The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-06-19
THE USE OF STATES.
They Are Being Abolished In the Public
Schools.

The principal of frst-class school,
being asked his opinion of slate writ
ing, replied: IT first looked upon it
with complacency, later on with toler-
alton, and finally with disgust"
Many cities of the United States
have already banished states and slate
pencils from their schools, the authori-
ties agreeing with the principal above
quoted.
Now, what objections are there to
slates being used by the pupils OF our
schools?
The first and by far the most impor-
tant objection is that this slate work
is really detrimental to the pen-and-
ink work which comes later on in the
child's life.
Lyman D. Smith, an authority on
teaching writing, says that children
who have been allowed to grind on
states with slate pencils, seem to be
utterly incapable of taking hold OF a
pen properly, and the teacher who be-
gins the pen-and-inlz work has year
or eighteen months bad practice to
overcome.
If these children had begun with pa
per and lead pencil, and it is entirely
practicable for pupils in the lowest
grades-six years old-to do this
much time could have been saved and
the children would sooner come into
possession of their handwriting"
The cramped hands, the despair of
almost every teacher, are without
doubt due to the iru grasp of the
slate pencil, needed to make distinct
mark on the slate.
The second objection to states is that
of necessity, much of the nice work
done by children must be erased, and
the child is discouraged by seeing the
carefully-prepared arithmetic, spelling
or language lesson disappear with a
rub or two of the sponge.
Had this work been done on paper,
the best papers could have been coll
lected and arranged where they could
have been sent home to delight some
parents heart.
Then the sponges must be wet each
day, and they often dry out before the
child is through using them. They
are often passed from child to child,
and in this way skin diseases are
spread. They become foul, especially
in hot weather.
1t is the custom in some schools to
cover the slate frames; these covers
are soon saturated by the frequent
washings, and it is not pleasant to
handle them nor to smell them.
The abolishment of the slate means
the abolishment of school compan-
ions," sponge cups and slate rags, and
many a teacher would give sigh Of
relief to know that they would not
again be a part of the school furni-
ture.
There would perhaps be some slight
expense attached to the introduction
of tablets instead of states, but paper
is very cheap, only common paper is
necessary, and the advantages gained
would more than compensate for the
expense. philadelphia Press.
= He who foresees calamities suffers
them twice over.
Though woman can keep
secret if she has to, she cant keep
secret the fact that she has secret to
keep.
At Ruito, the only city in the
world on the line of the equator, the
sun sets and rises at o'clock the year
round.
The Josephine caves in Oregon
have been explored for about 10 miles,
and they seem to extend far into Cali
fornia.
-W We always envy fat woman
when we see her laughing. There
seems to be so much of her having a
good time.
jewelers. report that gold dollars
are extremely scarce, and many other
persons note similarity in the silver
and paper varieties.
\ nicely sharpcned lead pencil is
the only thing that deGes the law of
gravitation, The lighter end always
strikes the floor fist.