The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-08-31
EDGECoMBE TEACHERS INSTITUTE.
Branch Organized of Woman's Soc ETY. for Inn
provement of School Houses

Especial to the News and Observer
Tarboro. N. c., Aug. 30.-The county
teachers institute, which has been in
session here during the past two weeks,
closed last Friday. The writer has heard
nothing but commentator of the manner
in which this institute was conducted,
and many who attended have expressed
the opinion that it was the most practi
cal. instructive. pleasing. and in every
way. satisfactory institute ever held in
the county
It's extraordinary success was due to
the spirit with which the teachers en-
tered into the work; to the untiring eff
forts of County Superintendent r. NJ.
Davis and Mr.. j. r. Gaskill chairman of
the Board of Education: and last but not
least to the able, helpful, instructive and
inspiring work of Prof. J. l. Foust, of
the Normal and Industrial College.
Everybody seemed to be in hearty sym
pathy with the work and to do what
they could to contribute to its highest
success.
novel feature of the institute was
an effort to show how to teach beginners
to read by the phonc method This was
well and interestingly done by Miss
Emma Lewis Speight, one of the primary
teachers, during the past session in the
Tarboro graded schools. This work was
done with a class of children that had
never attended school before.
On Monday of the last week, Miss
Lizzie Howell, also a teacher in the Tar
boro graded schools, delighted the insti-
tute with an elegant description of her
trip to Knoxville and of the work of the
Summer School of the South which she
had recently attended; on Wednesday,
Mr.. CASTOR Lichtenstein gave a pleasing
and instructive description of his trip
to and through Europe, and in the after
noon Prof John Duckett made thought
full and valuable talk on 1.-The Teacher
Outside of the School Room" on Thurs
day morning DR.. S. N. Harrell a promi-
nent young physician of Tarboro, de-
livered clear, forcible and we'll received
lecture on Hygiene and the Sanitation
of the School Room" on the same day
Supt e. P. Mangum, of the Wilson city
schools, gave two very interesting talks
on methods of teaching geography On
Thursday afternoon Miss Emma Lewis
Speight organized the Edgecombe County
Branch of the ''Woman's Society for the
Improvement of School Houses in North
Carolina" The following officers were
elected Miss Leona Moore president:
Miss Lizzie Mayo. vice president; Miss
Augusta Harrell secretary; Miss Matilda
Williams, corresponding secretary. and
Mrs. Julia Calling, treasurer
Every teacher present united as an
active member: and ten visitors Joined
as associate members and at once paid
in their one dollar initiation fee. We
trust that the work of these fifty or more
devoted young women who have volun-
tarily joined the society as active mem
bers means much for the betterment of
the school houses of Edgecombe.
For. while we are far from having the
worst in the State, there is still plenty
Of work to be done. This society pro-
poses to raise 81 900 for this purpose.
Several other gentlemen than those
previously mentioned were present at
various times during the institute and
addressed some, off-hand. but none the
less timely and stimulating, remarks to
the teachers. Among these were Messrs.
J. b. Lloyd. G. NJ T Fountain. Jas. r.
Gaskill. and DR.. l.. l.. Station.