The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-11-27
TALKS 10 TEACHERS,
ts3oIESSoR TALMAGE'S RECENT
ADDRESS AT Provo.
A Most Eloquent and Far-Reachfng
Lecture That Should BE Read by
Every Teacher in the Territory.

The Utah county teachers met in
regular session at Provo, November "A,
1884, at the Parker schoolhouse, County
superintendent Christensen presiding.
This was the last of the sessions for
tbe teachers half year ending with the
Fholidays. The usual programme was
( dispensed with in favor of two dis
tinguisheG visitors, Commissioner Lewis
and Dr. Talmage.
The music for this occasion was fur
nished by Prof H. E. Giles, and after
the opening exercises.
DR.. TALMAGE,
of the University Of Utah, addressed
The assembly. the following being a
synopsis of his remarks:
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentle
men 1t is an ordinary remark, but
no less true, that am glad to be with
you this morning. There is no doubt
IN my mind of your earnestness: this
assembly shows you are alive to the
needs of teachers. If 1 We're asked to
point out the greatest defect in modern
teaching and in our home teachers, it
would be that we do not, as individuals.
realize our relations to all other de-
partments and grades. There is no
grade so low but it is directly connect
ed with all that are above it, and none
so nigh but they are dependent upon
the efnclency of the teacher, and the
thoroughness of the instruction in the
lower grades for their success. 1t is
the aim of the nineteenth century to
economic labor. 1t is the deepest
study OF the philosopher the true poll
tician's efforts are directed to the saw
ing of human strength and effort: the
engineer dpUicac
amount Of speed may be produced with
the least fuel. 1t was characteristic of
barbarous ages that life, labor. mate
RAJ and energy was sQuandered. Each
department, each grade, has it's place
and room, and an earnest, conscien-
\ lous, progressive teacher is required
\ IN each Of them. We have made great
srsps in Improvement throughout the
territory, and Utah county teachers
are not behind. l have read with in
terest the reports of your meetings. the
SUBJECTS discussed and conclusions ar
rived at with satisfaction, and / am
sure you need no admonitions.
nave selected as a subject for nv
remarks today, Teachers. Instinct
yourselves" 1t is trite and well worn,
and L am prepared to hear you pro-
nounce it commonplace when 1 have
Hnlshed. But having you here where
common courtesy will keep YOU. I mean
10 af1lict you without the poor grace of
an apology "
This world is made up of trifies. Too
niue attention is paid to the small
.A4hsS OF life by the greater part of
humanity; yet it is this perfection nj
0etall that means perfection of design
Not long since 1 stood within the walls
OF a cathedral, and looked unon tho
n1atehless statue Of Moses executed hv
MichaeI Angelo, statue so
perfect that the sculptor him
ser was carried away by its beauty.
striking the man of marble on his
knee, he said: Il can do no NOR r 1itT
you, unless [ could put life into WI, =.
II was one of his ideas that eyery,
n niock OF marble held within it a bea,i-
Nv inquire, from which the SCULPTOR
N~-USt carefully chip off the r1npb
stone. A friend visited him once when
IS was al work upon this figure Of
oses. Three days later he called
HSaln TO note the progress, arl said.
MY friend, you have been idle since
my last CALL
Quite the contrary: 1 have worked
harder than usual and longer i.curs :"
w hat have you done?" asked his
friend unable to note any change.
i have been bringing out the round
of muscle here, the course of a W in
there, and deepening a shadow in the
garment fOlQ.
1t is these trifles which make Del Fec
ton, and you Will all agree with me
that perfection is no trif1e The char
acteristic of genius is that it can take
infinite pains. The actor that seems
so much at his ease and express es
every varying shade of human emo
ton with infinite finese has perhaps
spent hours upon single gesture. Do
not be ashamed of preparation. is a
rule young teachers wish 10 appear SO
full of their subject and so thoroughly
prepared to teach that preparation $
7 unnecessary. That is never true. even
of the greatest masters. When YOU
; gaze upon the painted figure upon the
canvass, where it is so instinct with
fervid life that it almost seems to
speak, do you realize that it has been
the work Of days. weeks and some
times of years? Perhaps the hrs.
thing that the artist did was to spread
upon the canvass a neutral color and.
line by line and shade after shade, the
living likeness emerged from this OBJ
security. The artist is not born with
the knowledge but with the capacity:
he must study for his knowledge, and
labor for proficiency. The architect
should not be ashamed of the homely
Scaffolding that enables the workmen
to reach the turrets and towers, even
IL for a time they seem to mar the
= beauty of the edifice. When a partic-
ularly high tower is to be built the
first thing done is to dig deply into
the earth that the foundation may be
strong and able to support it. Teachers
are, or should be, students, only more
proficient, digging deeper, able to point
out the way to their fellow students
Happy he who has become a teacher
fer himself. Do not forget that all who
today are students must one day go
forth to test the value of the tools you
have given them to work with Some
you will find who have only the power
and gift of imitation, and it is a good
gift and not to be despised; but in
many, where the divine spark of orig
1nal thought and independent work ex-
listed, it has been crushed out for
want of the kindling breath of a teach
err who understood his vocation an6
honorad his duties. You will find those
who like stone placed in the fire
viii glow redly by reason of the sur
rounding heat, but removed from its
environment it seemingly becomes colder
by contrast Within it is no heat en-
ergy, but the lump of fuel will, when
once lgnited, burn alone until its mis-
sion fulfilled, it resolved into honorable
ashes IT is a. shame to the tailor to
pe dressed in ill-fitting and slovenly
Garments, or for a shoemaker to 60
1nshod, and doubly is this true of the
teacher who is untaught and unteach-
able. Where is he to find an instruc-
tor? Let him learn to help himself.
The best teachers are not those who
solve every problem, but those who
teach the pupil to search for them
selves, to aid in their own develop
ment There are many ways Of teach
ing. The shepherd who controls
his flock with dogs and whip Is
vsry different from the one whc
leads his flock by still waters ano