The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-03-12
Written for the Union.
EDUCATIONAL.

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ing is an old saying, but in these days
of ''devices,n ''helps'' and revised
editions of this study and that, both
parents and pupils are apt to think
there is some short cut to the acquisi-
ton to knowledge. We even see teach
ers occasionally who seem to be flying
hither and thither in search of some
undiscovered spring of wisdom where
off the youth may drink and become
men and women of matured minds
The gospel of ''work' is the only one
we know of whereby learning may be
attained, and the youth who does not
expect to work for his education may
as well relinquish all expectations of
ever becoming a scholar.
What folly it is too hire a teacher to
superintend a large school and pay him
for experimenting it, and then place
other duties upon him that shall take
all his time and compel him to greatly
slight the experimenting if not wholly
neglect it, and yet this is what every
district that has high school does
when it requires the superintendent to
do all the work in the high school.
We are not complaining for we knew
what had been the custom here before
we came, but would like to place the
matter in the right light. No business
man running a large factory would hire
an experienced overseer and pay him
a good salary to oversee the business
and then compel him to spend his
whole time attending machine of
some sort or some part of the business
that might be attended by an ordinary
laborer. Surely you will see the ap-
plication of this argument. Two
recitation periods should be given each
day by the superintendent to visiting
the various departments so that he
may know what kind of work his teach
ers are doing and may intelligently
suggest Improvements to his forces.
The very nature of his position presup-
poses that he knows how every part of
the work can best be carried on to
make complete whole. Why not take
advantage Of what we pay for? One
half the teaching in the high schools
OF our State can be done successfully,
by an assistant, and thus many subjects
can be taken up in the high school that
would otherwise be impossible for the
superintendent to attend to- This is a
matter of no small moment even from a
financial point of view when we remem-
Der that an assistant works for $50 or
$50 dollars month and a superintend-
ent for 800 or Sl75.
MIR. Tousley, of Minneapolis, for
merly superintendent of the city schools
is talked of as chief of the educational
department at the coming ''World's
Fair A man of wide reputation as a
successful educator, he should be as
sisted by the people of Minnesota in
every way possible to attain the place.
1t would greatly rebound to the educa-
tlonal interests of Minnesota to have
such a man in such position,
The number of educational bills in
congress, touching as they do subjects
OF general interest and of great impor-
lance, indicates healthy condition of
our educational system. They show
that the public are thinking of the
educational interest of the State at
large. All honor to the advocates
OF wise measures. The bill providing
that all school books should be owned
and provided by the district has many
supporters. The following clipping
from the Mortified Neays seems to indi-
cate the general sentiment: IF the
State can consistently furnish free
schools, of which there is no question.
it can as we'll provide free books, free
apparatus and other supplies for the
use OF pupils. That the people will be
taxed to meet the expense is the best
argument in favor of free books, since
they are for the use of all the people
and all the people should help pay for
them. w.
Why Are Some People Always Late?
They never look ahead nor think.
People have been known to wait till
planting season, run to the grocery for
their seeds, and then repent over it for
II months, rather than stop and think
what they will want for the garden.
Vick's seeds never disappoint, is the
verdict from the millions who have
planted them. If it is Flower or Vege-
table Seeds, Plants, Bulbs, or anything
in this line, make no mistake this year,
but send 10 cents for Vick's Floral