Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1904-08-27


of attention-receptiv investigative
and executive. The most important
of these was investigative, or rubber
NECK" attention,
WEDNESDAYS SESSION.
The session of the teachers insti.
tute Wednesday morning was opened
by singing "Glory Hallelujah," after
which devotional exercises were con-
Quoted by Prof. Muldoon.
DR.. Bigelow then took up the subject
of nature study. He proposed to the
teachers to take a trip through the
fields adjoining Martinsburg.. DR..
Bieelow was for many years the
mature and Science editor of the
st. Nicholas magazine, and has been
accompanied by young folks in parties
of from few to $50 on natural his
tory excursions along the roadsides,
across the fields, through the forests
and meadows and swamps. In single
year he has taken 1900 girls and boys
on tramps aggregating over l75 miles.
1t is on similar excursion of nature
study he proposed to take the teach
ers Wednesday afternoon.
Prof. Muldoon made a brief address
on the subject of the Shepherd College
State Normal school, urging his
hearers to bear in mind the advantages
offered students at that institution.
Superintendent Brindle, of the Mar
tinsburg city schools, then took up
the subject of mensuration, illustrat-
ing a very interesting lecture by means
of blocks and drawings.
After this subject DR.. Bigelow held
an impromptu spelling match, which
developed on of the greatest surprises
of the institute up to the present
time. He selected list of 25 words,
such as are in common use, and of the
1875 teachers present but seven were
able to spell the words correctly, some
of the teachers misspelling as high as
40 per cent. The words were:
Judgment, doubt. rout, whereas,
peaceable, placable, naughty, knotty,
thought, though, dough. thorough,
doe, indelible, delable. sagaciors. sar-
casm, cite, site, sight, write, rite.
right. occasion, stereopticon.
OF all the words the last was the
more frequently misspelled, at least
two-hirds, of the teachers getting it
wrong. In every case where two or
more words had the same sound, the
definitions were given as an aid. Ii
was a particularly noticeable fact that
not a single female teacher of the
more than rs was able to spell the
words. The following were named as
having spelled all the words:
John s. Cole, j. W. B. Evans, w.
A. Pitzer, j. W. Gain, @. P. @.
Rinker. H. R. Kershner, Fred Il.
Ramer.
The instructors might also direct at.
tention to the fact that nine out OF
ten of the teachers call their meeting
an "institoot.
Wednesday afternoon DR.. Bigelow led
the teachers attended the Berkeley
county institute upon the proposed ex.
cursion into the country for the pur.
pose of getting in close communion
with nature as an adjunt to his in.
teresting talks on nature study. When
the merry party started Prof. Muldoon
was given the place Of honor in the
van, while DIR. Bigelow prudently
brought up the rear in order that
no one might straggle and become
lost. 1t was an imposing array that
invaded the rural precincts. and the
rabbit and wren, the jay bird and
chipmunk looked askance at the trudg-
ing line and skurried for shelter.
When Tieman's bottom was reached
1t was found that Mr.. Muldoon had
completely lost his wind, something
he was never known to do before, and
that DIR. Bigelow had won the race
by neck, one of the teachers remark.
ing soto voice that 1t was not Mr..
Muldoon's rubber-neck. either.
Seated on hill among the trees.