The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-10-29
opening OF INSTITUTE:
Over Three Hundred Teacht the
County Are in the City.
ASSEMBLED AT COURT HOUSE
Morning Was Occupied Enrolling the
Tcachers-Opcning Lecture Was by
Miss Margaret McCloskcy of Lock
Havcn-Programme for Today.

etitute, which will continue until Fri
day at noon at the court house. Not
only are all tlhe teachers of the county
outside of this city present, but there
are scores of aspiring teachers, also, in
attendance, as well as many persons
who do not belong to either of these
classes, but are interested in educa-
'tional work.
Yesterday forenoon was occupied
principally with the prellminaries. The
afternoon marked the formal opening
and three lectures were delivered. Miss
Margaret McCloskey, principal of the
training department of the Lock Haven
State Normal school; Professor George
w. T,wftmyer, principal of the Homes
dale high school, and Il. ]. Gordy, Phi.
D., of the Ohio State university, We're
the speakers. Their ability need not
be commented on, for they take front
rank among institute lecturers.
Miss ,McCloskey is young woman of
handsome presence, a mind stored with
a vast fund of knowledge, and an en-
terta.ning and instructive method or
impartlng her ideas. Professor Twit-
myerd lis one whose years have been well
devoted to researches of elementary
scientific school work. DR.. Gordy,
whose lectures will appertain to psyche
logical subjects, speaks in simple
strain and Is not ''too deep for hds
hearers"
Teachers Always Welcome.
Scranton always has a welcome for
the teachers; the bright and CHEEKY
presence of 1.-THE ladies lis one of the feat
uras of the institute, which Is especially
attractive. OF the 300 teachers there
are less than four dozen of the stemer
sex. At 10 O'Clock the task of enrolling
began in Mr.. Taylor's office. Professors
c. N. Snyder, of Benton: G. A. Gay, of
South Arlington; j. II. Davey, of Moo
sic; S. j. Phillips of Taylor; Joseph f..
Brennan, of Carbondale, and II. Il.
Lowrie, of Scott, constituted the COM
mbttee that had charge of registration.
AS usual, "a coterie of book agents are
on hand and hte corridor on the sec
ond floor and the petit and grand jury
rooms are open for their accommoda-
tion. During THE short recesSes and
before the morning and afternoon ses-
sions the agents ply their vocatons in
dustrlously. The teachers can select
a well assorted stock of new books, the
most current literature and all the edu-
cational periodicals and magazines.
When the institute opened at 2
O'Clock every seat in the auditorium of
the main court room was occupied. a
small platform, one step high, is erect
ed midway between the judges bench
and the enclosure rail. Against 1T is
erected a blackboard for the elucida-
tion of certain points of the lectures.
Today the teachers will divide into two
grades. the principals of schools going
to No. court room. where "a paper will
be read by Miss Carrie A. Kenyon, of
Blakely, and a discussion on 1t will fol-
low. f. c. Hanyon, of Waverly; w. A.
Peck, of Moscow; E. ID. Bovard, of Jer-
myn. and Frank r. Coyne, of Old
Forge, taking part.
Lecture OF Miss McCIoskcy.
In the main room the primary and in
termediate teachers Will hear a lee
ture on reading by Miss McCloskey, a
lecture by Professor Twttmyer, and n
concluding talk ON numbers by Miss
McCloskey. The teachers will unite i'm
the afternoon and will be assembled in
the main court Toom
Superintendent Taylor introduced
Professor j. A. Sprenkel. who will have
charge of the music. Miss Carrie A.
Kenyon was at THE piano. The entire
audtenced Joined in singing "Ameri-
ca Touch Mott the Cup" and "The
Battle Hymn of the Republic" Pro-
fessor Sprenkel has a voice of much
sweetness. we'll modulated and sings
IN rich tenor strain. Besides he Is a
competent instructor, and promises to
do much toward the success of the in
titute.
Miss McCloskey lectured on THE SUBJ
Ject, "A Story as a Means of Mental
and Moral Growth She advocated
that there is no other means more Of
fective in making an impression ON THE
mind of a child than conveying ideas
by means OF stories. rheteacher must
make use of discretion when she selects
the story suitable for the lesson Ito be
taught and THE child to whom II Is
taught. There are some very good
stor!es embodying splendid truths,
which vt would be inadvisable to pre-
sent to the ima stlnation of certain pu-
pills who are easily susceptible to nelrv-
or7 feelings.
I.n teacher TO be well fitted for tell
ing ti.-n right stories and telling .hem
we'll e'h -uld be familiar with the best
literature, which Miss McCloskey rec
ommtrns as. the Bible, Homer, Dante,
Goethe and Shakespeare.
Professor Twitmycr's Talk.
Professor Twfitmyer 1ectured on ele-
mentary science in the common schools.
He said he had not come among tho
teachers to advance any new IDEAS or
theories. but to speak in plain lam
guage. The ffrst Question thal. pre-
sen',eh itself for consideration was how
where and when to get material to ap-
ply to the minds of the pupils There
are many things now Crowding for ad-
mission intlo the public school, but the
speaker believes that there super
abounds i'm nature material of invalu-
able service.
If THE study fs on insects and birds.
or on waiter, the pupil may have i'm
hand the actual things, he is 50 muoll
better enabled to grasp knowledge than
by studying things in the abstract.
The study of water has been SO prog
resl:llve I'm the pas; fifty years that five
years have been added to human life.
Scientists have proceeded so far to-
ward securing pure water that sani.a-
t.cn has been advanced to the degree
that tine result has been, according to
at least ten s.,l.,isl.ciarls, the length-
erin(g of human life.
Observation iis one of the moly. essen
tial studies. Suppose, said the speak
er, that the teachers should file pa,9t a
gr,las case where 100 different objects
were on exhibition. He ventured that
nrt cne of the teachers could name
twenty objects. not more than a few
could rame ten objects, and the ma
tpnity of them would not be able to de-
scribe even one object. The mind must
he awakened and guided in observing
trl.ngs. Nature fs a most competent
instructor. he said, and he advised THE
teachers to study well and observe with
care the lessons she teaches
Last Speaker OF the Day.
DR. Gordy was the last speaker of the
afternoon. His topics for the rest of
the sessions will be on psychology, the
lecture yesterday being on United
States HISTORY. The vast domain of
land from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
and from the Great Lakes to the Gulf
of Mexico, he said, rs under one gov
ernment. This government has power
and wields it, and i'm the exercise of
that power events occur which placed
under ONE head. constitute HISTORY. He
recommended very earnestly to the
teachers the study of history.