The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1890-01-24
EDUCATIONAL COLUMN.
CONDUCTED BY W. j. NC KoNE.
COUNTY NOTES.

Your editor has been in style the past
week, having fondled a severe attack of the
influenza.
400 pupils out with influenza last week in
the city schools of Owosso.
Secure attention through the skillful pre-
sentation of choice material suited to the
child's mind.
Did you notice the school notes in the cor
respondence of last weeks TIMES? Look it
up, they were of interest
The mid-December number of the MOder-
ator says that the Secretary of Agriculture
is not member of the cabinet This how
ever does not prevent Jerry Rusk from
keeping the flies off the administration if he
is the tail of the cabinet. Isn't there mis-
take somewhere Pat?
There was related recently a school Incl
dent which happened long ago but is always
to the point as showing the successful teach
er. The story was that during severe
weather mother rather insisted one of the
youngest boys should remain at home, when
he replied, Miss - can't get along with
the school unless am there.
The North Western Teachers Association
at Burton was success. Friday evening
the church was filled to listen to Supt. j.
w. Simmons speak OH 'Gllmpses of the
| South" Mr.. 5. has a faculty of picturng
the situation so that his audience travelled
the same route and saw the same sights as
the speaker. There was good attendance
Saturday as the following list of teachers
shows; Messrs. Simmons, Frost, Plunketf,
PierpOnt, Aten. Pierce, Fox, Howard, Brook
ins, Hicks, ID. j. and f. w. Vincent, f..
and A. j. Hopkins, Misses Scott, Pierce,
Carmody, Williams, Merkle, Leginan, Aten,
King, Agnew, Morse, Sherman, the Misses
Cramer and Fisher. There was also good
attendance of teachers i'm days gone by who
listened with marked interest in the discus
| sion of school topics and also took part i'm
| discussion. The program was good, those
who prepared papers having the judgment
| to be brief and strike square at the point.
| The question box was of unusual interest.
| HARMONY, enthusiasm, music and good
| entertainment were the marked features of
| the meeting. The next meeting will be
held at Henderson. c. A. Fox was elected
Pres, Warren Pierpont Vice Pres, Miss
Lulu Scott Sec'y.
The committee ON resolutions made mem
| ton of the obligations of the association to
| the nj. p. Society for the use of their church.
| Supt. Simmons for his lecture. the music
and others for contributing to the success of
the meeting. La Grippe and bad roads
were the obstacles in the way of more
complete success.
Is there not something for the teacher to
make each pupil feel their responsibility in
making the school succeed.
| An agent of the Educational Aid AssOcia-
| ton has represented that there was fund
appropriated by the last legislature for the
purchase of business charts to the end that
each child should have business education.
All that is necessary to obtain them for the
district is for the officers to sign an order
and the pay would come from the state.
| The orders are not real innocent affairs; in
asmuch as they have have been offered for
sale it is fair to assume they are notes.
These charts cost $37. If the house is a
reliable one it will cancel orders thus obtain
ed. These charts are not to be confOunded
with those published by Ivison, Brakeman
tS Co.. which are to be sold on their merits
and are very desirable.
SCIENCE WITHOUT EXPENSIVE APPARATUS
The time has come when the elements of
science should be taught to every pupil.
Science enters largely as a factor in nearly
every enterprise. 1t is comparatively use
less TO attempt to teach science without
experiments. Seeing is believing. Winter
! is the best time to teach electrical expert
ments for then the air is usually cold and
dry.
Provide yourself with a stick of sealing
wax foot long, glass rod eighteen Inches
long, tam Argand lamp-chimney will do a
piece of flannel foot square and similar
piece of silk, Tan old silk handkerchief will
do.) Get rule or lath or feet long, bal
ance IL upon the glass cork of q bottle (for
insulation.) Thoroughly dry the silk, wool
en. glass and wax. grasp the silk in one hand
having il folded in 3 or 4 thicknesses, and
placing il around the glass rod thoroughly
rub the same, now present it near the insu-
lated lath. III everything is carefully done,
the lath can be caused to whirl rapidly with
out touching it, caused by electric attraction.
Try the same with the wax rubbed with the
flannel. Suspend little ball of elder pith
by Il silk thread (dry) a foot or eighteen
inches long. Present the excited glass rod.
Try the wax, now present both Thoroughly
excited) ut the same time holding them sc
the pith ball is between and not far from
the two. Try the same with dry egg shells
or paper hoop placed upon the table.
Warm pane of glass and put it on sup
ports, as books, That will raise 1t two ol
three inches from the table; put bits of paper
or bran under the glass and then rub the
upper side of the glass with the silk. Get
piece of sheet rubber from the dentst--a
piece that he has used upon teeth and dis
carted will do; dry board; put u piece of
writing paper upon 1t; rub 1t with the sheet
rubber; remove it from board by taking
hold of enc corner; then hold it near the
wall. IL will pass to the wall aud cling to
it-clectrical attraction. Prepare expert
ment again. Before removing from board
take knife and cut paper into strips about
one half inch wide, not cutting clear through
to one end. Now remove from board and
witness the repulsion between the strips.
These can be varied and given in other
ways. They all show the phenomena of
static or frictional electricity. Dynamic or
galvanic electricity Is n different thing. 1t
is more complicated and its description must
be reserved for another paper. If desired,
can give directions for performing expert
ments that will illustrate the expansive force
of steam, the simple mechanical powers
and atmospheric pressure.
j. w. SIMMONS.