The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-03-25
NEW OFFICERS.
Teachers Association Closes Its
Sessions Saturday.
Able Lecture Friday Evening by
VIM. Hawley Smith, at
Normal Hall.

Every seat and additional settees
was filled Friday at Normal shall,
audience of fully 700 being present to
hear Wm.s Hawley Smith, of Peoria,
ILL.,, give his lecture on "What to
Read and How to Read it. Miss JOS
ephine Holt rendered beautiful
solo and was encored
Supt, L. Fl. Ford, Of Owatonna,
then introduced Mr.. Smith, saying
that he was glad to see so large an
audience and to introduce so promi-
nent a lecturer. Mr.. Smith spoke for
two hours. and was frequently In
terrupted with applause. The lee
ture was treat. bIistling with good
points and we'll seasoned with humor.
Mr.. Smith devoted good deal of his
time to James Whitcomb Riley, who
he said was the only American poet,
reciting many of his poems n most
effective manner. He is an excellent
impersonator and a pleasing dialect
reader.
Mr.. Smith held that the most
natural in composition is the best,
and the way to read is to read natur-
ally. He spoke against imitation, but
said that people should adapt any
thing and everything they could.
Poor recitations caused sometimes
by poor sight or poor hearing on the
part of the pupils. Child study is
Is very essential in teachers to &C.
complish the most with pupils. The
lecturer spoke against the sensational
novels of the day, and said that the
milk and water books in most Sunday
school libraries are just as bad as
yellow backed literature, in their
effects. He said that daily paper,
unless it be Sunday edition, ought
to be read in twenty minutes. Too
much time is wasted because people
do not know how to read. They
should 90 in for the essential facts
and reject the remainder. The same
was true in reading books.
The Speer method in number work
received thorough discussion Yester-
day afternoon, but had very few
friends. The disciplining of pupils
drew out an animated discussion.
A paper on public libraries was read
by Miss Gratia Countryman, of the
Minneapolis public library.
The reports of committees and the
election of officers were taken up the
first thing this morning. Papers on
English in the high school, morals
and manners in the public schools,
and high school electives were read at
the morning session, and general dis
cussion followed each.
The meeting adjourned at noon,
after two very Instructive sessions.
The attendance has been very large.
The following are some Of those who
have attended, aside from those
named yesterday: Miss Van Arnum
and Miss P Jones, Lake Crystal; 81 @
Hess, Sleepy Eye; Supt L 81 Ford,
Misses Laura A Jones, Anna N
Hughes; Laura M Cooper, Esther E
Adair and May L Weber, Owatonna;
Supt J M Nye and Miss Rose w
Eaton, Wells; o F Morgan, Miss De
Leo and Miss Kill, Elysian; Supt B
M Reynolds, Northfeld; W P Dye,
SlayJon; Miss Susie s Moe, Miss
Helma S Halverson and Prof M 81
Manuel, st James; Prof John L Tor
rens, Redwood Falls; Prof E George,
Misses Georgia Metcalfe, Julia
Schlender and Emily Brown, St.
Peter; L Robinson, Window; Miss
Kate f Metcalfe, Cannon Falls; A M
Murfin, St James; f L Soaring,
GAINESVILLE; 81 E Bagley, Mapleton; ]
G Miller, P ainyiew; Miss Agatha A
Murphy, Garden City; Miss Alice La
Tourelle, Minnesota Lake; Geo B
Gilman. Lake Crystal; Chas Halves,
Beauford; Miss Icis Mandigo, Madi-
son Lake; E f Emath, d @ Brown,
Miss Beard, Miss Ulrich, Miss @ M
Grandy, Miss w Grandy, Miss Van
Horn, Mesdames Brewer, Rosoorm,
Gale, aud M l. Bennell, Misses Van
Eman, Buckley and Mailman, Mes
danes Benjamin and Van Enam,
Misses Smith, Hughes, McManus, ]
Perry, Carrie Pierce, S. Pierce, Hen