Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1899-09-29
W'ashin9ton Standard
OiNuPIA. WASH.
tElNAY AENING, SEPTEMBER %. 1899.
Blissful Ignorance.


rlac" and the teacher. 1t j. the cX-
l>t,uc, ii the ti,~t that creates the de-
m1ul .or the other two. Ii i the
vLluc We attach To- mental develop
mcnt uf our children that requires lis
to furnish the school house and the
school teacher 1t is because we think
much OF our children that we erect
elegant buildings and supervise the Sc
lection OF teachers and establish nor.
nal schools Tor their training. 1t is
because, we believe, that the embryo
citizen is entitled to good instruction
by qualified teachers, i'll hcalthful
buildings, that we have cnlcaNorod to
bring our educational appliances a,
near perfection a, is possible.
Til, machinery is expensive, and
some OF it otherwise pcrpleXing, and
there are those who would lessen the
tension III several particulars. Some
who feel Unfortunately the burden of
taxation would discontinue the nor
NAL schools and furnish less costly
schoolhouses and cheaper teachers.
Some teachers would be glad to have
the machinery of examination elimi-
mated, and others would be pleased to
have a mill substituted that would not
grind so exceedingly and exaspirating-
ly small, while still others have com
planned because there never seemed to
be an end of being ground"
1t is said that "book learning" is
not the real test of teaching ability,
and that set questions do not present
fair means OF determining a teach
er's qualifications. While this propo-
sition may be granted with a liberal
cheerfulness, it would seem that the
present method brings to light, at
least, some very fair evidence of incon,-
petence on the part of some applicants
for teachers license, whatever it may
accomplish in proving the competence
OF others. The chief difficulty Of our
present system of examination is that
it makes it possible for intellectual
paupers, at times, to become illegally
qualified" teachers. 1t bars out some
, and in that merits approval.
The following bona fde extracts
from papers submitted to the State
Superintendent at the State examina'
ton, last month, give proof and point
we think, to the propositions above set
forth:
A lady who reports that she has at
tended one of our State Normal
schools speaks of writing theams" OF
obedience" and "punctiality" and
illustrates correlation by citing the re-
lation of the color of the eyes to the
color of the hair" and speaks of the
cituation" of Bunker Hill and its
relation to preceding battels."
A young man, also reporting at.
tendance upon the same school, speaks
of keeping boys mind off OF mis-.
chief" and of cultivating the magma
ton by shaving the pupil describe
what they have seen at some future
time"
Notwithstanding the threatening
proximity of the State penitentiary, All
applicant from near county murders
the elements of geography and orthog.
raphy in the following horrible fash.
ion: can oasis is barren reagion oil
land"; "A watershed is plain where
two rivers meet" and GA delta is a
small stream of water flowing through
the land"
1t will be noted that the Kings
English is consistently crucifed
drawn and quartered after models en-
tirely in keeping with the above ex
hibition of intelligence.
One young lady, after having un
successfully struggled with the spell
ing of judgment, bicycle, genius and
burglar, goes through the scrimmage
with the word seize, "sceize," ceaze,
"sceize" "sceaze," and the next sue.
ceeding paper gives evidence of sim
liar fracas with the word mucilage, i,
being knocked out in two rounds, be.
ing spelled musaledge" and "mus'
ledge" and the valiant knight imme.
diately treats the whole crowd to
"lickers."
As evidence of the fact that man is
fearfully and wonderfully made, the
following testimony is set forth: "a
tendon is muscle passing over the
heel" The capacity of the lungs var.
les from al ounces" according to one
authority to "2t pounds" and econ.
tains $4,000 cubic inches according to
a second. "The stomach is an enlarge
ment of the auditory nerve" accord
ing to one, and is " bag-pipe," ac-
cording to another.
ga gland is that which lies behind
the liver and is about the size of a
hand" Another dissents, in some de-
gree, from this statement, by declaring
that ga gland is small vessel con-
tanning some juice" The bones are
composed of vegetable and animal
matter"
For the benefit of those people
whose memory runneth not to the
contrary, it is set forth with entire SER
iousness that "The first State Cover
nor of Washington was Feror and the
first Territorial Governor was Robert
Burns" and the astounding informa-
ton is given that "the first settle