The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1894-06-08
The Last Day, or School Exhibitions.

IN my attempt to express few thoughts
| GA tins subject, will say that my efforts ere
| not to autagonizc any one particularly butto
enueavor Ia eniighten some person or per-
| sons ancnt the subject. If any one should
see fit to express different views it will only
please the writer. And let me beg you that
ii you do entertain different views express
them through this column:
Thu it has been the custom in some dis
triciS - have IN exhibition Of n more or less
elaborate nature, no one wall attempt TO
d,ny The last day has been set apart for
YcctH exercises, aud the Efforts aud thoughts
OF all the school for two OF three months
have been bcut toward the consumma ion of
such. Til y custom originated many years
ago, when the old fashioned education was
in vogue, and when the exhibition was turn
eel into kind of verbal examination of the
pupils before the trustees an the pa'rons t.,
show what advancement this pupils had
made. When written examinations were
instituted this form of entertainment w.s
abolished; but the celebration of the last
day of school was continued and a lighter
and more varied programme was subs itu:cd
And today that school is an exception that
docs not close with one hundred aud one
poorly performed dialogues, tab'caux, rcci-
tations, etc. Indeed 60 engrossiDg has this
Ucc Jme with some that the most important
part OF the school year is consumed in prcpa.
ration for such nou-scnsical, cuervating, and
triing s:utf.
Could not this exhibtive preparatory
period DC spent more prottably? Can we
not fill the minds of The children intrusted
to cur care aud nurture with something
more stable, elevating, aud useful? To my
mind it is obvious that the system generally
praciiGcd is trrong, and shoul be abol she'd
Nv IN oil t,I Tbo
near at hand when time will be spent in
another aud more proftaby way. We have
our national holidays, the observance o:
which is beyond question, when the pupils
will have ample time for mental diversion
aud recreation Can we not, then as OH in
telligent people, abandon the exhaustive cX-
hibition that is now in vogue?
The last-day exhibition comes at time
when both tc,cher and pupils are almost ex!,
hausted and the addition of extra work Is
particularly burdensome. Final examina-
ton will be passed over in q cursory man
ner, If not supplanted altogether. Valuable
lessons viii be hurled aside for rehearsal,
fun, AMI comcal performances. The good
NO Of the session is partially oblteratcd
by this nausea;ing diversion,
These are Il few reasons why | most pcsi-
ti'cy say that this custom ought to bo
aband med. The time has gone by when
things should b. done simply because iEey
have always been so done, and the people h,G
fist rca izing that they should not be d ne
at all.
The incoming custom, the one that is
practiccd by the schools If the North, which
requires hut little preparation and is far
more pleasing, has b Ell lately adopted by a
few Southern Schools, to celebrate the day
10y school picnic. Have a pleasant riunio,
Il c sch Dol on some literary subject, and in
vie the surrounding schools to come aad
enjoy the day with your school. \ nlc,s4nI
day Of rccrcat on, gImos aud lunch IS cnj"y.
ed by all and is, indeed, an appropriate ccle.
bralion for the last day of school. Such
celebration have at the close of my school
every June. Ii you wish know how much
we enjoy it, | most cordially invite all my
fellow teachers to be present ut my closing,
on pa Of this month furthermore bring as
many of your liicrds rs wish to come.
Before you are d. zca years older you
viii see half the : atcs in The Union follow
ing the example of South Carolina
"NcvcT,' shouted II woman delegate.
IF you can't get prohibition wll you take
the drspcnsary asked the Ggvernpl. ,
There were huudred noes, and vne mn
in the back Of the hall said yes.
THAT is encouraging said the Governor.
lie said that i'll all the country districts Of
Sou h Carolina an nearly ali the towns,
public sentiment is in favor Of the ditpcu-
sary law anl it will bc carried out cventu
ally,
We take the above from the speech Of
Gov. Tillman before prohibit IN meeting
at Staten Island, n. Y, last Monday, Nc
are we | satisfied that Gov. Tillmau is mis-
taken as to the true and independent senti
mcnt of the towns and country districts
upon the dispcnsary law. The dispcnssrics
arc only located in towns and cities and
there the citizens are almost solid in oppo-
siiion TO The law, because Of the mems and
men employed t. enforce it, while the scnt-
mcnt in the country is not reilly In favor OF
the law, psr Sc, but it being n Reform arty
measure and The details of its emf rccment
n.t affecting the peace and quiet of the
county districts they tac tly favor it, first,
because il annoys aGd di,tracts the people of
the towns and then because the people of
the towns are opposed to it, The Rc'orm-
crs ct rnc country Il stric's' call the dis
pcnSary Hcir h,rroon,.
DEsTEICrIuN TO kE,TICKY CROri.-s
Princeton, June The army anu cut
worms are paying havoc with crops Trough.
out his section of Kentucky. In the
Frchomia valley, the best fa ming portion of
ives crn kentucky, AID cxlcnIing over 60
miles in lcrgth, whole meadows hive been
destroyed by the army worms, and he
wheat and rye crop wll' be h.dly injured by
this pest. The cut worms in lccaltics have
destroyed thousands of tobacco beds and N
mrny las onccs have ruincd cre,is That haVe
been set out.
DTNAMIrE CArrrRED.- Burlington, Iowa,
June 1.-The police ut midnight crpturcd
lo Of dynamite bombs and fuses in the hanis