The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-04-09

| SIcChs VI 0utlnOKln,
Three hundred and fifty -eight of the
three hundred and sixty-four public
school teachers OF this city were in
attendance yesterday afternoon at the
opening session of the eighth annual
teachers institute held in the High
school auditorium. This was a record
breaking attendance. and Superintcnd-
ent Howell says 1t bodies extremely
well for the success Of the weeks
work.
The session was opened with prayer
by Rev. John p. Moffat. ID. d., pastor
OF the Washburn Street Presbyterian
church. after which the large audience
of teachers and others present joined
in singing a number of selections un-
der the leadership Of Prof. Derman,
winding up with 4 stirring rendition of
the Red. White and Blue
President John Gibbons, Of the board
or control, made the BRIEF opening ad-
dress. He made no attempt to indulge
| i'll any flowers of speech for, he eX-
planned that that was beyond his pow
er. but what he did say was sincere
and earnest and that he probably
stands about as high in the hearts OF
'ii' lSothSiS StS any uidn III Ine CITY
was manifested by the enthusiastic
applause with which he was interrupt
ed.
II have always been on the side of
the teachers" said he, ,"when they were
In the right, and in nine cases out of
ten they are in the right" He spoke
of the great desire on the part of the
teachers to have their salaries ad-
vanced, and explained that this would
be seen to just as soon as the city was
properly supplied with school build
ings. He wanted the teachers to get
more pay. lie said: they deserve 1t and
were entitled to it. err you can ever
get ten votes" he added, John Glib
hons will be proud to be the eleventh
man."
OBJECT OF INSTITUTE
Superintendent Howell followed Mr..
Gibbons and gave an eloquent little
talk OH the real object and purpose of
a teachers institute. Institutes were
not intended. he said, to give teachers
academic instruction, but to lift them
to higher plane of thought and to
enable them to demonstrate to the
people that they know more today than
they did yesterday.
"The greatest object of an institute.
however," said he. sis to create and
maintain a sympathy and u bond Of
common interest between teacher and
! parent. When we get the heart that
rules the home throbbing for our sue
cess, the work of education is half
done. People talk about the necessity
OF close communion between teachers
themselves. but I tell you that the
greatest educational factor in the
home and school"
Following Mr.. Howells address there
We're several musical numbers, includ-
ing a brilliantly executed piano duet
by Miss Reba Williams and Ralph
Williams, and several selections by a
quartette consisting of Mrs. Carr, Mrs.
Ballentine, Miss Irene Kahn and Miss
Phoebe smith.
Miss r. G. Olmstead, who is in
charge of the training school, gave a
helpful and instructive talk on Econ
ony in Arithmetic" with blackboard
illustrations. She showed how the
work of simplifying the addition and
subtraction tables could be easily man
aged by having the pupils group the
numbers in groups of ten.
a chorus of the older pupils from
No. II school, under the leadership of
Mrs. Annie Barnes, marched upon the
platform when Miss OlmStead had fin
ished and sang with remarkable pre-
cision and feeling two very pretty Sc
lections. Following this number came
the feature of the afternoon Il lecture
on popular Hero Worship" by
Charles r. Steck, of Shamokin.
DISTINGUISHED LOOKING.
Mr.. Steck is very distinguished
looking gentleman. bearing a striking
resemblance to some of the published
portraits of Sir Henry Irving. He is n
most polished speaker and made q
most favorable impression, holding the
close attention of his auditors for near
ly an hour and a half
He sought to prove two things in his
lecture. The first OF these was that
many of the men who are hailed as
heroes by the unthinkins multitudes
are merely what he called "striplings,
given the opportunity to strike the final
blow to produce Il result which ''giants
may have been toiling for centuries
without apparent effect to obtain" In
Illustration OF this thought he told of
the child of the woOdman who, when
his father had cut notch into the
very heart of a great tree. took the
axe and struck the final blow which
brought it To earth.
He referred to the habit which the
masses have of gushing" over the
most commonplace traits of great men,
He took the popular conception OF
several incidents In George Washing
toms life to prove this. People revere
Washington, he said, for refusing the
offer of n certain rash individual to
make him a king and laud him to the
skies because he rejected the PROPOSE
ton.
yet" he said. ut was but an act OF
ordinary everyday honesty on Wash
ington's part If Washington had
even seriously considered such prop
osition he would have been a traitor
10 the cause of liberty. What is the
matter with us, ! say, that we think
when man rises 10 q position OF
prominence ne must OF necessity play
the devil and IL he forbears we must
bow down and worship him as demi-
god?"
WASHINGToN'S PRAYER.
He spoke of the hundreds al people
who glory Washington because ne
knelt at Valley Forge upon the frozen
ground and prayed 10 God for relief
for the suffering soldiers OF the Con-
tinental army. Yet when we analyze
Washington's act" said he. 1--WE are
confronted with the question--wftat
right had he not TO pray? If WASH
ington did not pray only under the
stress of such circumstances as those
what manner of man was he?'
The session will be resumed this
morning at $50 o'clock, when address
4 IL Ill li.a-