Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1891-08-13
Established in 1913.
INCREASED INTEREST.
The Institute Management Displays
Great Energy.
Popular Instructors and Methods There
Should be More Visitors Much
Social Enjoyment

all the classes, increased attention to all
discussions, and pleasant social events
have marked the week among the teach
ers now in town.
Mr. E. F. Barnes, chairman of the Ex
ecutive Committee, deserves unqualified
commendation for the energy he has dis
played in taking charge of things, and in
his minute and careful attention to all de-
tails The boiling weather of part of the
week has proved no impeachment, and ev-
cry train reaching the town has brought
arrivals to lengthen the roll, and in
crease the interest. Boarding houses all
over town are filled, and private families
are opening their rooms to newcomers.
There is plenty of room, and the town
can accommodate as many as may come,
though the attendance may be swelled to
unprecedented proportions. This almost
promises to be the case now, and shows
that those having the Institute in hand,
have been spurred to an unusual effort
by the difficulties at the start, and have
brought great success out of many dis
advantages. The numbers who attend
promise to be above the average, and the
benefit and enjoyment that the teachers
get out of the lectures and the associa-
tion among themselves and among our
townspeople promise to be far in ad-
vance of what is usual. More interest in
the classes and other exercises has been
al l. la ai4 af4 ha toy Atrri
the week, and the recitatiOns in various
branches have often been thronged
with visitors, whose intent faces and ex-
pressions of interest have shown the en-
joyment they receive from popular expo
sitions of intricate studies by skillful
specialists. We would commend these |
visits to our citizens. Go up and look
on and listen. Your presence does not
embarFass the pupils, and it encourages
the instructors. Nor can your going fail
to be of profit and entertainment to your
self, for if you are in the least intellect
ually inclined, you will be sure to catch
some of the mental enthusiasm and brain
activity that pervades the whole build
ing. By staying away you are missing
the chief benefit to be derived from the
holding of the Institute in the communi-
ty, for while from business standpoint
we will be profited. yet the mind stimulus
that the presence of from one to two
hundred studying brains arouses, will be
of greater profit. Attend the exercis-
es, meet and encourage these bright
young pedagogues, revive the recollect-
ions of your own learning periods, see
what vast strides educational methods
have made since yon went to school, and
incidently note how much you have for
gotten of the grammar and arithmetic of
the book and the geography of your coun-
try. Such furnishing up of the rusted
remnants of your school day acquire
ments will make you feel young again.
Class work has gone on as usual during
the week. Prof. Waters continues to
pursue his original expOsitions of arith-
metic, photography and grammar. The
Professor has gone down to the bottom
of these things, and he takes his pupils
with him there, and shows them the very
groundwork and foundations. If one
wants only a surface skimming of arith
metic, he had better keep out of this
class. Principles, and principles alone,
are treated The tapestry and trimmings
can be added afterward What is taught
here is the why, and it reaches clear into
the unanswerable. The instructor has
done his own thinking on these subjects,
and he cares nothing for clashing texts.
He obeys the rules of logic, and let's con-
tending theories take care of themselves.
This is the truest method. 1t is a matter
of remark that after Prof Waters has
stirred up class in grammar, it takes
several years of implicit absorption of
the humdrum Harvey to settle the mem
bers again into faith in grammar at all.
Prof Sparks has become without ri
val, the popular man of the Institute.
The distinctive feature of his instruction
is entertainment. He masks hard-visaged
facts in smile; and sugarcoats tough
mOrsels of learning, so that they are un-
suspectingly and easily swallowed. In
history he takes long trips with the class
over historic ground, and fixes incidents
by the places of their occurrence, hang
ing happenings, so to speak, on the points
of the compass. He rObs the dry bones
of their drynsss, and makes the manikin
speak. In reading, his own elocution and
literary taste enables him to present the
subject in highly pleasant way.
Prof Butcher is steady, and can al
ways be depended on. He turned over
his branch, geography, to Prof. Walters
Tuesday, being compelled to leave. in
this class the modern plan of teaching
geography is pursued. A tabular ar
rangement is made, and the answers are
given by numbers. The plan, while me-
chanical, is warranted by good authority.
Miss Tappan, of Steubenville, well re-
puted as student and expOsitOr of pri-
mary methods, began work Tuesday, and
will have two classes daily. She went
Immediately into the subject by taking
class of small children, borrowed for the
purpose in the town, and beginning their
instruction. Her lectures are expected
to be of great profit, and are largely at
tended.
Several literary entertainments during
the week have relieved the monotony of
study. Friday night the Institute and
citizens gave an excellent program. Prof.
Sparks had number of readings and re-
citations. His dialect impersonatiOns
were of especial interest, and highly
amused the large audience. He has
taking manner and a musical voice. Our
home quartette furnished music in their
usual excellent way, and Mrs. Carroll
sang solo which WAS vigorously ap-