Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1897-12-11

it is evident that some of the other
branches are fully as tough and near
ly as cranky.
EX-SuperintendentI Isaac Smith, of !
Cove county, is now principal of the
Turon, Reno county, school.
Stryker has some very remarkable
and inconsistent schemes for the bet
terment (?1 of Kansas schools:
He would have cottage and gar
den and the head of a family with
each school house. thus practically
shutting Young ladies fthree-fOurthS
of our present teaching force) from
the profession. He has other notions
not likely to be adopted soon. While
some of the things he advocates are
all right.
The teachers of Wyandotte county
have been investigating the errors in
the new text books. They have had
a committee at work for over month
now, that is time enough to pick out
quite number of defects in the new
books.
At the close of the Teachers meet
| ing there two weeks ago the county
| superintendent (Democratl stated to
| Mr. Stryker, who was present, that
4 they had committee to report on
4 the shortcomings of the Pop" books,
and that the teachers had decided to
/
State Superintendent would be pres
ent and would be glad to hear of any
little defects so as to correct them in
/ future editions.
The committee was composed OF a
| Democrat, a ProhibitioniSt, and Il
| POpuliSt-the latter the chairman.
Stryker swelled up when he heard
the announcement, and assured
those present that he should be glad
to listen to the report, and for the
| committee to keep nothing back he
| cause he was present.
He intimated that he had the whole
thing in his vest pocket, and that in
case they did really find little flaws
which he might have overlooked he
would have it all set right long before
the close of his second term.
| The chairman of the committee
then took the floor, and stated that
although he had about a hundred err
roTs jotted down, he was not through
yet and so would make but a general
report at that time
In the first place the committee
found the books printed on very poor
paper. Second, the printing was very
poorly done; and third, the binding
was worse than either.
Well, from this the fun began.
Most of the teachers present took a
hand, and Stryker grew warm under
the collar several times.
l don't remember many of the criti-
cisms, but here are a few:
The Readers were generally con-
demned. In the First and Second the
new words are not evenly distributed,
some pages II or Is while other pages
have bnt l or 2
The answers to the problems in
arithmetic are often incorrect, while
in Interest. problems under the same
head were sometimes worked with 80
days to the month and sometimes
with exact time and nOthlnO to IndI-
cate~which way to work.
In History more space is devoted to
Cleveland than to the Civil war, be-
sides many false statements and un-
patriotic inSinuatiOnS. OF course,
bad grammar and miSuSed words were
noted everywhere. Speaking of the
maps in the History, one of the teach
ers stated that one of the least mis-
takes he had found, as he could cor
rect it himself, was that the Allegha-
ny and Monongahela rivers were
made to form the Niagara instead of
the Ohio.
The meeting instead of adjourning
at II, adjourned at lao, with the
. committee instructed to compile its
report and forward it to '.headQuar-
ters.n And then Supt. S. had the
gall to assure the committee that he
was headquarters" and the proper
person TO receive all such reports
REPORT OF TEACHERS MEETING.
Pursuant to call the County Teach
ers' Association met in the Office of
the County Superintendent on Satur-
. day, Dec 4th.
Meeting opened by Supt. A s. Pea
+ cock.
Music by the teachers.
Discussion as to time and place of
next meeting.
; The following programme was rend-
!, cred:
,, Lesson on Whites School Manage
ment.
Music.
, Synopsis of Roger Ascham by Miss
! Gertrude Best.
Synopsis of Moliere by Miss Hopkins.
-Reading-Mrs. Hunt. Dis
cuSSiOn.
Paper-Numbers-M Mcknight
2 Discussion.
S Paper -Writing-Mrs- Greenwood
Discussion.
: Specimens of the vertical penman
e ship from the pupils of the Primary