The record-union., 1894-11-29
THE COUNTY INSTITUTE lDJOURNS.
Teachers Go Home to Their Thanks
giving Dinners
The Most Successful and Instructive
Session Ever Held In
This City.


opened with a vocal solo, "a Dream of
Peace" by Miss A. Thompson, which so
captured her audience that she was COM
pclled to respond to an enthusiastic en-
core. Miss Lille Crowell was accom-
PIANIST.
II. c. Garrison gave the dagger scene
from Macbeth in style that won him
loud applause.
The Eye; its Use and Abuse" was the
title OF most interesting paper by DR..
William Ellery Briggs. lie spoke OF the
sensitiveness of the eye, and it's liability
10 injury in many ways, and said that
sight once impaired or lost could rarely
be restored. Passing to the anatomy and
hygeine of the eye, he described its
structure and functions, using a large
model from which 70 point out the vari-
Gus parts.
The lecture was made most interest
ing one by the use of this object lesson,
the teachers gaining clearer idea from
the model, as part after part was de-
tached, than any explanation or picture
could give them. Many other appliances
were also introduced by the lecturer.
de gave long list OF causes which i'm
pair the eye, and said that common
cause was detective reiraction. The rays
entering FAR sighted' eye would focus
behind the retina, while the short
sighted eye focuses the rays in front Of
it. In either case the image is blurred.
The astigmatic eye reiracts the rays so
that they do not all focus al any one point,
part focusing at one place and part at an
other. 1t would be well TO have the
child's eyes examined once or twice a
year, TO see that they are not afflicted in
any of these ways, and that the defect
was not aggravated by use. Near-sight-
edness does not afflict unciviliZed nations.
School-children are often afflicted by it,
and when they are inattentive and COM
plain of headache after studying, it would
be well to have their eyes examined.
lie was of the opinion that teachers tax
the eyes of children too much, and seem
TO think that the eye is the only organ
that does not need rest. While the eye
suffers from use in deficient light, too
dazzling light is also source Of injury,
and the electric light, unless shaded by
colored glasses, is largely a source OF
trouble. The cement stone walks are
another source of injury, as the light is
fore be dark-colored. The state OF the
health should also be cared for as any
lowering of the health of the system
affects the eyes Immediately.
he gave a long series OF rules for the
avoidance of dieases of the eye and its
treatment in case OF injury.
MANUAL TRAINING.
Professor James L. Addicott, of the San
Jose Normal School, next treated the
institute to an address on Manual Train
ing" that held their attention closely
from beginning to end.
lie esteemed 1t a privilege to have an
opportunity to address the teachers. He
had been interested in Miss Weeks
paper, and could perhaps throw some
hnS
does not consist of the number of reci-
tations The boy gets tired OF learning
figures and words. Why not take them
to Doctors PestaloZZi and Froebel for
treatment? Many boys who cannot
master an artificial system OF grammar
or history have better pair OF eyes than
their teacher or schoolmates. Although
in school he may be classed as a Ounce,
in the training school may prove to have
hands, eyes and perceptions which prove
him TO be anything but a Ounce. The
time has come when manual work is
recognized as equally valuable with q
system of book-training.
Drawing, sloyd, paper folding, model
ing, sowing and gardening can be taught
in the common schools il the teacher be-
lieves in their value. By gardening and
sowing he did not mean that they must
have garden of their own and attend to
it, but that they should have chance to
seeds and processes OF nature, and all the
results that follow and allow them 10
think problems out for themselves.
Manual training renders the pupil in
dependent and tit to meet emergencies.
1t trains to habits of unconscious concen-
tration: stimulates the inventive facul-
ties; IL gives the boy a chance to choose
his occupation-it puts the whole boy 10
school, which our present schools do not
1t oVercomes the contempt Tor labor, and
Will make less tramps and pauperS. The
teaching OF drawing trains the hand and
eye and also teaches US to see things as
they are. He explained the difference
between manual training and sloyd
work, the latter being work done by the
pupil according to the dictates of his
fancy. while the manual training is done
under the direction of the teacher, and
with great attention paid to exactness.
He showed large number of specimens
of pupils work in both branches, one be-
ing a telescope that would show the
moons of Jupiter and the rings Of Sat
urn, the material of which cost only 81 %
He also showed a solar microscope, the
materials for which cost 50 30, while one
bought in the store, and no better, would
cost far more.
Manual training develops all the men
tai faculties, and is the chief auxiliary to
the new education. a young man with
simply book Tearing is handicapped by
his lack OF other knowledge in his career
through life. Pupils acquire many facts
and figures, but they have no means of
applying their knowledge. Theory and
practice should go together.
The lecture was an Intensely interest
ing one, on account both of the magnetic
qualities of the speaker and the practical
nature OF it.