Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-02-08
Maine Branch In Annual
Session at Brunswick.
"Ancient History In Secondary
Schools" General Topic.
Several Interesting Addresses on
the Program.

of the New England Classical Associa-
ton attended the opening session. of the
ANIMAL meeting this afternoon, which was
held in Hubbard hall at the invitation of
Prof. Kenneth G. II. Stills of Bowdoin
College, who had charge of The. arrange
mcnts for the meeting.
Ancient History in the Secondary
Schools" was the general topic discussed.
the program being as follows:
Tho Aim Of History Teaching from th1
Point OF View "f III" .'olcGc Teacher
of Classics.
Prof. Geo. NJ. Chas.. Bates College
aims in the Teaching OF Ancient IIiSto-
~ from the Point of View of Il lIiSh
School Teacher
Miss Anna Walsh. Jor'!"n High school.
IT," P.ace OF Ancicnt History in the
iii2h School Curriculum.
FnrnswnrtF q Marshall. principal Of
Crnv High school Augusta
"-,ncient History il, Coil, &c Entrance
Examinations,
Irnf John H..Huddist'.n. University ii
Main"
"Thc Quantity and Quality of Work in
!,ncient HISTORY That M'y Fairly p
FXp"c;cd at Il Good secondary school,"
William 3. Jack. Portland IIi2ii school
'Entrancc Requirements in Ancient His
Tory
Irof. Clarence II. White. Colby College
Suggestions f"r the improved teaching
of Ancient History
Miss y. y. GilpItrick. CohtIln Classical
institute
Remain Coins"
Prof George d. Chase. University Of
Maine
Tie remarks Of Irof Chase ana his
splendid exhibition Of coins were among
the most delightful features OF the pre-
gram. Considerable fun was caused dur
n% the discussion Of Ancient History in
College Entrance Examinations by l'r0t.
HuddilSton. lii the course Of his remarks
he stated that in most preparatory
schools that he had visited he found that
the teachers always Eept the text book
right beside them 50 that if any Of the
scholars should happen to ask a question
the hook could be easily referred TO, thus
showing that some of the teachers have
not thoroughly mastered the subject I'M
der discussion The second he finished
the statement one Of the ladies present
Indignantly cxclaimed: We'll l guess you
never called on our school" This caused
a general laugh.
After the last paper had tecn read an
invitation Was given the members Of the
association to visit tn" Walker AIT
building, where many OF the treasures
were explained by the curator, Prof
Henry Johnson
Adjournment was then made to the Ho-
tel Eagle. where the visitors We're the
guests of Bowdoiu College at dinner.
Those who had registered up to 6 o'clock
were arthur W. Lowe, i. NJ. Winthrip.
f. May Tolman, William B. Jack. Fran
els Il. North. Grace L.. Dolley Of the Port
land High school: Farnsworth G. Marshal
of Cory High school. Augusta; Grace \.
Balcntinc. Beulah r. Purington Caroly n
Hodgdon. ]. NJ. Pike, of LiVcImore Falls
High school; Alice Sleeper OF Wayn1etc |
School. Portland; Frances Elder Of the
Decrins High school; Adele Fitzpatrick, !
G.. T.. Stevenson Of Coburn Classical IN
stitute. Watervillc; II. +. Cole. NJ. A.
Conner, \. G.. Blake. Harry W. Cobb of
Morse High school, Bath: Edna A Bright |
of the East Maine Seminary. Rucl[sport: !
Edgar Kaharl of brunswick High school: |
Annie Lee Knight. Clara Prescott Morrill,
of Hebron Academy; G. II. Larlabec Of
Lincoln Academy; j. W. Taylor Of Free
port ID. w. Brandellc, Anna T. Walsh
of Jordan High school, Lewiston: }. II.
Huddilston. George i. Chase Of rH!vcr-
sity of Maine; and George NJ. Chase and
fred A. Knapp of Bates College.
This evening public session was held
in the Physics Lecture room of the
Scarles Science building. a lecture on
Medieval Libraries" illustrated by tho
was delivered by Prof. +. |
X Rand Of Harvard University.
Before the lecture President William |
Dewitt Hyde of Bowdoin College deliver
ed a shOrt address welcoming the mem |
bers If the association to Bowdon Col
lcSe. He said in part.
"A generation aSo Il group % great
men. Dan win, Tyndall, Huxley lyeli
Spenser. gave humanistic turn to nat
ural science which swept everything be-
fore it, The teachers Of classics were
seized With a panic; and rs Mrs. George
Putnam has happily said i'll a re-
cent article. resortcd to the tactics of
protective imitation and turned the study |
of the classics into a psaudo-science.
Everything depends on the teacher. |
The classics are the dcadest thing you
can thrust into dead mans hands to
teach. but they are the livcliest thing a
teacher can take hold of.
"rwo years ago when we had to elect
a professor Of Latin there appeared rs
candidates the usual crop of philologists
who presented as qualifications. to quote
from, one of them, topography, palace
graphv. Sanskrit, Lithuanian. Avestan,
oscar and Umbrian.' OF course there is
no objection whatever to a mans know
ing all these things: but when a man
puts these forward as his main creien-
tials. no college president VINO has n par
ticle Of pity for the classics or mercy for
his students will let them touch college
class. II
I'VE turned down all such candidates.
and elected u man who was at the time
teaching English. and studying the in
fuence of Dante or subsequent literature
as the subject for his doctors thesis. Il
quote a few words from his letter. not
of application. for I had to apply to him
but Of reluctant acceptance:
You will, of course, explain to the
boards that my interest lies in the liter
airy and not in the linguistic line. 1t
seems to me that there is 4 chance to
teach the classics in college in 4 rather
different method from that conve,itlonaiy
employ The more I think of what may
10 ,lopa IN tho literary eide the more