The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-08-01
SOME HISTORY OCCUPIED THEIR
ATTENTION ALL DAY
YESTERDAY.
SUPERINTENDENT FULTON DE
SIRES IT MADE INTERESTING
And He Makes Excellent Suggestions to
Attract the Attention of Pupils
Judge Fillmore Talked on
Texas History.

In the United States history class yes
terday morning, Superintendent '. NJ.
Fulton gave q very interesting lecture.
He said simple anecdotes Should be read
or told to the pupils during the first and
second years. The spirit of the teacher
and a living voice will interest the pupils
and the stories should furnish lively pic
lures Of heroism, kindness, self control,
courage, patriotism, devotion to right and
duty, love of truth, etc. The spiritual
element in history will be expressed in
the lives and characters of The children.
The roar of cannon, the tramp Of armies,
the beat of the drum and the song of the
bugle symbolic 1.-The powerful spiritual
forces residing in the men and women at
particular time. The myth and THE
poem preserve i'm an artistic form the forces
that have moved man in his struggle for
spiritual progress. The teacher should
begin with THE romantic stories of Column
bus, Nathan Halle, Sir Walter Raleigh,
etc, and find out the pupils preference
and pursue the work systematically. The
spirit of the teacher must arouse the
pupils.
He recommended the use Of pictures as
being more expressive to the child. Thirty
minutes per week will be ample time for
work in the first and second grades. In
the third and fourth years the great move
ments may be touched upon by interesting
the class in biography, located in the fol
lowing topics:
First-Discoyerers and Explorers.
Second-COloni2atiOn
Third-The French and Indian War.
Fourth-'Ehe Revolution.
Fifth-The Republic from 1IS9-1S2O.
SiXth-The Republic from lS20-1S6J.
The topics are to be chosen that will
make the pupils feel and imagine.
During the fourth year the three sec
tons of the colonies should be seen
through the eye of geography. Virginia
will be the type of the Southern; New
York Of the Middle. and Massachusetts
Sesses the right spirit, he will group the
Otl.er colonies around these types.
The pupils. under the guidance of the
teacher, must develop the historic imagi-
nation. They must understand the Pur-
tan character, feel as the grave Miles
StandiSh crossing the ocean. The land-
ing. the sufferings, Hhe grief Us ne stood
beside the grave of Rose StandiSh. his
courage, his second love, his disappoint-
ment, his resignation.
The local or State HISTORY should be
given in broken doses each year. 1t will
be a delightful task to stir THE Feelings by
IacQuainting the pupils with the heroic
deeds of such characters as Houston,
Rusk, Lamar. Deaf Smith. Bowie,
Crockett. Fannin, Travis, Milan, Burlc-
son and hosts of others Primary teach
ers should devise historic entertainments
and fan the interest to n flame.
The fifth and sixth years should be
devoted to biography and outside reading.
the seventh and eighth years the study
Should be intensive.
Inc pupil must be taught TO meet diff
cultieS. If authors disagree he must in
yeStigate, 90 to the most reliable sources
and then form his own Judgment then
analysis, comparison and inference will be
developed.
Culture is the slow maturing fruit of n
silent feeding of the soul upon nOurishing
ideas. This work must be done in the
primary and intermediate grades. as
many of the pupils leave school before
thcy reach the high school.
Ihe great duty of tine hour is to inspire
our youth with Il genuine love for our
great men; bring them into sympathy with
ihe fundamental principles of our { OvcIm-
menr, and fit them to enjoy fhc rich
heritage bcqucathcd by our ancestors by
being ideal citizens.
Judge f'ulmorc being introduced gave
a clear and logical lecture on Texas his
tory. which was listened to with marked
attention.
The subject will be more fully enlarged
;llld dWeit upon at some future time.