The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-12-27
TEACHERS. INSTITUTE

1
The Thirty Seventh Annual Session Of Il c
Somerset County Teachers' Institute hes
passed into history, and by general corsert
/ viii occupy prominent place in the ed
ucsiionai annals Of our county.
There have been institutes and Institutes
at which great public good has been accom-
p.ished, bat 10 previous session has eclipsed
in this respect the one Just closed. The in.
terest manifested throughout The week Nas
exceptional The court room in which the
sessions were held was crowded st every
meeting. and on two or three occasions hun
dreds Of people were turned away unable TO
gain admission. The best Of order prevailed
and sll present seemed 10 thirst for the
words Of WisdJm that fsll from the lips Of
the learned gentlemen who appeared in the
capacity Of Instructors.
Supt. berkey had arranged the programme
with great care snd foresight. Every period
was assigned 10 persons Who csme prepared
to Gil their places aud not moment Of time
was wasted
The improvement IN the character and
scope of institute work has made marvellous
strides in recent years. Time was when
telchers' institute was devoted to reading
school by essays, answering absurd queries,
and 10 more absvrd debates That time
happily, Is 10 more To-day the teachers of
the eoaaiy assemble 10 receive instruction
10 the methods Of teaching adopted By the
most successful edu0ters in the land, and
he mus. indeed be a duh teacher who re-
| tarns to MS school after attending the ses-
sions ofthe institute Of to-day without being
better qualified to perform bis duties than
ever before. No; only are the teachers in
stracied and elevated a. iastitate, but the
public is benefited IS well
The teacher OF to day Is great improve
ment on his predecessor. As rule he is
better educated and is more eager for fncreas.
ed kno~iedge. The law wisely pays him
FOR his time while attending institute in or
der that be may receive instruction in meth
ods Of teaching and do more efficient work
in the school room thereafter.
Superintendent Berkey has had much 10
do with raising the character Of institue
work in this county. During the six years
be has rgee as Superintendent he has pro
yided the very best talent o5tainabIe for in
structors. Nor has ne confined bimsslf TO
State talent, but has procured a number of
the most celebrated educators of the land to
lecture before our teachers, inorder that they
nigh; BE- bene fitted and better equipped fer
their work.
The instructors this year were eompara-
tive strangers to the teachers of Somerset
c0uHty-a number OF them never having
visited SOmerse: before. IL their individual
work they did 70. measure up to the stand
ard Of Dr. White, of Cincinnati, and Prof
De. o;te, Of Chicago, WHO were with US last
year.
We believe we voice the sentiment OF
msjority Of the teachers when we say that
the most popular instructor present was
supt Hamilton of Allegheny county. Supt
Hamilton is an unsssuming gentleman VINO
has spent the greater part of his life in the
school room, and is familiar with its work
| and requirements. His several talks on
The Teacher, Tue Philosopher in the
/ School Room Essential Conditions"
What 10 Teach" etc, were the most inter
| esting OF the week. Supt ilam.itan was
very complimentary to the teachers from
this county vino have been teaching under
him in Pitis5urgh.
DR.. Hi, Of the MilleTsyille Normal
| School, and DR.. Msitby, OF the Slippery
Rock Normal School both delivered mum
Der Of highly instructive lectures on topics
Of great interest to teachers. Both gentle
men have had vide experience in teaching
! and beth have gained emineuce in their
chosen profession.
Prof Byron W. King continued to be
I high fayoriie throughout the week He
sandEiched his serious talks with 50 many
ludicrous stories that the audience always
hailed his appearance with applause.
Prof EKcell. who had charge Of the ma
sic, succeeded in teaching the teachers a
number Of new songs, which viii be carried
back to the school rooms aud will tend to
relieve and brighten the hours not devoted
to study and recitation.
The space at oar command will not per-
NIT Of even a brief resume Of the many ex-
| celsnt features OF the institute
]
All Of the lectures were in accord with the
progressive educational spirit Of the day and
mus. result in permanent good 10 the
schools Of the county.
The address delivered by J. Q. Stewart, Of
the Department OF Paolie Iustro ction, be-
| fore the Joint session Of teachers and direct
ors, Thursday afternoon, was one Of the
Z 81.
commanded the close attention OF the an-
dieuce while he pleaded for al increased
1 school term, Tor better qualified and better
| paid teachers, for better educational facili-
ties, and for increased efJrts on the part OF
both teachers and directors He endeayored
10 impress the directors present with the
| great responsibilities degolTing upon them.
\ No body Of officers in the commonwealth
are granted the same power as are school
directors and TO none are entrusted the same
responsibilities. He paid a high tribute to
the efficiency of county Superintendent
Berkey before closing.
Z-sEsAroR INGALLS, LECTURE.
We doub. very much whether a Somerset
| County audience ever before listened to a
| lecture Of greater merit than the one deliver
ed before the Teachers Institute last Tues
day evening byex Senator ingalls,. Certain
/ ~ they never heard aa address in purer En-
| glish or more elegant diction.
Problems Of Our Second Century, the
subject Of the leciure-as a matter of course
made II Of political nature. The speaker
did not deal with the su5jsc. as partisan,
but as a statesman deeply interested in the
perpeluiiy of our present form of govern
ment The solution be offered for the many
grave dangers threatening our National ex
istencei is in the education Of the youth Of
the land aud the purety OF the ballot box
Mr.. Ingalls, prefaced his remarks By thank
ing the Chairman of the evening for the
complimentary eulogy given him on INTRO
duction, aud said that he only d,sirei to
add "tLat an the man that got lef. Ny
name is Dennis"
Lsst evening 81 6reens5arg,n he said,
q it was my pleasure to dine with three
bright, intelligent young men, neatly attired
and Of good address. They were school
teachers. In the course Of casual conTer-
| sstioa they informed me that they recogniz-