The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-01-08

| The various leading colleges of the Coun-
try tried this experiment for a number of
years, thoroughly testing it. II was found
that while students gained somewhat in
practical use of the languages, they lost
vastly in mental discipline. Hence for the
past few years, the requirements in Latin
and Greek have been steadily increasing,
going beyond even the early requirements.
Latin has become thoroughly and perma-
neutIy established in the courses OF the
leading universities Greek has been in
creased in the same proportion as the
Latin, but is left optional in most colleges.
In order to get a thorough drill in modern
languages. German and French have been
put into the courses, but are left op-
tional with the Greek. Thus, if he so de-
sire, the college student of today may COM
bine the study Of the practical modern Ian
guages with the mental discipline and
thorough drill of the ancient.
Princeton, which may be taken as
type Of the modern standard universities,
of which it stands among the first, now
requires, for entrance to its freshman
class, five books of Caesar, nine orations
of Cicero Other universities requiring six
and severn, six books of Virgil. for work in
Latin. In Greek the requirements are
four books Of Anabasis and three books of
the Had. The increase in requirements
in Latin in thselast three years comprises
just about one years work, increasing
from three years to that Of four In-Greek
the work is increased from two TO that OF
three years.
Besides the change in the amount OF
7 .f;,, +~sr,-1s tai +Lera haa, N
tant change in the prose and composition
work. Formerly the work consisted of
broken English sentences. with a vocabu-
larry in the prose and composition book.
Now the prose book consists of continuous
English prose; is printed without vocabu-
larry, and, instead. is based on Latin texts
studied. The examination for entrance
to standard universities asks for tr2nsi2-
ton at sight of easy Latin prose; prose
and composition work in continuous Eng
Esh into Latin; and. finally, translation
of some portion of Latin previously stu
died by the pupil Harvard and Chicago
universities require no stipulated amount
NJ work 10 be done previous to entrance,
provided the above entrance examination
can be passed.
the example Of the colleges, and has in
creased the requirements in Latin Greek
and German. and has introduced French
Three years in Greek. four years in Latin
with prose work based on Caesar and
cicero. tit its graduates for freshman
classes of the universities direct Five
books of Caesar. nine oratons Of Cicero.
and six books of Virgil, is the amount OF
Latin read The high standard set in the
academy and the thorough work done
there enable graduates to enter sophomore
classes Of many Of our western colleges.
Professor Shedd. q graduate Of Prince
ton. is instructor in Latin and Greek at
the academy and with his uD-to-date
methods and thorough instruction, the
academy bids fair. since the establishment
of the new curriculum, 10 enlarge its al
ready wide reputation as a progressive
school.
In the four wears devoted 70 the Latin in
The academy. good understanding Of.
English grammar must be one OF the re-
ouiremeuts Of pupils entering upon The
Latin course. II good work IS 20 he done.
II the pupil has not had English grammar.
a different method should be emD'oved.
Good results are obtained IN the end. bur
It REQUIRES six years instead ~ four q gain
the results In hs ginning Latin this is es-
peciaIly noticeable The pupils vary in
aee from L n 19; from the pupil who has
had scarcely a1y English grammar 30 tha
one who is almost perfect in It. A.
result. the method employed mus DE "A
complex one. During the drSt terms. the
younger ones give good results. the mem
ory Of rules being easy for taem. but when
the last half of the year ueCessita,es ap-
rlication Of the principles the minds Of the
younger ones are not, in the majority 81
cases. capable OF keeping up and slower
progress than the older ones require must
be employed 20 give the best results
The work Of the rhetorical exercises Is
row divided amouE a Eood many OF the
teachers Miss Richter hears the essays
rehearsed; Miss NIcElhany hears the dec .
laulationS: Miss Brown and Miss T-ickev ;
correct the essays before they are read:
Mss Dean looks after deiinquents. and
Mss Brown grades the exercises a. they
are rendered from the platform. OF the
oratioas. Professor MAYOR cor7eccs The
manuscripts and Professor Scott and Pro
f.ssor She5j drin on delivery.
Miss Mabel Acken. Miss Amy Fo,ka.
Miss Fri5da GHscafs9n. Nj Lawrence
Hare. Mr.. Bayard B-aden Nr Warren
oldham, Mr.. Harry Stinsou are among
hose who are suffering from IA grj.ps.
Miss Laura snyder graduate from the
academy in the class Of q. last week made
the sCnOo. Z present Of Eruerson's EsSevs