The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1901-12-13
TEACHERS
INSTITUTE
Successful Meetings Of County
Convention held at Dover.

<rominent Educators Speak on the
Value Of the Child, Its Ideals, Ad-
vanced rIethods for Teaching AS.
tronomy, Nature Study, Observa'
tions on Discipline.
The Norris County Teachers Insti.
tute was held in the Old Presbyterian
Church, Dover, Thursday and Friday,
OF last week. The Institute was called
to order at 10 o'clock Thursday morn
ing by Superintendent Matthews
Devotional exercises were conducted
by the Rev. DIR. Hollaway of Dover,
The first lecture. 1.-THE Physioa
Child, twas given by DR.. Earl Barnes
of the University Extension Society
formerly professor in LELAND stan
ford. University. The speaker showed
wide range Of knowledge OF his SUD
icet, having made experiments anc
inyesti cations in the physical measure
ment of school children from Maine
to California, and in nearly all the
countries Of Europe. DR.. Barnes IL
lustrated his subject by system OF
ourves which showed the physical
develoument of children of both sexes
at different ages, the periods of acce-
Ierated and retarded development, etc.,
az found by the weights and measure
ments of hundreds Of thousands OF
ohildren in different parts OF the
world. The speaker gave as the re-
suit of his Investigations that mental
power was in direct proportion TO
physical development; that the per-
iods Of acceleration in physical
development were the periods most
favorable to mental growth. He also
stated that he had found the very
highest specimens of physical and men,
tai development among the youth OF
the well-to-do and higher GLASSES in
England; among the boys of Elton and
Rugby. At the same time he found
the poorest developed among the lower
classes In the same country y-among the
youth in the great manufacturing
towns, and in the slums of London.
After q brief recess DIR. II. W. Ell
son, of Philadelphia, spoke on astron-
omy. His subject was This Terres-
trial Ball. !, He told of the size, posi-
tion and movements of the earth,
its rate nf travel, and the vast distance
which separates our solar system
from the rest OF the universe.
Yhe afternoon session was opened
by DR.. Barnes on the subject Of
Children's Ideals. = He treated this
subject graphically as he did that OF
the morning session. He showed how
the child's ideal varied with his
growth-how the ideals of boys
differed from those of girls, how
ideals were influenced by environ
ment, association and reading.
The second period of the afternoon
session was taken by Miss Louise
Connolly who spoke on "The Value
OF Nature Study Miss Connolly is
one of the most successful of Insti-
tute lecturers. She has a practical
knowledge of the teachers needs and
difficulties, and her talks are always
pertinent and we'll blended with wit
and common sense.
The last period in the afternoon was
taken by DR.. Elson on The Moon and
Her Vagaries.' An opportunity for
questions and discussion was given
after each lecture.
Thursday evening Miss Connolly
gave a lecture on "The Value of the
Uhild.,' This was most valuable
and instructing lecture, and one that
every parent in the county could have
heard with profit. The speaker dwelt
at some length upon the material re-
sources of our country, its agricul-
tural and mineral wealth, it's vast
manufacturing industries, and then
she spoke of the value of human life.
She compared the money value of a
slave with the value to the country Of
a Lincoln or a Mckinley. She ther
asked for place in our estimate oi
resources for the value Of the child.
She asked that we consider not only
the latent possibilities Of the child,
but its present economical use as well
az sentimental value. The lecture
was strong plea for the child. The
teachers who missed this lecture lost
one Of the best features Of the Insti.
tute
BY request, DR.. Elson spoke on the
subject of History at Fridays ses-
sions. In the morning he spoke Of
the early conflict in our country be-
tween the two great parties led res
peotiyely by Hamilton and Jefferson
He showed BY illustration that the
distance that had early separated
these two parties had gradually les
sened until the present time, and thai
now the principle which had early
caused their difference had almost
disappeared. He maintained that al
present the only real issue between
the parties was the question Of the
tariff.
Miss Connolly spoke on the subject