The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-10-19
NORMAL NOTES.

One OF the peculiar features of the
school year thus far, is the number of
visitors. The building is seldom free
from them, Among those during the
past week was, Mrs. j. L. Washburn,
OF Duluth, a former teacher in the
school. Her EXPLANATIONS of pleasure
and surprise at the remodeled and en-
larged building were numerous and
emphatic, and her comparison of it
with the magnificent High school in
her W city, was perhaps the highest
compliment yet paid.
The Kindergarten is naturally the
chief attraction for lady visitors, and
scarcely a day passes without calls
from such. The pleasant impression
made upon all, and the increasing
reputation of the department among
the students and their friends, are
constantly manifest. Two members
of the graduating class, have during
the week, asked permission to change
from the regular professional course
to the kindergarten training class, and
Miss Grace Marston, of Lake Crystal,
a graduate of Baldwin Seminary, ST..
Paul, has entered the same. Several
others have applied for admission, but
not being High school Tor e~quivalent)
graduates, could not be admitted. One
came from a distance and was greatly
disappointed at the result. The fifty
dollar tuition fee appears to be no bar.
1t is hoped that the new bus will be
ready for it's first trip a week from
next Monday.
The musical recital of Mr.. Francis
Walker on Monday afternoon in Nor
NAL hall, vas well attended, and the
receipts were about $50. After paying
expenses S5.9 80 remained to be divided
equally between the Normal and High
school, not making either wealthy, but
better than a deficit.
The approaching meeting of the
Southern Minnesota Teachers Asso-
citation, to be held in Normal hall, Oct.
18th and 9th, is anticipated with in
terest. Among the prominent teachers
from abroad whose names appear up
on the program are, President Joseph
Carhart of the ST. Cloud Normal
school, and Miss Sarah L. Arnold of
Minneapolis. Both will present in
teresting addresses. Miss Arnold, who
has once visited our city before, has
been winning a fine reputation in her
supervision of primary work in Min
neapolis, and has just now increased
it by the publication of a book.
The science departments of the
school are, next to the kindergarten,
perhaps it's most interesting features.
With the greatly increased facilities
teachers and pupils are alike happy,
and the upper story, where science
holds complete possession and sway,
well repays a visit. 1t may be noted
that while all ordinary problems meet
ready explanation by either textbook
or teacher 1.-The physics classes are be-
ing somewhat hOpelessly puzzled by an
apparently simple little toy recently
sent to President Soaring by a Chicago
firm. 1t consists of a hollow wooden
tube the diameter Of a pipestem and
about two inches long, 1aring at one
end into a shallow cup half an inch in
diameter. A wooden sphere also half
an inch in diameter completes the ap-
paratus. Strange to say, when the
sphere is placed in the cup-shaped end
OF the tube, and the air is blown from
the mouth through the tube upon the
light ball, the latter not only cannot
be blown away, but adhers to the cup
and begins to revolve. A good pair
of lungs, well used, will cause the ball
to revolve with great rapidity and to
hum like a buzz saw. No experiment
performed at the school seems more
wonderful and ineXplicable.