The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1895-12-04
A GRAND SUCCESS.
THIRTY-EINTH ANNUAL SESSION OF
THE TEACHERS INSTITUTE.
Attendanos REPRESENTATIONS Interest
Manifested By Teachers and the
General Public.

character of the instruction given by the
T eminent educators who were brought here
| from abroad it is only necessary to say
/ that hundreds of people were turned
! away every session, unable to gain adj
mission to the court room in which the
: Institute was held. The order maintain
ed was exceptionally good, in fact, so
{ eager were the audiences to absorb as
much as possible of the wise and helpful
! instruction that fell from the lips of DIR.
Schseffer, Prof. Tompkins, Prof
. Schmucker, Prof. Meese, Superintendent
Berkey, and others, that il was unneces-
sary to ask for order from the element
that on former occasions has proved
more or less annoying. All seemed to he
animated by a desire IA learn and if any
teacher returned to his school at the end
of the week feeling that he had not been
greatly benefited he has hinseIfto blame.
The general public was, also, highly edi
fed and benefited.
A pleasing and commendable feature of
the Institute was the presentation of
valuable gold watch to County Superin-
| tendent Berkey by the teachers. The
presentation speech was made by II. II.
, Sanner, principal of the Confluence
schools, just before final adjournment
Friday. Mr.. Sanner said that the teach
ers desired in some substantial way TO
acknowledge their appreciation of the
service rendered the schools of the coun-
ty by the retiring Superintendent, and TO
signify their regard for him as a fellow
teacher. Superintendent Berkey accept
ed the watch in n few well chosen re-
marks in which he spoke feelingly of his
nine years service as a public officer
and of the confidence he always reposed
in his fellow teachers.
Ii is not in the province of a country
journal 10 give full and comprehensive
write-up of all the many excellent adj
dresses delivered during the week, and
owing to private obligations which en-
forced the writer's absence from several
of the sessions he will be unable to hint
at many Of the noteworthy features of the
Institute. Our report last week closed
with Tuesday afternoons session.
Mr.. ii. ii. Enmet, the Indian orator,
who occupied the Opera House stage
Tuesday evening, held his large audience
spell-bound by the magic of his eloquence
and the earnestness of his plea for justice
to despised race. The speaker was a
typical specimen of his race. tall, wiry
and graceful. lie spoke so rapidly that
at times his words were undivided and
their meaning was thereby rendered un-
Ineligible, but his auditors were so in
tensely interested in his story that pin
drop could have been heard all over the
house at any time during the two hours
he was talking. The speaker divided
his lecture into four parts. After tracing
the origin ofthe North American Indians
and dwelling upon their tribal relations,
social and moral, he began vigorous
arraignment Of the United States govern
ment for its mistreatment of his people.
He recited in graphic detail the barbara
ties inflicted upon the red men by their
white brothers and succeeded in arousing
the sympathy of his audience to very
high pitch lie secuted Gen. Sheridan's
famous observation, The only good IN
dian is dead Indian" and pointed out
that the Indian is the only species of
mankind upon whom our government
refuses 10 bestow the right of franchise,
while the same government makes
American citizens of the refuse and ig-
norant element of all other nations on the
globe. He showed, by reading decision
of the L. =. Supreme Court, that an In
dian can not bring an action at law in
| any court in the country, and contrasted
! their condition with that of their breth
rem in British America, claiming that the
Canadian government is more just in all
| of its dealings with the red man. Mr..
Emmett believes that the true solution Of
the Indian question is to treat the Indians
as citizens. make them amenable to the
law, and give them the right OF
franchise after they have demonstrated
their capacity for citizenship.
WEDNESDAY MORNING SESSION.
". II. kretchman, principal of the
Berlin schools, presided during the hour
devoted exclusively to teachers. After a
music drill, the query box was opened
when questions bearing on school matters
were referred TO several of the best known
| teachers.
''rhe Preparation Of Lessons-Why
When Where? What? How - was the
title of a topic for discussion referred to
w. w. Cupp, II. Il Sanner, Clarence l..
Shaver and II. S. Rhoads. The speakers
agreed with great unanimity that the
question at hand was hackneyed, but at
the same time all dropped some valuable
hints To their fellow teachers. Several of
the speakers advanced the proposition
that scholars should not be compelled to
prepare lessons after school hours, but
should do the work OF preparing text
book lessons in the school room. Messrs
Sanner and Shaver favor a liberal use of
newspapers aud periodicals in the family
circle in order that the children may ac-
qnire general knowledge aud thereby a
broader education than they can possible
secure from the study of textbooks alone.
Mr.. Shaver spoke at greater length than
any of the speakers who preceded him
and demonstrated that he is ono of the
most fluent and practical takers among
the teachers of the county. Prof. Speich
er, of Meyersdale, also, spoke upon this
| question.
Miss Janette Mckinley, of Meyersdale,
read an excellent paper on "Home Influ-
ences in School Discipline in which
| she made il clear that if the best results
are to be attained in school the pupil
must have the helpful assistance o home
! Influences
/ The regular session was opeHed by
scriptural reading and prayer by Rev.
/ T. J. Bristow, of the Presbyterian church.
Prof Meese gave an interesting talk
on Language and Literature" which
was followed by an address by State Su-
perintendent Schaeifer, who occupied
the period assigned on the program To
DIR. Waller, of the Indiana Normal-Su-
perintendent Berkey having previously
stated that DIR. Waller was detained at
home on account of the death of his eldest
son. Superintendent Schaeffcr took for
his subject make the Pupil Think, .
and befOie he had concluded his remarks
he had set every person in the large au-
dience to thinking in an entirely differ
ent channel from any in which their
thoughts had ever before flown. There
are three essentials, he said, to be observ-
ed i'm starting the mind to thinking in a
proper channel. There must be proper
material for thought; the best instru-
ments of thought, and the right stimulus
for thought. The DIR. illustrated his re-