The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-01-07

into the schools. In the lower rooms Of
the schools Of the grest cities vast diff
ference is observable between the foreign
and the native born children but when
they reach the higher rooms and the
graduating classes, the difference has al
most ceased.
According to the report of the Civil
Service in 1887, Massachusetts, was high
est in the number of persons passing the
examinations, while in 1859 Pennsyl-
vania was the highest.
There is great diversity between the
system of education in Pennsylvania
and New York New York's system IS
based On the principle Of Capitalization
that Of Pennsylvania is just the re-
verse In New York there are few per-
sons controlling the mschine-in Penn
sylvania there are many. In New York
all questions emanzte from the Central
Board, and are uniform for the entire
State. You know it is very different in
Pennsylvania. In New York there Is a
board Of men whose business il Is 20 hold
the county Institutes. They notify the
Superintendent he gets ready, engages
hall, etc, and the Board alternate with
one another in giving instructions
You all know how this is man
aged. In the founding of our system
there was adopted the principle of
minimum Of centralizstion and g maxi
mum Of local control
The system of education as We have it
is in harmony with the genius Of Ameri-
can institutions. Its founders endeavored
to find out what was best adapted to
Pennsylvania. The Constitution OF 1874
provided that there should be maintain
ed body of public schools. Tie State !
appropriation is now two millions of dol
lars, as against one million IN 1874. 1t
was not the object of this increase to
diminish taxation, but 10 benefit the
schools. If any districts have used the
State appropriation to diminish taxation
they have misunderstood The intent Of
those who made the grant. A short
school term is expensive. To conduct
the schools economically we must length
en- the term.
We want to see the day when the
poorest school shall be better than the
best Is to-day when the child that has
the poorest advantages will have greater
advantages than the one that has the
greatest advantages to-day
A dictionary is standard Of pronunei-
alton, accent, etc. just as yard is a
standard of length, and gallon Of liquid
measure Let every.school have die
tionary.
An essential is that the best teachers
be found and kept. The only question
a Director should ask himself Is, Who is
the best teacher for that school? Vista
ton Is an effective method Of determin-
ing the qualifications Of teacher.
IN SUM sss,-,sis.@ saasryls sslniivIIe
themselves into committees, whose duty
it is 70 VISIT the schools al certain given
times and make report.
How are We to keep the good teachers?
There is an old recipe for stewed rab-
bits which says, frsi catch your rabbit,
bleed him, skin him, &c, but ii doesn't
do to apply the last directions to teachers
if We want to keep them.
A born teacher will teach for less mOn-
ey than he'll DO anything'else. Has SOM
erset county done all it would and could
do in the way of salaries? In 1889 SOM
erset county's average nate Of taxation
was 5.57 mills, but that OF the State was
SIS mills, 50 that Somerset is below the
State average. In some Of the counties
of the State the rate Of taxation is more
than 10 mills.
Teachers should receive sufficient sala-
~ to compensate them, and they must
receive so much either by taxation or by
a direct appropriation that is by taking
the money from the treasury. Pupils
properly taught in the schools viii be
patriots, and should there be call TO
arms the youth of this day in conse-
quence Of their teaching in the schools
will respond to the call with the same
promptitude as did the Boys of 81"
County Superintendent, announced
that.this wouldI be the last talk Of the
season by the State Superintendent, he
having engagements elsewhere, aud be-
ing compelled 10 leave on the train.
Music by Prof Smith and Institute.
Drawing by Prof Little.
He commenced by saying that the best
eraser is that known as the Ciasdr and
gave as reason that the felt ends are
open permitting the chalk dust to fall
out and into the trough.
Drawing can be made much more val
liable by the general teacher than by
the special teacher. In drawing strive
first for accuracy, and then for rapidity.
Do your work as rapidly as possible.
Don't stand too close to the board
Most of the speakers talk was devoted
TO explanation of his drawings, done in
free hand on the board, and their repro
duction mere is for obvious reason i'm
possible.)
ISTERaISsIOS.
Music by Pref Smith and the Institute.
Mathematical Geography, instruction
in by Prot. j. D. Meese Of Meyersdale
Preparatory school. Mathematical Ge-
ography is really inexhanstible, in IS
minutes one can do nothing, really. in
Is years one can but scale the subject.
The earth moves faster in certain parts Of
its orbit than in other parts, as result
of Kepler's 3rd law, that the earth moves
over equal areas in equal times. The
path described in a revolution OF any
body about another is the formers orbit.
The Ecliptic is the apparent path of the
sun around the earth. The Equinoxes are
points in the earthis orbit At which she
days and nights are equal.
Instructions by Prof. z. y. Snyder, of
Indiana.
/ see activity when l examine the
heavenly bodies. Activity in the air, in
frost, in the snow activity everywhere.
activity characterizes nature. / have
walnut. lay it here, it would remain
there forever If untouched. What's to
touch it? Heat. moisture, they touch it
from without and the result Is the wal