The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-05-01
ARBOR DAY AT TACOMA.
Teachers Hair Burned-Address by
the Governor.

Special Dispatch to the Post-Intelligencer.
TACOMA. April 3o.--Arbor day as OBJ
served in the schools of Tacoma was en-
livened by the presence of Gov. Rogers,
who addressed the pupils of the Central
and High schools during the exercises.
The day was holiday in the schools. and
its enjoyment was no less a welcome 10
the teachers than to the scholars. State
Superintendent Brownies programme. as
issued several weeks ago. was generally
observed
At the Bryant High school a Japanese
pupil attempted TO send up a toy balloon
filled with hot air from an alcohol lamp.
Miss Weed, a teacher. assisted in light
ing the lamp and in doing so the blaze
few up suddenly and set her hair on
fire. One of the boy scholars, with an ex-
hibition of cool-headed good sense, smoth-
cred the flames with his coat. but Miss
Weed was painfully burned about the
forehead. She will be unable to teach fer
several days.
AT the High school Gov. Rogers said:
The Other. day ! was looking through a
magazine which gave pictures of quite a
number of the graduating classes of the
higher schools. and / tell you, my friends
there are no such faces as these found else
where than In America. That, my friends
both old and young. is true. absolutely
true. Nothing like IL is known anywhere
else in the world, and for that reason my
America
is absolutely safe Good Bishop Berkeley
said: Westward the star of empire takes
its way This is perfectly true but the
course of empire is TO the Northwest. Civ
iiiZation arose among the people of the
plains India, Afterwards passing through
Egypt and across the continent. but IL
went northwest And so 1t was in this
country. Civilization began in the East
but progressed northwesterly until we
have now come TO almost the ends of the
earth.
- "a % ma fsldu ~, l1t,x - -
day. To those of mature years this car
RES them back TO their younger days and
recalls something of the loneliness and
beauty or life. The grind after the al
mighty dollar has affected even the minds
OF the children through their elders. until
IN many families not much else Is thought
ought not TO be so. One great step in
heautifying life Is in planting trees and
vines to make life more beautiful and
happy. AT this. time. il | could impress
upon you the thought. even so unimpor-
tanf. that you were addressed by me. and
i will be remembered by most OF you for
many years and perhaps never forsotten
by some of you, | should perhaps serve
YOU;
with the Drexel institute in philadelphia
wrote me that he was engaged in getting
up an educational course in connection
with the Associated Press. and said: L
have asked a number OF prominent people
70 answer a certain question. and / would
like TO ask you question. His question
was. What arc the most important
things to teach American YOUTH The
Question IS indeed a weighty one. and
thought the matter over several days be-
fore answering him. ! am going 10 tell
You what ] wrote him and / want You To
remember what I say. not because I say
| u or because II may be absolutely true or
rieht but that II may induce you TO think
Tor yourselves upon these things / said:
/ neid mat true education consists not in
forcing Things into the mind and In load
ing " up with mere facts and figures but
rather IN drawing out It's latent powers
and FORCES and so l think the first and
most important thing our teachers and pa
rents should teach is 'self-reliance' to de-
pend upon ourselves
THE fault or vice of our educational
system, II il is q fault or il IL is q vice
is in teaching American youth TO depend
upon external aid. upon something some
one else may do. Self-reliance is the best
thing that any one OF us has ever known
or ever can know. and he who relies upon
himself most truly answers the purreose
for which he came into the world and
will create a higher ideal OF life and dutv
and noble purpose. Armed and panopiieSi
with this. the future of the individual thus
protected IS absolutely safe IL YOU. my
young friends, can form habits Of self-re.-
lance. depend upon yourselves and oatu-
raj powers. and work and live for some
great purpose. your future and the future
OF this grand country Of yours IS forever
safe