The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-12-28
TEACHERS ARE NET
Oklahoma City PuIsateS With
Their Enthusiasm.
PRESlDENTCOLES ADDRESS
Excellent Summary of the
Opening Days Proceedings.

Oklahoma City, o. T., Dec. 27.-The
ninth annual meeting of the Territorial
Teachers association convened at the
opera house in this city last night. There
was a large attendance Of citizens and
visiting teachers. and the closest atten-
ton was given to the eloquent address Of
welcome by DR.. Delos Walker. and the
equally eloquent response by Superin-
tendent J. r. Campbell Of Guthrie. The
feature of the evening, however was the
annual address Of the president, Prof.
L. W. Cole of FL Reno, which is pro-
nounced one of the finest delivered on a
similar occasion. Prof. Cole spoke as
follows:
1.-The occasion Of our annual meeting
has been always one Of splendid inspir-
alton; a time for minuteshrdluhrdlluu
alton; a time for mutual congratulation
on progress in the art Of teaching in the
territory and in the nation. The ad-
dress Of the presiding officer has fire.
quently sketched the years progress in
glowing terms, and the theme is well
worth the effort.
1T IS true that progress has followed
the sun and sprinkIed these western
prairies like magic everywhere with
white school houses to which children
troop each morning in trustfulness and
confidence to learn lessons which make
toward intelligence and character and
citizenship and patriotism, and from
which they go each evening to homes
where intelligence, character, citizenship
and patriotism are wei nigh worshipped
as the household gods, and the protect
ors Of the hearth, the home, the state
and the nation.
lover many of these school houses
floats the national flag, the banner Of the
republic, and I have thought sometimes
that if some distant ear could catch at
once all the notes and tones of all the
school bells that ring at o'clock in the
morning, they would be found to har-
monte and weave themselves into chimes
Of some such music as that to which we
sing America" or 1.-The Star Spangled /
Banner"
1T IS true that the confidence Of Ok |
lahoma people in the value Of education
has caused an enrolment Of % per cent !
of our population in the schools of the !
territory, and it is true that this per /
cent is exceeded by the enrolment of /
only three states Of the Union At the |
opening Of school this year one large
city OF the west reported about one-fff-
tenth Of entire school enrolment en-
rolled in its several high schools, but
there are at least three cities in Okla
homa in which one-hfteenth of all their
pupils are high school students, and the
nigh schools Of college admission rank
The large city was a good sized CONNER
cial center in the eos. Oklahoma will
soon be ten years old.
These facts are encouraging, and yet,
fellow teachers, these gymnasia for the
brain, these education mills" as some
are pleased to call them. require twenty
years to turn out the finished product.
Very few persons save the next genera
lion. the product itself. win know
whether the work of a given school is
good or bad. When the product requires
so long a time for completion it IS posi-
bic for some Of the work to be terribly
hotched and the fact made known only
after you and I, the guilty workmen. are
far beyond danger of punishment or
fear of retribution. Whereas. If we were
in business our ledgers would not have
at the close Of the first days
work
Pardon me. then, If think the .target
has both a gold and a silver side. Many
things warrant congratulatfon. Some
school conditions could be made better.
1T is not the old question, rs teaching
n profession?" on which I am diTident Of
progress. The long tenure Of service &C
corded to the best teachers. the conf I
dence Of the people in the public schools.
the desire Of intelligent school authori-
ties TO secure teachers Of known ability
all show that teachers are trusted as ex-
perts. I have seen teachers seeking and !
finding the hidde nsprines of action in
childish natures, applying motives and |
getting responses to them. implanting !
Ideals and winning over the half-incirri-
sihle boy or girl until I think there is no
question Of professional skill.