The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-18
WILL TALK 1T IN A BODY.
AGENTS TO LAY VERTICAL SYS-
TENS BEFORE THE TEACHERS.

sidered on Jan. S-TeOchers VIII
submit Opinions to the School
Board-ExaminatiOn Arc On-They
Began Yesterday In the High
school. and the Grammar Schools
VIII fake Them Up MOnday-Pre-
caution Against Spread of Dis
eases.
The examinations for the close of the fall
term began yesterday in the High school
The pupils were examined in English liter
azure, rhetoric, history and spelling. Mon
day they will be examined in geometry and
algebra; Tuesday in Latin, Wednesday in
chemistry, physics and physical geogra-
ply and Thursday in arithmetic.
The examinations in the grammar schools
will commence Monday. On that day the
pupils will be examined in history. On
the following day their knowledge of geog-
raphy will be tested, and on Wednesday
they will be examined in arithmetic. Gram
mar and spelling will be the subjects of
the examinations that will be given on
Thursday
The schools will close for ten days for
the holidays on next Thursday. At the
usual hour of dismissal o'clock, the chill
dren of all the schools city and county,
will be free to enjoy themselves during the
holidays without the restraint Of lessons
to be learned and hours to be spent under
the dominion of the teacher. Jan. 8, the
schools will be reopened for the spring
term.
The teachers will be paid their December
salaries next Wednesday. The teachers
in the country districts can also receive
their checks any day after that. Their
salaries at that time will doubtless come
in the way of a dispensatton to many, and
the arrangement will be appreciated.
A matter that viii be of interest to the
parents of the city will be found in the
caution Superintendent Ashmore is taking
to prevent the possibility of any contagion
in the way of disease finding a footing in
the schools. He has arranged with the
health officer for reports to be sent him of
any houses in the city that may have scar
let fever, diphtheria or other infectious
diseases. Upon the receipt of a report of
such disease, the superintendent will
Immediately take steps to isolate the chill
dren who may be attending any of the
schools from that house. They will be
made to stay away from the schools I'M
til the period of incubation of the disease
has passed In the event of a child con-
tracing such a disease, he will not be al
lowed to return until he is able to present
physicians certificate to the effect that
he is no longer in danger Many of the
school systems of the country have adopt
ed SUCH methods for the prevention of the
spread of disease. In some places the
-rrr1y IL,
con, for instance, where an entire class
is made to stay at home for a certain time
in the event of a case of a Contagious dis
ease developing on member.
At the meeting of the board of educa-
ton Monday night the question of verti-
cal writing was briefly discussed. Before
passing upon the matter the board
quested the grammar school teachers to
consider the merits of the new system and
to report their opinions to their respective
principals. The principals of the gram
mar schools, the teachers of the High
school and the superintendent were in
turn requested to investigate the subject,
and, through the superintendent to report
to the board
AT the meeting of the normal class yes
terday afternoon Supt. Ashmore made
known to all the teachers this request of
the board and stated that a number of
sets of several different systems of verti-
school work from other cities, were in his
office and freely at the disposal of the
teachers for their examination. They
were requested to investigate the subject
carefully, giving due consideration to all
the leading features of the new system, in
order that they might be able to give TO
the board an intelligent and unprejudiced
opinion.
A number of agents, representing sew
eral of the new systems, have already been
in the city, anxious to present the merits
of their respective systems of vertical
writing to every teacher and 10 every
member of the board Of education, For
these agents to make a personal canvass
of every teacher and of every member of
the board would involve an endless
amount of trouble and annoyance to all
parties concerned. For this reason, Mr.
Ashmore, after consultation with num-
Der of the teachers, thought it best to set
apart some day in the future when the
representatives of the various systems
might be invited to present the merits of
their respective methods to the teachers in
body, or, at least, to those who desire to
hear them. 1t was thought that jan
would prove a convenient time for this
hearing to be had. This will give the
teachers, who are now busy with the ex-
aminations, time to investigate the mat
ter in their own way and it will give all
parties concerned fair and equal show
ing. Mr.. Ashmore is particularly anxious
that the subject be very carefully consid-
cred and strictly upon its merits, and that
the opinions of the teachers that are to be
rendered to the board of education, be
formed in the light of all the facts
brought out by an unbiased investigation
This matter of changing the system of
writing taught in the schools is one of
great moment. If it is done, it will mean
that, in time to come, the style of writing
that will be seen here will be altogether
changed. Instead of the slant that has
been given written characters through
the children having been taught such
methods for a long time, the writing of
the future, in the event the new system
is adopted, will be straight up and down.
1t is said that the change from one meth
cd to the other. in case it is decided upon.
will not cost the children of the schools
anything. 1t will simply be matter of
the old Spencerian copy books being fill
ed and new ones, Of different character.
taking their places
Vertical writing has been adopted in
many of the school systems of the coun-
try. 1t is said that it has many advan-