The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-11-01

Connell asking him to use his influ-
ence in preventing his seating and chat
he had received a favorable reply.
The next speaker was DR.. 5. {.
SchmuCker. professor of biology in
the West Chester Normal school, who
spoke on the topic Gathering Sun
shine" DR.. Schmucker is an exceed
ingly young man and his lectures are
especially entertaining on account CT
the way in which he delive7s them
His gesticuations are both peculiar
and amusing, in fact, he seems like
great big boy who is waging enthusi-
astic on some subject to some of his
boy companions.
USE NATURAL MATERIAL.
He said that the best manner OF
gathering sunshine was to get oHt and
get the children out in the air with
nature. He warned the teachers to
never attempt giving a nature lesson
without having natural material to IL
lustrate it. He told of many pecul-
iarities in the vegetable kingdom AMI
the wonderful lessons of natural eco
nomy and wisdom to be drawn from
them. He interspersed his remarks
with numerous little anecdotes and
apt illustrations which could only he
appreciated by hearing him give them.
At the opening of the afternoon ses-
| sion Prof Watkins gave another brief
address on Voice Culture" also lead
ing the teachers present in chorus
singing. The first speaker was Miss
McCloskey, who spoke on The Study
of Mythology"
In opening her remarks she called the
attention of her audience to the favor
able views held on the advisability of
teaching young pupils mythology by
| some of the greatest educators in the
country. She said that a college pro-
fessor had told her that it was i'm
| possible to get college students to un-
! derstand the true worth of poetry deal
! ing with NEUROLOGICAL subjects if they
have not studied the latter early in life.
/ She said that studying the funda-
| mentals OF mythology at any other
! time but childhood is like learning OF
| Santa Claus when one is twenty. She
said that mythology was the inspira-
tion which inspired the marvellous Gre
! clan period Of sculpture and literature
! and said that it might also have the
same uplifting effect in the develop
| ment of the artistic or aesthetic SIDE
of a child's nature.
SELECTION OF MYTHS.
She stated that proper selection
of myths was, of course, necessary,
and that especial care should be taken
not to choose any which might tend
! to depress or frighten the children.
She suggested the use of pictures or
| 81,
of the stories of mythology and by this
means not only teaching mythology
! itself. but also cultivating a love for
art in the pupil.
| A quarette of young ladies from the
Dunmore high school, comprising
| Misses Ludwig, Collins, POWELL and
| Gilligan, then sang a selection in a
clever manner and were obliged to re-
| spond to an encore.
| They We're followed by Dr. Mowry,
who delivered his second historical lee
ture, taking as his subject "The North
west -'erritory."
! His remarks dwelt especially on the
treaty of 1888 and the wonderful ter
ritory of the northwest which we OBJ
| tanned by it. He referred in passing
to the Revolutionary war and told
| il'N az AllttN OIL uSSlN All' lidJolAAN VI
the people of England were in SYM
| pathy with this country.
! DIR. Mowry told of the enormous ter
ritory acquired by this country and
of it's wonderful progress.
The next feature on the programme
was a gramophone concert, but the
| instrument had a very severe cold.
| After the teachers had their nerves
unstrung Superintendent Taylor kind
ly rang his bell announcing the time
! limit.
DIR. SCHMUCKER'S TALK.
The last speaker of the afternoon
was DR., Schmucker, who spoke enter
| tainingly on Needless Fears" He
spoke Of the peculiar but nevertheless
universal aversion held by human
beings for things which are in them
selves perfectly harmless. He told
of the popular fear Of eating mush-
rooms for fear of being poisoned and
stated that out of about eight hun
dred varieties of this plant there are
only three which are poisonous
lie told of the popular fear of in
sects like the dragon fly and the idea
that the insect is certainly making for
that particular persons face when in
reality it has no such intention. He
spoke of the great disgust manifested
for the common toad and of the pop
ular superstition that a touch Of
one will give a person warts.
He said that in reality the toad is a
most interesting creature and can be
easily made a pet Of and how, instead
of being loathsome, it was in reality
most loveable little creature.
He then spoke of snakes and how
the children of the present day should
be taught that the larger portion OF
these creatures are harmless. He told
of how his two little children were
quarreling recently over a garter snake
and how in each ones effort to obtain
possession of 1t they pulled it in two
in the center. The doctor said that