The news & observer., 1897-06-19


excluding holidays. The average at
tendance for each child of the empire ~
seven and one-half years of 200 days.
In North Carolina it Is only one and one
half years.
The course of study in the common
schools includes religion, German, Arith-
tnetic, Geometry, Drawing Science,
History of Germany, Geography, Sing
ing. gymnastics. and for girls. needle
work. The teaching is very thorough,
and is largely oral \ lesson is treated
first i'm class. and then assigned for
home study. This oral presentation and
the good order which everywhere pre-
wallis secures perfect attention. There
arc many outings for field study in
science and geography. These frequent
lv take week or more during holidays
and vacations. Promotion depends up
on the daily work OF the child, the public
/ examinations being only for show,
The maturity and skill of the teachers,
as we'll MS the stability and pcmancy of
the whole system renders discipline easy
This is always severe but usually kindly.
The school buildings are handsome
structures with large airy rooms. Inc
class rooms are well supplied with all
needful apparatus.
In addition to the common schools,
there are everywhere many classical high
schools (gymnasia) and modern high
schools (reals charlen), each with ITS
course of nine years, continuation
schools, professional and special schools,
and universities. In SaXomy and some
other States, boys are required to attend
the continuation schools from two to
four years after completing the common
school course; and everywhere there is
much encoura cement TO higher studies.
A brief summary of the schools of
Saxony shoys what is done in addition
to the support of the common school.
Sayony is as large as ten of our counties
and has a population only twice ours.
1t has five universities with 1900 stu
dents and about 300 professors, support
ed at a cost of S600,000; tfty-eight high
schools. with $4,000 students and 1000
teachers. supported at a cost of $1,000
600, nineteen normal schools costing the
State S2S2,000 annually; fourteen hun
dred continuation schools, with 5000
students, which with the elementary
schools, in which there are 100000
! children. costing S4,50O000; one hun
dred and fifteen industrial schools, with
| 10000 students and 800 teachers,at cost
of $115,000; twelve art schools, with
| $500 students, at a cost of SS3, 600; nine
agricultural and horticultural schools
and thirty-two commercial schools, with
| 1000 students at cost of S20U,OOO;
eleven high scOols, for girls, and three
military schools. These are all controll-
ed by the State and supported almost
| entirely by public taxation.
As result of its education policy Ger
many has grown powerful in war and in
| the arts of pence, her wealth is increas
| ing rapidly and everywhere there is new
| life North Carolina may we'll follow
her example. 1t should be remembered
that the purchasing power of money in
Germany is nearly three times as great
as in America"
HELEN KELLER.
The address tonight of Superintendent
John Z. Ray on Helen Keller" was full
of interest and entertainment. Mr.. Ray
said:
Helen Keller is the most marvellous
woman living. | say woman" though
she is yet only girl of II, being born
at Tuscumbia, Ala, June u, 1880.
tack of fever, deprived her of both sight
and hearing, and so from childhood she
has been deaf and dumb and blind.
No effort was made to teach her until
she was between : and s years of age.
1t was natural for her father, Arthur
Keller, when he found that his child was
afflicted as was Laura Bridgman, to
look to the institution which did so
much for Laura for relief for Helen.
Miss Annie NJ. Sullivan, herself partially
blind, and educated at the Perkins In
stitution for the Blind, Boston, Mass,
was selected to undertake the task. She
is as wonderful a teacher as is Helen a
pupil.
When she went to Helen's home, she
took doll as IA present-how appropriate
and using it as an object lesson, she
taught Helen first to SPELL by means of
the manual alpha bet used by the deaf
and dumb, the word DOLL. Later other
words, and as soon as the child realized
that each object has its peculiar name,
the child bounded from place to place
and from thing to thing, holding up her
little hand, eager for more and more
knowledge.
Now she is in Arthur Gilman's school
for young ladies, an annex to Harvard
University, having stood very creditable
examinations in French, German, his
tory, etc.
But my time is so limited that | can
not tell more of what | have read. Let
me tell you what | have seen and heard.
| first saw Helen at Chautaugua, n. Y,
in 1893. At the time | was living in
Colorado. At a reception given in her
honor at the hotel, | was introduced to
her. The second day after, | met her
again, and gave her my name. The
third day | saw her again in company
with Miss Sullivan. When l approach
ed, she extended her hand and | took it.
She at once turned to her teacher and
remarked: Miss Sullivan, this is Mr..
Ray, and he is from Colorado" / had
shaken hands with her twice before.
How did she know?
A day or two later | saw her, girl
of 13, deaf and blind, discussing with the
superintendent of one of the State
schools for the deaf the ''income tax
| lrnnuIaJOa IN bn