The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-10-28


| twenty-fourth annual institute that 1t
will be lived up to this year.
The morning session was conducted
| in the main court ROOM as all the ses-
| sons will be, and was devoted entirely
| to the enrolment of the two hundred
and more teachers, the distribution OF
note books and the assignment of seats.
| followed by an informal social session.
Professor John r. Watkins began the
first of a series of vocal lessons at the
opening of the afternoon session, and
| was followed by Frank l.. Jones, super
| intendent of schools for Indiana, who
began a course of lectures on the phil
Osophy Of history as viewed from a
modern standpoint superintendent
Jones is a young man who typfies in
everything that he says and does the
vigorous and sturdy manhood of his
home state.
The particular topic on which he
spoke was Fundamental Relations in
History He emphasized the neceS-
sity of throwing out new questions. the
answering of which will require not
simply the memory of Il date or name
or incident on the part of the pupil but
knowledge of a variety of facts re-
lated to the subject under considera-
tion. There is altogether too much
pure memory work in connection with
the study of history as taught in many
schools, he said.
Some Definite Facts.
If the pupil is asked what year Amer
lea was discovered and who discovered
ii, the answers to these questions mere
ly require the knowledge of some def
mite fact, but if pupil is asked why
Washington was chosen as the capital
of the United States II great variety of
facts and circumstances are required
to be known before IL correct answer
can be given.
1t will be necessary to know that
Alexander Hamilton desired to have
the new nation established on a firm
financial basis, and with this end in
view that he felt it necessary for the
government to pay off not only the ma
tional Indebtedness. but the indebted
ness of the several colonies: that the
representatives from the south We're op-
posed to this and that Hamilton effected
compromise by agreeing to give the
support of the North to the placing OF
the capital in the South if the southern
representatives would agree to support
his financial plan.
To learn history merely as a chrono-
logical study is valuable. said Mr..
Jones, but there are much better ways
of learning it, Two of the fundament-
al relations to be observed in the study
of history, he said, are the relations eX-
listing between the material world and
mans mind, because of the effect OF
the world of matter on mans mind and
the influence Of mans mind on the ma
terial world.
Miss Julia f.. Rogers, director of the |
correspondence course in agriculture |
at Cornell university, and IL woman |,
with wide reputation as AN instruc- |
tor in nature work, began a course OF
lectures on that particular line of work |
Immediately following Superintendent |
Jones. Her topic was signs of Prep |
araton for Winter"
Talk About Trees.
Her time was limited, and she there !
fore devoted her talk to the trees and |
told many interesting things about the |
changes which take place in them on |
the approach of the winter months. |
The leaves fail from the trees, she said, |
because otherwise they would be de-
eXpend the most Of its vitality in try
ing to keep them alive.
She described at length how the rich |
nutritive cells of the leaves are with
drawn into the twigs in the fall and |
stored away for the winter. Nothing
exactly definite is known as to what
causes the coloring of the dying leaves,
she said, but the latest theory evolved
seems to be very DlauSible This ia
that a great deal of rubbish is gathered
up from the earth by the roots and sent
by means of the sap into the leaves.
substance and the chemical changes
which it undergoes is believed to cause
the beautiful colorings.
A typical New F,nglander in appear-
ance and talk is w. w, stetson, state
superintendent of schools for Maine,
who began a course of lectures on
Pedagogy and School Management"
He Is quick witted, brainy man with
an utter detestation of shams. as he
proved in almost the first sentence he
and he became Immediately
popular with the teachers.
The first point he sought TO empha-
size was that the pschycology of the
future will embody very little of the
new pschycology, which means little,
and very much of the old pschycology,
and right in this connection he paid his
respects 10 the child study fad.
A Form of Disease.
There is form of disease" he said,
known as child study, There may be
ranker forms of idiocy but If there are
have M knnNla1pa nf than |