The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-08-31
A GLANCE AT EDUCATION PAST
AND PRESENT

The attention given to education N
our country is much greater now than
ever before. So one must conclude
who sees the lists Of new educational
books that are issued Zach month. Thir-
teen new works have recently appeared
from the American publishers and all
but one. We think, were by Americans.
That great changes have occurred in
the last quarter OF a century as to edu-
catiOnal theories and systems IS appar-
ent to one who has given the matter
even q cursory examination. Such
books are published as those taking
for themes The School and Society,"
1.-The Ethical Sunday School," "Edu-
cat Dnal Aims and Methods" THE
Making of Character" Reading: How
to Teach It" The Logical Basis Of
Education" and The Nervous Sys-
tenn of the Child" The last named is
highly important. The welfare of the
child should always be the first care.
All teachers and parents are or should
be peculiarly interested just herel. AS
to how to teach reading it cannot be
neglected with safety, for comparative
ly few read we'll, and n~inety-nine in
the hundred pronounce incorrectly.
Only those have any proper concep-
ton of the multitudinous examples of
bad pronunciation who a studied
the art under good tutilage. People, go
through life calling an hundred or a
thousand words incorrectly n are ut
terly u~rsusDecting of their % ac-
complishments in this line. The bar
and the pulpit are to great extent re-
sponsible for this. The chief colleges
can have blame laid at their door. We
heard q preacher of a college, who
has taken first distinction. make as
many plumbers in pronunciation as we
ever heard fall from a comparatively
uneducated cleric. We doubt if there
are % people in North Carolina
today who can pronounce correctly all
the proper names in the New Tesla
ment. So How to Teach Reading
which necessarily includes pronuncia-
tion, is highly important. A Boston
woman of education who is "Supervi-
sor of Schools of Boston" is the au-
tho of the useful book. Her name is
Sarah Louise Arnold. Her book is
praised by good critics In the north.
Writing of educational matters re-
minds US of two recent books on two
of the great public schOls Of England
Rugby and Charterhouse. Rugby was
founded in 1867. One of the head mas
tiers was John WOOL. He was a whip
per in his day, and figured in the lat
ter half of the eighteenth century. 1t
is recorded of him that he did not
forget Solomon's precept, and We read
of one occasion when in the ~extraordi-
nariIv short space Of fifteen minutes
he fogged the whole Of a form of thir-
ty-eight boys, who had thought fit TO
put a stop to a lesson by the simple eN-
pedient of going away"
He was a fogger, but he could hard
" do Justice to so many in the time
allowed. Some North Carolina teach
ers of the way back would have prob
ably required at least twenty minutes.
1t will be recalled that the great Rugby
master was DR.. Thomas Arnold. Char
IeIlOuSS udlCS 1AOlll 1ONS' -
ruption of the French "Chartreuse.'
One of it's masters. as we learn from
the Dial "was elected for flogging boys
. who did not share his political views.
DIR. Russell, who was head master IN
the early part of his century, abol-
sshed fogging, and substituted fines,
to the Indignation of the boys who're
-a-l4I dN-rirr soC yoru OnnTlnnn 1M1 "
but fines most ungentlemanly. 1.-THE
rebellion against ines was so nerce
that DR.. Russell re-adopted logging.
and one student of the times writes
that on the day when ines were abo1-
ished, when we all walked into school
together, we found a perfect forest of
birch reds. and I should think that the
whole school-time of two hours was
expended in the use and application Of
them"
That gives a fine idea of teaching
the young idea how to shoot in the
Ions - The great Thackeray went
to Charterhouse and was the most dis
tinguished son II ever had. Walter
Savage Landor, one of the greatest
masters of English style, and Matthew
Arnold, son of the eminent master, a
poet of high rank as we'll as an essay
list of rare charm, were the most gifted
of h Rugby boys. a. H. Clough,
Dean Stanley and other famous men
were taught there. Their great schools
and Winchester and several others of
rare repute were and are the chief feed
ers of the great universities of Oxford
and Cambridge.