his department, as in every other, the law of
the school seemed to be application to
study, and with such apparent enjoyment
was it obeyed that it was pleasure to look
upon the students. In the business college
but few vacant desks were to be seen, even
this early in the year, and, judging from
the earnestuess and interest evinced by
the many who were poring over their text
books and ledgers, there will be no lack of
competent business men and women in the
coming years. A special feature OF this de-
partment is that the method of teaching COM
bines the theory and practice. The business
formulas and theories learned being imme-
diateiy put into everyday use by a skiliul
system OF exchange carried on with other
colleges in other cities, both in the United
States and Canada, whereby merchandise
and produce are bought and sold, both on cash
deposit and on commission, money is made or
lost, and experience gained accordingly. The
short t-hand department leads all the others
in the increased attendance over former
years, and was literally overfowing with
any number of maidens and sturdy youths
who will, in few months, swell the army
of stenographers and typewriters that to the
business world is an absolute necessity.
And there they were. puzzling their brains
over the principles of the sign language,
and looking forward to the time when
they would scorn to write anything
less than $50 words minute.
and when munifcent salary
would reward their speed. The Normal
department to which the most careful atten-
ton is paid was found in a decidedly
fnurishing condition, and the enthusiasm
shown by the to-be teachers was verv con-
tagious, rs they with the instructors dis
cussed the best means of imparting to the
youthful minds the desired and necessary
Information. 1t is an interesting iact to
know that 1853 State certificates have been
granted the graduates from this department
within the ri c five