The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-07-28

cussion over the Relative Merits
of Graded and Ungraded Works.
The Sstere' institute increases in in
terest as the days go by. Mrs. Burke
has a wide knowledge OF many topics
and always speaks in pleasing man.
ner. Miss Burke is n very attractive
young woman, and has distinctly
charming way of presenting dry sub
jects Her fund of anecdotes applic-
able to the matter in hand is inexhaus-
tbleand always illustrative of some
excellent point
Miss Burke is the critic of several
grades in the state Normal school at
Buffalo. She is we'll known throughout
New York as an able instructor at
state institutes.
Yesterday morning the first period
was taken up with an open discussion
of the relative merits of graded and
ungraded schools. The Sisters took an
active part in the discussion. Mrs.
Burke gave strong arguments in fa-
vor of a relaxation of the cast-iron
system of grades. Parochiai schools,
she said are to be commended in that
when a pupil is ready for promotion
he is promoted. She also produced the
testimony of many well-known educa-
tors in support of her views.
1t was announced that the absence
of Professor Walsh, of Brooklyn, was
due to serious illness in his family.
After intermission Miss Burke spoke
entertainngly an geography. She be-
lieved a rational" or comparative"
geography. and did not approve of re-
ducing the study to mere memorizing.
open air lessons and actual observa-
tion should precede definitions. Her
suggestions as to maps were valuable.
Bare outlines are enough for begin
ners. Physical geography may be
taught by a close observation of ma
ture.
GREETINGS READ.
Greetings were read from the Sisters
of Mercy in Rochester and from Mrs.
Mary r. Monahan, who was an instruc-
tor at last years institute. Professor
George Howell, of the Scranton schools,
then gave an interesting and most in
structive talk on Words"
"Style," he said, lis merely the put
| ting of proper words in the proper
places. Style is the reflection of the
| mind in words. In his words in you
| find a photograph of the man. john
sons style is like the man, heavy and
rugged; Hallam's words are awkward
| squads that run and stumble before
the command to fire; Webster's words
| are thunderbolts that demolieh and
crush whatever is in their path: JEFF
fries words are stilettos; Longfellow's
wards are gentle, like the queens
guards in full regalia. Words are not
so much breath, but are real things
with power to destroy the strongest
fortifications or to defend the weakest.
Words are not empty symbols. They
are governed by natural laws. AS the
weak and poor perform the drudgery
in life so in the realm of literature
words that are weak and poor per-
form the slavish toll, the uncertain
| service"
There are many words overworked
in the language of every day. Among
these the small ION" and up" do en-
| tirely too much.
| HISTORY OF WORDS.
In continuing his subject he spoke
eloquently of the history of words and
the intense interest in it's study. Ir
| illustration he mentioned the Saxon
"wr," meaning to twist, and quoted
wrench, wrestle, wrinkle, wrap.
| wrong" etc. He earnestly advocated
the study of the classics and marveled
that any scientist could proceed in his
work without a knowledge of Greek.
If the history of a nation were lost
Mr.. Howell said, a new history could
be compiled from the names spread
over the country. AS an illustration hc
mentioned the French names from the
| Great Lakes to the mouth of the Mis-
sssippi. the succession of Spanish ap-
pellations and in New England tn,
English names often to he found.
Words, like men, are inconsistent
constantly changing, and ne showed
how the word corpse in Surrey and
Chaucer's time meant the liveliest per
son at a funeral. Bombast once signi-
fled a package of cotton. Today II
means an inflated speech. The wore
tale in the German is to count. Wher
we sing:
Every Shepherd tells his tale
Under the hawthorn in the vale.
visions of the milkmaid reed not arise
The couplet means simply that tn
shepherd is counting his sheep unde
the hawthorne.
Other words were analvzed, G. sfte
which the superintendent referred T.
the strength and beauty Of Anglo
Saxon words and closed with a quota
tion from Eugene Field. who had a du,
appreciation beautifully expressed o
the Anglo Saxon.
MISS BURKE ON GEOGRAPHY.
Miss Burke continued with the sub
ject of Geography, giving a most in
; teresting talk on the history of bound
aries which would interest the chill
dren. Among these were the bound
aries of states and how they came L
have their peculiar outlines. The littl
curve where Delaware joins Pennsyl
, Vapia was made by arbitrators whe
to decide the matter a point of tn
compass was set in a bend of the rive
which described the arc now on ou
map. Other details of state outline
; followed. She advocated study wit
the open book and teaching the chill
dren how to find out for themselves in
7 stead of memorizing so much materia
, The reasons and importance Of mer
idians and parallels OF latitude an
, longitude were given She spoke of tn
, design for using $50 degrees as a basi
as the number is a multiple of ever
digit except 7. She believed that tn
idea of making artistic maps lack
educational value. The children shoul
; first draw mere outlines, making tn
! map for themselves and thus not be
! ing confused with the multiplicity
, | details.
} Mrs. Burke then took the platforr