Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1896-09-25
How cHILprrN Anr POISONED

Visit some school houses after a
walk in the fresh air, and the odor
is something disgusting. These un-
pleasant sensations come from want
of greater ventilation. The air is
vitiated by breaths and clothing.
Many of, the pupils scarcely know
the luxury of a good bath and plenty
of clean underclothing. Now, can
the air be anything but bad under
such circumstances? If the win
dows are opened long the teacher
and pupils take cold, and some are
afraid and think they cannot stand
the smallest breath of fresh air. A
schoolroom 30 feet square and 8 feet
high contains 1900 cubic feet of air.
This room will seat 60 pupils. AL
lowing 10 cubic feet of air to each
pupil per minute all the air in the
room will be vitiated in 12 minutes.
Now, granting that every means is
used regarding ventilation, and a
goodly supply of soap and water to
scrub the floors instead of sweeping,
a recess of FIVE minutes ought to be
given every hour, so that the child
rem could move about, have the
windows and doors wide open, and
let them breathe in freely the pure
air of nature, to repair their mental
and physical condition. Effects are
proportioned to causes, and if an at
mosphere filed with per cent of
carbonic acid will produce death in
few minutes, what must be the ef-
feet of breathing for 10, 20, or 40
years the much smaller proportion
which must be in every inhabited
room where there is not a constant
incoming and outgoing of air? 1t
must and does lower the standard
of health and shorten our lives Let
person who is in good health, with
sound nasal organ, take a brisk
walk in the open air, then come at
once into an inhabited room, and if
there is any unpleasant odor, the
air of that room is hurtful. How
many dwelling, sitting-rooms, or
bedrooms would pass such an or
deal in the early morning after be-
ing occupied all night? Bad air, be-
ing heavy, always sinks to the floor
and to be gotten rid of must be
drawn from the floor, either by open
fireplaces or some means of ventila-
ton. A room 10 by 12 contains 1440
cubic feet of air, the available oxy-
gen of which is used up by one per-
son in half an hour. What to
breathe, then, becomes the great
question. David Summers.
THE EXAMPLE OF THE TEACHER.
Probably all of us who are old
enough to begin tracing character to
its sources, can readily recall at least
one teacher who by his exemplary
life, taught us what the books did
not and could not give. Some of us
are so fortunate as to be able to call
to mind several such good-souled
teachers. We may have forgotten
the rules they taught us, but the in.
fiuence of their lives upon our owr
becomes more and more apparent
every day.
We are largely the composites of
other characters, and next to, and in
some cases even beyond, the influ
ence of father and mother, probably
no life 80 interweaves itself into oul
own as that of undetermined teach
ers. Precious be the memory o.
them. They are with us forever-t
part of US.
Let us draw a few lessons from
this experience. The teacher whC
limits his efforts merely to the trans
ferring of knowledge from books tt
the minds of the young, is working
in plain far beneath his privilege
He may be on adept in fignres or
very dictionary of dates and facts
but unless he regards his higher sell
as one of the important factors in
educational problems, he misses the
greet opportunities of his life. The
village all may declare how much hs
knows, but unless the lives of th,
pupils declare also how much he is
though he may become famous fol
his knowledge, he will never become
great for only they are great wht
project their own good lives into th'
lives of others.
The greatest thing in any system
of education should be the teacher
The richest part of any course Of in
struction should be the instructor
By his example and influence he caI
50 impress the growing lives that il
after years they shall be able to say
"We live happier because Of th'
high standard we were led to follow
through the example of a nobl'
teacher we are stronger because h
taught US how to be patient and kin'
and pure" What manner of maj
or woman ought, then, the teaehe
N hal Guralxy OnIxy tsTIa that hatl