The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1894-06-14
EDUCATION.

EDUCATION.
Composition by Miss Mamie Duff.
Education has been the principal agent
that has placed man in the state in which
he now exists. 1t is most important that
man should be educated, for with it neith-
er would lie stray away from Reverence to
God nor would lie be slave to his fellow
meT.
The word education is derived from the
LATIN word educere, which meanS leading
or drawing ont, and education means the
leading out of every capability in the
human nature 1t ia the beginning of our
life whether it be good or evil, honest or
dishonest, it 10 our beginning in life upon
which our success in this world depends,
and we should try to make the better one :.
Education is practically eoexistent with
tho human race. Necessity, the great
mother of invention, has caused man to
be continually aspiring to higher and
easier life, and we find him from the time
of his creation to have been continually
struggling through external and internal
difficulties to nobler existence, to which
education has contributed largely.
We hndthe Egyptians to have been q
highly educated people five thousand
years ago, skilled in arts, sciences, archi-
lecture and mechanics. The Greeks, as q
whole, were we'll versed in law, philosophy,
sculpture aud painting, but education, as
rule was confined to few great think
ers, Aristotle, Socrates, Cato and Plate,
who gathered around them circles of stu
dents, who imbibed from these learned
men the laws Of thought, elements of
character and the. genuine principles of
education, but beyond these few little was
accomplished by the Greeks as people;
so it was with the Romans, who gave more
attention to arms and theatres than to
the education, of the young.
Education at no time was thought of az
distinct study, and the teachers were
moraliAers rather than mind trainers.
The dark ages show IL retrogresson i'll
every line of thought as we'll as sduca-
ton, and it MAS not until in the seven
tcenth century, whom people threw off all
4 Ill: in
the proper sense, may be said to have
commenced. Since that time wonderful
progress has been made in true educa-
ton, and the most learned men of every
country have been utilized in it's cause.
Children have earnestly studied, and in
the primary schools training may begin as
soon rs the lirtle fellows can walk, talk
and play.
| In 10 country has this progress been
made more than in the United States
The following description Of school
house one hundred years ago is taken
from a newspaper:
..Thc old school house ct Spring Hill
was built of logs and daubed with mud
which he,becs honeY-cembed with drows'
industry, The roof was covered With
boards and having no ceiling the ventila-
ticn was perfect. The doors were hung
ON wooden hinges. The house being
cuitlcss of glass, light was admitted
through several openings, the fire places
we're at each end of the room,s the Goals
being carefully covered at the close Of
each school-day to kindle the FIRE the ne1l
mornins-for matches we're not known i'll
that dav. The seats were heavy boards
with pess stuck in tile ends tor legs. On
these the scholars were arranged accord
Ing to their grade, except the girls wht
s,t together. The school whe
rei.ncd in this rude building was North
.rnman from Eaine. He Wac the first
teacher to teach Latin in that neighbor.
hood. and sometimes he made himself
rery agreeable with the girls and boyt
when matters moved along, all right, ane
when they did not he made use of thu
:! birch limb
The numler Of students as well Al
! Teacher. Iegal, increasing until there arr
in the United States at the present tins
about four hundred and tittesn collegiate
institutions Of learning, seven thousan,
nine hundred aud eighteen teachers, ant
thirty. five thousand students onrolled,an'
Tho number is increasing more and NOR
every yearxud preparing for tue future
!. There is very large amount OF none '
expe,dsd by each state every year for th
nm nurpose Of public education. colleges ar