The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-11-17
TEACHERS INSTITUTE.
rur TEACHERS or COLUMBIA COUNTY
MEET IN ANNUAL SESSION.

The teachers OF Columbia county
assembled in The Opera House Mon
day afternoon, when promptly at 2
o'clock Supt. Johnston called the insti
ute to order and introduced Prof c.
NJ. Parker of Binghamton, n. Y, who
at once took charge of the musical
department. After singing Autumn
Weather" the devotional exercises
were conducted by Rev Mr. Hell
man. who read a part of the e Psalm
and offered prayer.
Rev. Mr.. Patterson gave the ad
dress of welcome. He said among
many excellent things that the great.
est expenditure Of this commonwealth
is to educate her children and hence
the great responsibility that rests up.
ON the teachers. The influence of the
teachers may last through the lives of
the pupils. Stimulate the children to
desire knowledge for its own sake.
Study that you may know the indivi
dual character. You are dealing with
minds that are capable of infinite ad-
vancement. After the parent, the
teacher has the most influence
on the chilcren. | venture to say you
teachers will gain as much education
in comparing notes in your great work
as in listening to instructors who are
adopts in their respective subjects.
Able responses followed by Mr. +. B.
Beishline ard Robt r. Little Esq.
The committee on organization re-
port as officers, Supt. w. c. Johnston,
President; Messrs. +. X. Richardson,
of Berwick, l.. p. Sterncr, of Blooms.
burg and w. w. Heffner, of Contra.
LA, Vice Presidents; A. +. Terwilli-
ger, Scott, Treasurer J. Preston
Yorks, Jackson, Secretary; and w. w.
Hefner, door keeper These were
duly elected as the officers to look
after the interests of the institute
during The week.
Prof. Lyman Beecher Sperry, Of
Beleview, OHIO, was the next one in
hoduced. He will be with us all week,
and the teachers are happy over the
thought of hearing such an able and
interesting speaker. He said he was
not here as ID. ID but as an NJ. d.,
but he nevertheless frequently referred
to the Scriptures in his talk. In the
first place he said life is worth living.
There are people who think life is not
worth living, but think it is and that
there is best way to live. We ought
also to live the best way. One man
defines life as 'the sum of forces
which resists death" Others explain
it differently, but we get very little life
from them. Of the 1900, 900, 900 peo'
pie on the earth the greater part OF
them live in filth and poverty. The
Christians, nobly educated, are physlc-
ally, morally and intellectually the best
that the world has ever known. One
third Of the children die before they
are five years of age; forty per cent.
before twenty-one. The average length
of life is now about thirty years,
at the beginning of the century 1t was
about thirty-three. There are nc
vertebrate animals that die Of old age
until FIVE or six times the age at which
they reach maturity. Man does moi
reach this age until after twenty five
he should therefore live to be a hun
dred and twenty-five or fifty years
Any man who can stand with nothing
between him and Gods green eartf
and with uncovered head lift his arms
heavenward and thank God for ply
sical health is truly healthy, but i
would be death or severe illness TO
most of us to do so. There are places
that are more healthy than others
Stanley could go through Africa, bu
many have to succumb to the climate
To preserve the health Of the bod,
preserve the health of the soul. W.
are what we are to day because W.
have behaved so badly. 1t is human
nature TO accuse others for our owl
weaknesses.
The institute next sang "List to th'
song of the Whip-poor-wlll,"
Prof. Noetling Of the Normal School
next gave an instructive address on the
condition of work. The old education
was mechanical an education of th'
memory, book learning of words
while the new or present education
trans the boys and girls to good IN
telligent men and women. hole
that teachers responsibility is great
er and his calling higher than an,
other in the world, not excepting TIT
gospel ministry even. Train the boy
and girls to help themselves. Deter
mine to do your pupils good N every
possible way. You must understan'
pupil thoroughly in order to teacl
him. Use geography or history read
ers ard physio!ogies as reading book
instead of the series of readers gener
ally used and get language from all
them. This is what we call concen