Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1901-03-07

their places in the ranks ofth electorate, the
time will be rapidly approaching when the
State of Maryland can proudly say to her
sisters "Belod my jewelsl children whom 1
have nur,ured with fruit from the Tree Of
Knowledge whose love and wisdom are my
safeguards"
Now, as to certain sanitary arrangements
in your schoolrooms concerning which you
have been kind enough to ask me to speak,I
must say that it is getting to be hackneyed
subject and of which am growing weary.
But these conditions exist and they must be
antagonized: Spasmodic utterances Of those
in authority about filthy alleys and hog pens
have accomplished little beyond giving US an
unenviable notoriety, which was greatly
increased by last summers census of the pens
and their occupants.
But, my friends, In your daily work you
are often, In your school rooms, surrounded
by conditions far more prejudicial to your
health. The over. breathed air Of an over
crowded, overheated school room Is absolute.
ly devitalizing and health destroying. The
odols of the alley disgust your sense. The
air of your room ladened with carb0Dic acid
gas and body exhalations, inhaled and taken
into your blood, and reinhaled and again
taken into your blood. impair the vitality IF
that fluid upon which depends your strength
and your resistance TO disease
Several years ago through similar medi-
UNI directed attention to some practica!
points in the ventilation Of the schoolroom
the great importance Of which IS SO appar.
ent that comment is unnecessary.
am gratlfied to know that some teachers
of their own will and doubtless at their own
expense, have made he simple additions to
essary and safe ventilation. II consisted only
of placing tight fitting strip Of wood not
more than two inches wide under the lower
sash, thereby raising it so that the current of
outer air would pass in upward between the
upper and lower sash ind coming into con-
tact with the ovcrheated air overhead would
be safely distributed throughout the room.
By this simple device direct draught and it's
dangers are entirely avoided, and while on
this subject let me caution you about throw
ing open the window and subjecting yourself
and pupils to the danger OF direct currents Of
air. Better far when you notice that the air
is impure, to dismiss the school for few
minutes, and then throw open the windows
to secure the necessary regeneration.
l believe the suggestion made as to the
covered drinking vessel has be aprroved,and
you and your charges are to be congratulated
upon your escape from all that was involved
In the open bucket and dipper.
Sanitation-by which we mean the pro.
duc,ion OF such conditions and environments
as will check or prevent disease-has been
brought into such prominence and its power
so successfully demon trated that there is no
longer any justification for the general prev
alence of preventable diseases. With that
statement drop the subject and will detaln
you with only few comments upon an evil
which in my opinion is not only of equal
magnitude but which defeats the very pur-
pose of the public school system education.
doing over the mass fsluff now constituting
the course Of study is not education and the
teacher, superintendent, local or general, or
commissioner who thinks SO confesses his
unfitness.
! The vital and essential element in your
work is that you inspire your pupil with
love for study that you awaken in him an
overmasterng desire to acquire knowledge.
If this splrlt and purpose is not aroused, and
when aroused properly directed your strug-
! gle as a teacher with be in vain. 1t ia the
same with school chldren as with their elders
II there is not love for the work in which
WE are engaged, ii is drudgery, and he who
is spiritless and indifferent In his work is
always commonplace. Satisfying results
success, advancement never come to that
kind of worker ia life's busy marts Now
what do we find upon the very threshold OF
the schoolro0m?
You know full WE'LL and believe that you
will agree with me that the number and
range of studies defeats your etfnrts to inspire
your plpil with that love of study so essential
to success. They are at the very outset
overwhelmed with the magnitude of,he task
an instead of enthusiasm being aroused aud
and his zeal strengthened, the child is disap.
pointed and disprited and he soOu surren.
ders
This lamentabe condition exists, but you
are not responsible. You have assigned to
you certain amount OF work to be done in
prescribed period and you are expected to
get your pupils over the road, 80 to speak,
according to schedule. Let me illustrate
these statements by a little personal exper-
fence. Shortly after the schools opened, l
noticed my son, aged IS years, coming thro'
the yard with his satchel of books slung
across his shoulder. l was struck by the
apparent weight Of the load and directed him
to bring the sprlug scales. found he was
Juggling nine pounds of books morning and
night from his home to tho Academy, GER
tanly one.third of mile
This, however, was but trfie. The nine
pounds meant that many books to be studied
Did it, No, 1t was not study. It was not
training the mental faculties; it was not dis
cipline whereby the memory could be
strengthened and the reason developed 1t
WAS nothing but wretched process Of cram.
ming of pretending to accomplish some