The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-23
PROF. ATOMS LECTURE.
State Inspector of High Schools
Talks Entertainingiy.

laIhS
Prof. George B. Alton, state inspector
of high schools, delivered a lecture last
night at the Humboldt high school, on
the West side, on the subject of Liter
allure in the School and in the Com
munity.'
Prof. Atoms address was a plea that
the school children and the people
might be brought under the broaden
ing, enlightening and beneficent in
fluence of permanent and inspiratiOnal
literature. Beginning with the need
of literature in the school. Prof. Alton
said that reading matter with a bear
ing on life was the proper thing for
the school room. He did not approve
of the primers made up of a lot of
monosyllabic stupidity. 1t was easier
for a child to learn to read both long
and short words than to read passages
containing nothing but monosyllables,
The speaker advocated greater guam
tity of reading, and a better quality.
For illiterate children, the best was
none too good Stupid reading did not
benefit stupid minds.
Prof Alton suggested methods of in
culcating children with the literary
spirit. He advised teachers and moth
ers, and fathers as we'll, to read to the
children under their care, and to read
good literature slowly and distinctly.
Teachers who would take time to read
a little to their pupils every day would
soon raise their schools above the COM
mon place. Another effective method
of introducing a taste for literature
was the practice of apt and we'll chosen
quotations. Care should be taken to
select passages of literary as we'll as
moral worth.
Prof. Alton then spoke of the effect of
literature in the community 1t exert
ed a fermenting influence and stirred
I'D the people and made them what
we would have them. Every one de-
sired and preferred to live among peo-
nle who know something and who take
an interest in each other. A Wen direct
ed shirt of sociability was the founda
tion of living. But while literature
rendered a service to wealth and also
TO knowledge these were not its great
oct services. In Prof. Atoms opinion
the great mission of real literature, and
nv real literature the speaker meant
the permanent and inspiring literature
that interprets the world and illumin-
ates it's history, was to reach the indl-
ViduaI and indoctrinate the people with
the love of nature and the appreciation
of the ideal In illustration OF MS
meaning. Prof Alton read Lowers
beautiful stanZas picturing Woman.
In conclusion. Prof. Alton spoke or
the special need of the wholesome and
ennobling influence of permanent lit
erature upon the American public: He
regretted to say that the attitude of
the rising generation OF the American
born toward labor was not what 1t
should be. There was a manifest dis
position to regard manual toll as de-
grading or ignoble. Young Americans
were deserving the farms, and foreign
born youths were taking their places.
This tendency should and could be
checked Therefore, the speaker urged
that the teachers Of the young spare
no effort to inculcate a love for the
inspirational literature bequeathed to
the world as a message from the IL
lustrious ones. teaching the broad
truths of humanity, and clarifying all
that is good, beautiful and noble in
life.
The lecture drew an audience that
filled the assembly room.