The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-12
TEACHERS AT WORK.
Closing Scenes of the Institute
of King and Kitsap.
EVENING EXCURSION ON LAKE.
Examination Of Applicants for Life
Diplomas Goes On-A Tough
Lot OF Questions.

Today IL the LAST day of the Teachers Insti-
tute. The exercises will be a continuation of
the same course OF study that has been pursued
through seven DAYS of the meeting that have
passed already. The order yesterday was inter
esting as usual, and was participated in BY more
teachers than were present the opening day aud
the same corps of Instructors
Professor Meredith discussed Buffers "Hudi-
Bras, and spoke OF its chief characteristics, its
great length, obscure allu sions and the political
and religious views, which prevent its being
fsyorite with the public today. Then ne spoke
briefly OF Bunyan and his "Pilgrims Progress,
Pope, Dryden, Swift. Franklin, Young, Burns
and others. Considerable discussion arose when
Swifts place in English literature wss men,
toned. The coarse form and rollicking humor
OF Burns, well as his pathetic "Afton Water
and Highland Mary were spoken OF. Frank
Inns greatness as scientist, philanthropist and
statesman received an important snare oil the
discussion.
Professor Browne talked about sound He
told OF the ''waye theory" and described the
mode of locomotion adopted BY the mysterious
force. The class was thoroughly interested and
showed its interest by taking part In the Discus
sion which followed the lecture.
The same speaker gave an Instructive lesson
in grammar. The topic he considered was the
government and concord of the parts Of speech.
The usual rules of syntax were discussed and
several exceptions were noted. 1t was insisted
that the rules of common sense should be ap-
piled to conversation and writing and that such
a method would DO away with great many
trivial contests Language is the expression Of
thought" the speaker said. Think correctly
and the expression viii be for the most part
correct one"
Professor Jones talked on Measurements"
He spoke particularly of carpeting, lumber and
pIastering measures, and showed some of the
short practical methods used by tallymen in
mills and lumber yards and urged the teachers
to endeavor to lead pupils to q correct way of
thinking He argued that arithmetic was not
to be taught TO make specialists of pupils but
TO develop brain power and ability to reason
logically.
The subject of judiciary in the state constitu-
tion was presented by Professor Jones in the
afternoon He told the names of the courts and
outlined briefly their jurisdiction and powers.
Miss Hyatt was the recipient of beautiful
floral tribute from Mr.. and Mrs. E. F. Whittier at
the close of her morning lecture. Her class de-
voted the morning hour TO the subject "Discip-
line" The instructor spoke OF the custom of
shaking children vigorously as substitute for
corporal punishment. Before administering
such correction she said, "the teacher should
sound condition OF mind and body, and that she
does not mistake indisposition from symptoms
of disease for wilful characterization.
''The true teacher, who joins her soul to those
OF her pupils, is deserving OF the compliment
Sir Richard steele paid 10 Lady Elizabeth Hast
ings-.In this accomplished lady love is the con-
stan. effect, though it is the design. Yet,
though her mien carries much more invitation
than command, to behold her is an immediate
check to loose behavior, and to love her is
liberal education This ought to be true of
every teacher"
Then the class discussed the topic OF moral
entertaining, and was more than usually disap-
pointed when the hour came to close.
Mrs. Bakers lesson in drawing was an unusu-
ally interesting one a resume of the work gone
over, supplemented by little experiment of
drawing from the models by the whole class.
so few could make any practical application of
what she supposed she had SO thoroughly taught
and what TO her seemed SO very easy 10 do.
Everybody saw only what they knew-a square
was a square, no matter how sharply the hori-
zontal lines receded from view, and although
nearly ON a level with the eye the whole top of
the desk was plainly visible, the whole of it, be-
cause-because-the teacher knew it TO be there.
Learning to see in six lessons seemed to be a
failure. The teachers, however, were in no way
discouraged; they declared unanimously that
they bad learned great deal; that they had her
rules and her principles in their heads and in
their hearts, and that they were going back to
their country schools tc. practice-to practice
and to work it out They and their pupils
would work together in learning to
\ see. ne Durneu sli.SHllgs WOuIu lUrHlsu
them charcoal pencils and the stumps
of fallen timber would be the cylinder turned
and tipped in every conceivable lines of per-
Epectiye that the Tracyton postoffce should be
gluttcd with their crude productions which Mrs
Baker joyfully promised should be corrected,
revised and returned-they could only learn to
do by doing-and that they had what they never
had before, a strong desire to work from nature
and firm belief in the possibility of its accom-
plishment
Ms. Baker begged the teachers to stick faith
fully TO her advice of not working from copies
begin with the simplest studies and work all the
time from nature and from natural Objects
copying bears the same relation to real drawing
that writing does to literature. The ability to
draw lines is only the tool, the resl thing is to
have something to say, to see something in the
world bout worthy of expression and learn
to say it in few telling lines-tersely
and to the point "a labored drawing
is like labored speech. Don't go
round Robin Hoods barn to tell simple
story, and Mrs. Baker closed the class with
little personal reminisceneo fun of rich truths
and pathos as makes the whole world akin.
When she was very little girl her father moved
into the wilderness OF Wisconsin. ana she had
TO be sent back to the far East TO school The
fathers darling, it was hard TO do without her.
and yet she must be educated, and above ali
things,she must learn to draw. Alter two years
absence, hard study and two hours drawing
every day-drawing from copies, the result, ine
pencillings, pictures 10 frame, etc. Then the
return home The proud father brings branch
from an apple tree. with two beautiful apples;
they must be drawn and painted for the fair
The poor. faithful copyist the author of all
those fine pictures $50 lovingly framedl, looked
and looked at the beautiful branch, but no
amount of looking could make her see how to
express them on paper Long years have inter
vened since that day OF agony when the little
amateur copyist fist msde the discovery that
for al the dear fathers expenditure of money
for all the love and pride ana sacrifice there
could be no return wh&teyer-could not draw
simple .group of apples for the county fair.
Teachers, pray you, however little you do in
this drawing do tin the right direction-tesch
the children TO see nature and to reproduce her
so that others may see
The stat. board OF education visited the insti-
tute during the day.
Among the new registrations of yesterday
were VI. Viola Startup. Ella 81. Peckham Harriet
NJ Bishop, all OF Seattle, and Nellie Sheldon, of
Coupeyille. The visitors were :. A. Crisn of