, 1891-09-01
TEACHING TEACHERS.
The Opening Day of the Laramie
County Institute.
Attendance Large and the Proceed
ings Interesting.
Artistic Exercises Combined With
Verbal Instructions.

The fourth annual session Of the Lara
mic county teachers institute opened at
9 o'clock yesterday morning with County
Superintendent of Schools Miss Estelle
Reel as conductor. The programme was
opened by singing. which was led by Mrs.
Eben R.. Black, the talented i%nstructress
of the Cheyenne schools. This was fol-
lowed by a drill in physical culture con
Quoted bv Miss Julia T. King of the
Emerson College of Oratory, Boston.
This drill consisted of several exercises
tending to promote grace and invigorate
the vital organs. Later on these exer-
cises will doubtless be extended to drill in
reading and elocution. The system used
by Miss King resembles the famous Del
sarte system. The work was not only
pleasing but highly instructive as well and
was watched with great interest.
PATRIOTISM AND EDUCATION.
Following this very interesting feature
of the programme was a short lecture by
Prof. Edward Z. Smith. Phi. D., of the
Worcester Polytechnic institute. Prof.
Smith is one of the ablest teachers in the
United States and while he advocates the
practical in education. nevertheless evil
IDENTIFY regards the higher education as an
important factor 10 the development and
growth of our national life. He stated
that the ability and a%ttaInments of the
teachers employed, and their previous
experience and capacity as instructors is
of far greater importance and contributes
more to the success of a school than the
structure in which the school is held. He
quoted the saying of James A. Garfield:
"A log cabin with President Hopkins at
one end and myself at the other is as good
a university as | want" Prof.
Smith advocated the employment o
more teachers, so that the number
of pupils under one teacher would
be lessened, each pupil thereby
receiving more of the personal attention
and encouragement of the Instructor. auC
referred to West Point as a good illustra.
ton of his idea. And lastly, which is OF
far greater importance to the nation and
to the state, the gentleman said that in
every school the principles OF our system
of government should be taught and @
love OF true liberty, and a strong, patri-
otto, manly spirit iostered, so that the
schools of this great land should produce
men in the highest sense Of the word.
Prof. Smiths lecture was clear and elo.
quent and was well worthy OF verbatim
reproduction if space were available.
PRACTICAL EDUCATION.
A recess of fifteen minutes was then
taken, after which the teachers we're ia
vored with an able aud forcible address on
THE Practical IN Education, " by Prot
D. W. Elliott. president of the Chey'
nj Business College. President Eli.
OFT is eminently an advocate of the practi.
cal side of education, and his address well
illustrates the logical, concise and practi
GAL turn Of his mind. He said that it is
question whether the time now devoted
to the study of the dead languages could
not be more proftably employed, and al
the same time an equal amount of menta
discipline be acquired by pursuing somt
studies hat would have a real bearing
poa and relation to the af-
fairs of life aud our duties
to society. In his opinion the
study of the dead languages is by nc
means necessary, while the time devoted
to them might be much more proftably
employed by the average student in some
more useful branches. The gentleman
stated the studies in all departments
should be fitted to the age and capacity of
the pupils; the faculty of observation
should, in the lower grades, be especially
cultivated, also the ability to read under.
standingly, since reading unlocks the
door to al! knowledge; that the primary
grades in any school, being composed en-.
tirely of Young children. should be dis,
missed much earlier than the others and
the child be given an opportunity to lay a
foundation of physical endurance which
would be a blessing in his latter years and
would safely carry him through the hare
work that is sure to come later on.
The faculty of reason and logic is one
Of the last to reach development, so Pres
ident Elliott maintains that the system
attic study of arithmetic, that is the study
of that part of arithmetic which requires
the exercise of the reasoning faculties
should be deferred until comparatively