The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1900-11-01
SCHOOL BOOKS APPROVED.

k1ght.
EDITOR HERALD: l am in receipt OF
the enclosed letter from Harr Wagner,
author of our new geography, bearing
upon the text book question. With his
letter he encoses letters from Frederic
Burk, Of the San Francisco Normal
school, and Thomas j. Kirk, superin.
tendent Of public instruction of Califor-
mia, both Of whom are leading educators
and who doubtless give unbiased opin.
ions. From these letters your readers
can see that the state board has not COM
mitted such an outrsgeou crime against
the pupils Of Washington as has been rep.
resented. BY Mr.. Wagner's letter they
may see also that the errors appearing
in the geography will speedily be cor
rected, and when SO corrected we shall
have book equal to any book Of its
grade published. The same thing is true
Of the spelling book. Another errone-
GUS idea seems to have gained foothold
among some Of the people, viz. that the
new geography is being discarded by the
schools of the state. What is true is
this: Many Of the schools of the state
prefer two-book course to one book
course. and they have adopted supple.
mental geography to use in connection
with the new Pacific, which action is in
perfect accord with the course of study.
Yours respectfully, F. H. PLUMB.
HARR wAGNER's LETTER.
My Dear Mr.. Plumb: / enclose few
letters in regard to my geography. find
that they have used it for text for cam
paign literature instead of using it in the
schools. l do not mind honest criticism,
but when the critics declare that | have
mispelled "Yafa," and ridicule English
that is taken word for word from STAN
dard authority, then it Ia about time to
get mad. stole from my friend Herbert
Bashford description of the black bear,
numerically. shall have to get after
Bashford Tor writing such poor English.
l am sending up by the next boat an edi-
ton with all the legitimate errors cor
rected. The fact that the P.-I. criticised
my statement that Mt. Mckinley is the
highest mountain in North America does |
not change the truth of my statement at
ALL No geography is perfect. have
discovered more errors in the Rand & |
McNally, the Natural Geography and
Fry's Geography than there are in mine. |
am getting ont broadside defense OF
my geography, and also a comparison
with the others that were offered IN COM
petition. l will send you a copy. OF
course it is not nv nature to fight.
would rather go fishing. l owe it. how
ever, to my friends and myself that
shall not let the papers overwhelm me
with shame and confusion and bring
such stigma to you of the state board Of
My geography is a coming book, book |
that will live. l will more than carry
out my promises to the state board OF
education as to my annual revision. A
book is q growth. Cordially yours,
HARR WAGNER.
Frederic Burk, of the San Francisco
normal school, writes to Mr.. Wagner in
part as follows. After stating that he
could not conscentiously endorse any
geography now in existence. as none of
them met his views as to what geog.
raphy should be, he concludes:
II like the topics which you have sc.
lected for illustration, for this at least is
an approach to the means of instruction
in geography which believe should be
carried infinitely further by the use of
cheap pictures. like your relief maps,
as they suggest further work in the use
of sand for representation of elevations
and slopes. like the many suggestions
you give for map drawing, and l would |
commend the brevity Of the book with
which map questions are treated; but
may frankly say that l do not like the
condensed and encyclopedia ststement of
dry facts with which your book, as we'll |
as all other geography texts, are now |
filled. Nevertheless, know that geog-
raphies in the present state Of pedak og- |
ical development must contain large
doses OF this memory matter or they
could not be adopted. Very truly yours,
FREDERIC BURK.
Thos. l. Kirk, superintendent OF public
instruction OF California, saws:
have examined with some care the |
New Pacific School Geography, by Harr
Wagner. and l think it has many points
of superior excellence. 1t appears to he
mechanically we'll made book, printed
with easily readable type on first quality |
book paper; is profusely illustrated with |
instructive pictures and useful maps. |
One feature that l deem essential in a
school geography is plenty of choice read
ing matter, and Harr Wagner seems to
have we'll supplied this. Geography in
its fullest sense, all educators know is
almost limitless subject, embracing in
fact almost all the natural Sciences but |
Mr.. Wagner has chosen for school text
book only essential. features. and has pre- |
scented only the simple facts OF common
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