The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1916-10-12

arithmetician. fla word of what
ever unsettled photography or
ortheopy were given out to him
he would Immediately and from
memory give the correct spelling
and pronunciation as taught, by
Walker first and then Webster,
Worcester, Elphinston. Johnson
and other leading photographers
of England ard America. He
was a liberal patron and attend
ant upon nearly I'll the spelling
matches and debating societies in
the neighborhood and invariably
made it lively for all concerned.
The writer remembers one es-
pecially pleasing and profitable of
Mr.. Chase's every day exercises
at school. 1t was q general re-
hearsal, in concert by all the
scholars, big and little, at the
close of each afternoon session.
This exercise lasted about fifteen
minutes and consisted in asking
questions by the teacher and ans
wer in chorus by the children.
Many of the scholars weTe from
six TO fourteen years of age and
had been thoroughly drilled upon
this program until they could
answer everything with prompt.
ness and vim. The first question
was What are the siqns of the
Zodiac?' Answ er by the school:
They are twelve. Aries, Taur-
US, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo,
Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricornus,
Aqua~ius a IN d Pisces" Then
would follow a variety of set
questions and corresponding ans
wers, upon mathematical, physi-
cal, descrir tive and political ge-
ographpy embracing the earth's
daily and annual movements and
it's various astronomical relations
to the solar system, its natural
and political divisions, together
with the capitals of all the states
and nations in the world. Then
followed questions and answers
on the tables of weights and mea-
sures, divisions Cf time, principal
events in the worlds history and
many maXims and rules OF prime
Importance in practical life.
Mr.. Chase was great reader
Of poetry and fiction, although
he never attempted to write
write a single page of either. He
claimed that poets were born and
not made such, and that a man
no more could make himself a
poet, than a sheep can make it.
self a goat" His readings in
the field of light literature were
confined generally to the more
tneritorious authors, both modern
and ancient. His advice in the
selection of books was always to
take the best, for it took no more
time to read a worthy book than
it did to read an inferior one.
Mr.. Chase had intense admira,
ton for what he regarded as
first-class authors, and a most
decided aversion, amounting to
unjust and unreasonable preju-
| dice, against certain others. In
these respects he was in many
particulars most decidedly old
fogy even for his time. His fav-
orite dictionary was Walker, with
some tolerance for Worcester,
against all the rest then in use.
The most invidious comparisons
were made in favor of Murray as
against Kirkham in grammar; in
favor Of the English Introduction
| Reader and Sequel as against
what he termed the follies OF
McGuffeys; and in favor of Ad-
ANS Analytic Arithmetic, Talbot
and other prominent arithmetics
Of that day. But to say Samue
Kirkham or B. F, Ellis as gram.
marians to him was like shaking
ared rag at a cross bull. 1t twoulC
invariably elicit criticisms thai
: were ironical aid sarcastic. Hi
arraignment of faulty authors
> especially of school books, wer'
, fnir.l,r cuclnn:c ano vet he Mal