The San Francisco call., 1897-11-21

number OF copyright repositories on the
ground of added expense 10 the authors.
But as Mr.. Nasn humorously expresses it,
if their books are successes, the writers
will be glad to thus further advertise their
works; and if they are failures-why,
then, there will be copies on hand and to
spare.
The Vatican library at Rome represents
the greatest accumulation of original
man uscripts of classical literature in the
world. About 1885 the Holy See began to
print annually descriptive catalogue of
all of these manuscripts of such rare
value.
As access to the library is denied to al
most every one. and as only limited
number of these catalogues are issued
each year, the latter are much sought
alter by Libraries all over the world. The
first volume of the catalogue contained
history of the Vatican Library and the
other ten are devoted 10 the history of the
ancient Egyptians Hebrews, PL encians
and many more of the early races, besides
Smiles OF manuscripts thousands OF
years old which the outside world has
not even heard about. 1t is re-
ported that in This same library are two
of the original death warrants of Jesus
which were sent out to the different Jew
ish tribes.
Within the las. few weeks a special dis
pensation from the Pope was obtained
through Arch bishop Keane, whereby nine
volumes of this catalogue nave been
placed in the library at Stanford Uni
versity.
At the State Normal School in San
Jose an entirely different system of fac
u!ty work has been adopted this year.
Instead of having regular meetings of all
the teachers, the faculty is divided into
various com mittees Tor special work, as,
for instance. all the teachers in English
form the committee of English; those in
the science department constitute the
science com mittee, etc. These different
committees elect chairman and secre-
tary and then meet to discuss the best
methods OF presenting their subjects to
the pupils and correlating the work in the
various departments. Principal Randall
is himself a member of each committee,
and at stated times the results of these
deliberations are brought before the fac
ulty as a whole for general discussion.
This plan has been found great improve
ment over the old one.
For the first time since 1895 the State
Legislature made an appropriation of
$1,000 for the two succeeding years with
which 10 buy library books at the Normal.
This. however, according to Miss Royce,
the librarian, is rot a sufficient sum to
bo dofic af 81
the department needs $500 at the lowe st
figure. There are at present 5000 volUm
in the library, which should contain 10, 600
to meet the needs of the school. The room
itself is also crampsd in its accom- N mod a.
tions, for it is daily filled to overfiowing
during study hours by the $50 students in
the Normal proper, and also by the older
pupils from the training department.,
which contains 160.
In the new botanical laboratory, which
has recently been fitted up. the students
are engaged in the study of fruit, flowers,
stems and winter buds, according to the
lines laid down in Professor Volney Rat
tan's new work, entitled "E emenIary Ex-
ercises in Botany" which is especially
adapted for use in the public schools all
over California.
In all the science departments of the
State Normal the new Barnes dissecting
microscope has been introduced. This is
designed for individual work and contains
graded millimeters on the glass surface.
In speaking of manual training Profes-
sor James E. Addlcott OF the Normal said :
'In the kindergarten there is definite
course. and it works WE'LL in the primary
grades the careful study of form, color and
number is proving successful; the high
school work is practically settled; the
sloyd system is doing'good service in the
upper grades, but in the 1ntermedi
years, where manual training is most
needed. definite links in our chain are
lacking. But right here it must be re-
membered that efficient manual training
cannot be expected in our primary and
grammar grades until we have outlined
course which can be followed at the ordi-
nary school desk and can be conducted by
tho re gular class teacher.
"In planning manual training course"
continued Professor Addicott, 1--WE must
take into consi ieration, first, the princi-
pies OF pedagogy; second. the average
capabiity of pupils from both the psy-
cb biological ana the experimental stand
point; third, its auxiliary influence In
science, language and mathematics;
fourth, its esthetic side; and fifth, the
cost OF material and equipment.
AT least half the manual training in
elementary schools could be concrete
work connected with other branches, for
it is very largely a system of correlation
with different subjects. Drawing must
lend still greater support than in former
years to manual training. However, the
esthetic side must ever be kept in view,
and the two lines lsading 10 industry and