Year: 1872




At the close of tho County Teachers Institute,
on Friday, the 10th inst, at the suggestion OF
DR.. Lucky, Principal OF the State Normal School
a motion was made and carried that An Educa-
tional Department shall be opened in the news
papers of the county, and that an editor and an
assistant shall be appointed to supcrintend its
management. The Office of editor, very injudi-
ciously we fear, has been conferred on us; for
indeed not only do we lack. in our own estima-
ton at least. the ability, intelligence and expert


ence requisite for such position, but even the
faculty of nice discrimination with respect to
important distinctions which should preeminently
characterize the manager of literary paper.
Since our fellow-teachers, however, have gener-
ously given us credit for merit that as we said be
fore, we do not imagine we possess we are forced
in manner to accept the Office; and moreover
as our reluctance to do 80 might be misco n
strued as disrespect on our part towards our
fellow-teachers, or maybe apathy in the cause of
education. Bo that as it may, we, however, in
dulge in the hope that our assiduity, diligence
and deep interest in the work set before us will
make up in manner for our intellectual def
cheney. In thus assuming the duties attached to
the management of the work in question we do
so with the fervid hope that the talents OF our
co-workers, as well as the sympathy of the pub
lie in general, will be employed and enlisted in
favor Of the advancement of popular education,
to which we indeed promise that the columns Of
the Department shall be exclusively devoted.
If, as we expect, teachers and other friends Of
education furnish tho mental pabulum with
which to refresh our readers then may we ask
of our friends to consider us in no other light
than rs caterer or one through whose editorial
care tho contributions received shall pass to the
press, THIS is ,shat are ,chat cish to be and
nothing more.


Before the teachers started to their respective
homes on Saturday last Mr.. Landers, assistant
in this work, and ourself made it our business to
consult with few of these relative to the nature
of the contributions to be sent us for publication.
Our united wisdom suggested the following pro-
gramme Of procedure: 1t shall be at all times our
pleasure to receive contributions on matters
educational from any source and to give them
due attention and ready publication. Should
communications be too lengthy or too numerous
for the space allowed US they will be condensed,
in some cases. Contributors will please confine
themselves within the range of facts all press
matter nowadays should be short sharp and
spicy; something that will interest the public.
All of which, however numerous. will meet with
glad reception. We however hope that essays
on metaphysical subtilties, quodbctcs, or other
scholastic mystiosms shall be few and far be-
tween. Such items as the following shall be
duly chronicled when received: Official journey
ings of the County Superintendent, examinations
of teachers, schools, change of teachers, as also
when teachers change life of single blessedness
"to try that Chrstun comfort called n wife, " etc.
TEACHERS INsTIrUrs. The Teacher Institute
which was held here last week was indeed de-
cided success. The exercises were practical and
the debates spicy and to tho point. Everything
savoring of new fangledism and gloze meeting
with cold reception. 1t seemed to be an i'm
provement on that of last year, the attendance
being more numerous and regular, and having
a greater variety and perhaps moro sterling tai
ant. The remarks of DR.. Lucky, Principal of
the State Normal School, made there were sig
nificant and noteworthy. Teachers, " said that
gentleman, "who do least at Institutes OF this
kind are the first to murmur at their seeming
i'll success, and are ut any time ready to pro-
nounce them failures, without any reason what
ever; though they never once reflect, if such
should be the case, that they themselves are
chiefly the instruments in bringing about the
consequences they so much regret" The
learned doctor called upon the members to
consider whether they had done any good at the
present Institute, and if in doing SO they had
really earned The wages it was expected public
generosity would allow them while being there.
We would call therefore upon teachers, with all
possible respect however, to furnish this Depart
ment a few remarks for insertion in our is ne Of
next week, 80 that it may appear that apostle
ness of DR.. Lucky's structures, SO far as the
teachers of Placer county are concerned can have
no such application as meditated by the Doctor.


NorE.-We would notify teachers that some OF
the instructions in the programme OF procedure
are not to be considered as applying in any case
to the eru lite scholar and experienced essayist
but rather to those juveniles who are at present
only studying the ars scrbendi, and have not had
as yet the temerty to launch out on the perilous
and gigantic Of literature.


Mr.. EDIToR:-In my communication last week
inadvertently omitted the names of the follow
ing ladies' who contributed literally towards