COUNTY AGITATOR is published
tSE 110 ? A Morning. « nd ® ailwi 40 subscribers
gdl price of f.
‘ ,ie n\E DOLLAR PER ;
K \ „*«.«• »> s tC nQjpfycrtnr
the term ftr wfnchTie Ties paid shall
&J Vl T the stomp-—“ Time Out,** on the mar.
f,,«?«'“’ .... The paper will then be stopped
Sot tw *‘ >“jSt*nce fr*bntr
i-istof Ije -brought h®. debt <o=Uie
JpO£ot-ra>
St« r - ... is tie Official Toper of the Cotfrily,
lt „a steadily increasing circulation Mach
-at s Ins' „,icbborhood in the County. It is sent
into e«tl Ki ,T,y-J>ost Offlcf withto; thp (county
frtt 4 « os * convenient gostf cjficcjmdy (be
limi«r *- or County.
j 0 ,01')“’ BOt exceeding 5 lines, paptr incla-
¥or the Agitator.
jHB DRUNKARD’S BOY, .’. ~
, . „ lC n Eich when they woulittil, 'i
I« childhood o’erandlo’er; ’
:tl 1 their bosoms heave and swell,.
tiry would say -they*!! come no more.**
la.naocld bring each ea.-ly hour
1 &.J i« trotcory'^ar-drmmed^am
r.eh leaf of life A withered flower,—
coaid not wish them back again
theieer. the taunt, the look of scorn, ;
* tta! all the cold world give to me ; ,
Ob God! the curse of being born
n shadow and a mockery!
1 want and shame were e’er my lot.
‘ lo youth I never dreamed of joyj
Mr falter did his manhood blot—
j sas, I was a drunkard't icy.
This bitter cup will pass away, .!
Or break my heart and sear my Mam;
tfc early hours have felt decay _
I could not wish them back again.
(inner, April, 1559. A,
TO •
, Though the day [roil now is shining,
-j And ail around is bright,
I am longing for the darkness
|| Of the still, calm, starlit night.
' I care not that the flowers
ite blooming fair for me,
for I’m longing for the midnight—
When come sweet dreams of thee.
Though I hear the song-bird’s music,
And the brooklet murmuring free.
Still Tm ever, ever longing,
For the midnight dreams of thee.
likm the stars are brightly shining
With their stilt and silvery light.
Then come sweet dreams to bless ine
In the calm and silent night.
juuSeld. Pa. E. Sophia.
letter From Over The River.
Have read, somewhere, that men constitution
al timid become truly brave under a sense of
gamut peril from which there is no escape
htrdinarj effort. I have heard that men upon
Jig thrust into gloomy dungeons for life, af
eie first paroxysms of terror', have passed
in;, are wont to subject their prison cells to a
rpi sod minute scrutiny. I .believe these pho
tiaii susceptible of philosophical' explana
n Man is so framed that 'he rarely, or
Bit, utterly despairs. A, ray of sunshine
isfimes finds a rift in the battle-smoke, and
tms the soul ofhim who' contends “for life
in :::; fearful odds.. A ray of Tight, eloquent
nithuxit, traverses (Ire chink in the
bjeon trail and revives hope in the bosom of
it chained captive within. Mania so framed,
his so ordered.
Obedient to an indefinable impulse, when I
de possession of new lodgings, I have no peace
util every nook and corner of my rooms are
furooghly explored.- Closets with narrow doors
-generally too wide to shut closely, either from
hropness or the shrinking of timbers—are my
special delight. They furnish just that stlm
tlus to the love of the marvelous necessary to
tme natures, ami deprived of which, life would :
M unbearably dull and monotonous. When I
rgage lodgings the mystery of t£he closet rules.
You will not wonder,-then, when T assure
-u that there is ji/st such a closet in the room
ftete I sit. I had not been in haste to explore
srecesses—having occupied the room nearly
imDti without si) much as taking a peep into
silliness. Curiosity may he laid prostrate
udtr the dead weight of sleepless indifference;
id like truth—“lt will rise again”—at the
r -7 first opportunity. 1
Ike rerarreotion of Curiosity.in my case took
yesterday at about two of the clock—af-
I am particular about the time of the
kj, lest some skeptics should declare .what I
Biboot to relate to have been a midnight
® tas y. To such I would say that lam not
Niled with ghosts. Indeed, I have long de
“dto see one of those impalpable creatures,
filmy and midnight. I,assure them that
■re is no ghost in this case—nothing preter
“ktnl at all. As beforementioned, I was
hserljy seized with a desire to explore the
'-■win pucitfin. It is not large, in fact it is
rererse of large, and the search did not
t --’“manv minutes.
first! thought there was nothing to rc
ffiy search. There was a little dust, a few
pruned matches, some scraps of linen, and
5 .v m a far corner, a crumpled roll of coarse
■*o paper. Mechanically I seised upon the
lT n T a P er parcel and sfautthe creaking door
‘ a sigh of disappointment. I held the
lit i" m . v!l3n, i loosely. Something dropped
'..a' ° or a ' Dl 3' feet and the parcel seamed to
Specific gravity at the same moment.
rikV'F ' V~ ran^llrn ” —muttered I, as I stooped
-i ** le waif from the floor. It proved
- sundry sheets and scraps of paper closely
over. What should I do?- It was
1 honorable to read them clandestinely,
stairs and into the little hack
WrHu Ifoundm J landlady. , She looked
iLj. T easant sn >ilo as I entered. Into
$ Ut tae m Jsterious roll which she
“If' 'j'*-* 1 a of sur P r i se and inquiry.,
ljiv s J ° n “ ’j ' n the closet,” said I, in answer
ii "e** 0 lnterro gatory of her eyes.
t C ' oset “aid she, half to herself,
™ manuscript slowly in her fingers.
;■ '“ r: continued—“yes—-it must be
H q” rt l le gentleman who preceded
n 11 fieatieman with the sorrowful eyes/
U.. T to °aW him. Such a quietly queer
n, 011 Eerer sa w. He was like nobody
ti tj, e ® orl< l. Always pacing up and down
hhj, *“ en not writing, and never speaking
iiK, J° ™ 5°- He had no friends—at least
with anybody. But every
liju, j, ni B' 1 * ; ' lle would come into the parlor
®enay for bis' week’s board upon
-V;..: out without saying a word.”.'
'Tfh eenme of him at last?” asked I.
T‘ away one morn ‘ n 6 08 quietly
e Same people—the neighbors said
•sasj, j' B to Atcadia—a place where the
'fr.. , 8 t!le whole year; though I don't
came into the parlor
‘‘% rmD ® and said to me .
Snrv'kiTi! am 6°‘ B S away. 'You have
"”i u, , to mo and I will rememberat.
Ar. : i 1 ®aj God bless you.”’
* tt i i; e 0 88 S one before I could speak a
to he troubled about
b ' J he was always kind and gentle
TIIH AfiITATOK
:yol. y.
and: never found fault, with anything.- Dear
mol I wonder what is in these papers.**, ■
“Perhaps yon would give them to ihe, since
Be will never returh to claim them, probably/-’
said'l. . ' . ‘ ' , --
, ‘'^ h 7* J® 8 • take them and -welcome if
they will do you any good,” said the good-na*
tiired little woman. ,So I toot the roll and re
turned'to my room’,
. The roll was tied with,a faded blue nhhon.
“Pshkl sentiment!” I, mutttered aloud as I
carefully unraveled the hard knot. I detached
the outer, half-sheet and read as follows: ‘
Thirty years 1 so many grains of sand added
to,the rubbish of the irreclaimable past 1
A heap of dust! a pinch, even. See! I have
sifted it 1 It is but common dust I There is
not a grain of gold.
Not qne grain of ;gold? Even-so. I have
sifted it. There it is— earth, earth —earth 1
What dp you think of such a life as this 7 Thir
ty grains ‘from the Sahara of life 1 O pitiful I
pitiful!
For tho Agitator.
Is it thus that my promise to the All-Kind is
fulfilled ? and the naked soul must stand in His
presence with the paltry pinch of dust—re
turning it,ap.{be increase of thegreat loan of
existence I
Soul, I give you my pity. Ton will be proud
of so poor a boon as that in the day of your
account. Take it—it may supply , the lack of
fig-leaves to hide your shame one day. Take it 1
Even you —who have found some excuse
heretofore—sit in sullen silence while the piti
less hand of Truth strips the gilding from the
-record of hollow.pretence. Die! you cannot.
Live! Ah, that is beyond your choice. Lite
you must! You cannot even forget. Quarry
slave ! Coward! Liar! I would hate you were
we not enjoined to love our enemies.
For the Agitator.
Go, write my name in water! Once I said
that to die andlbe remembered would be enough.
I spit upon that He. Let my name fade from
the memory of the living. I will have no tell
tale mound above me, no tell-tale stone at my
head to mark the spot I shall one day curse.
They will say a thousand things. They will
lie. The fault is not that I have been worse
than other men, but that I have not been better.
Let me go. Cost what it may, X will have rest
and respite! * * * * ' * *
My band grew tremulous with emotion-as I
laid the tear-blotted.sheetaway in my portfolio.
These white walls were dumb witnesses of the
struggle of this soul—of whom it is said “He
went away quietly, as he came.” Perchance
he has found the obllvioh he coveted. Perhaps
he has found the unmarked grave he hoped
for. Or he may be a wanderer, doing unmean
ing penance for the mistake of a life.
Such were my reflections as T put the roll
carefully away for a future reading.
A Tale of Unreqcitted Love, —The editor
of the Eureka Union relates as follows, how he
once fell in love and “got the mitten
“We were never, kind readers, ‘desperate in
love’ but once, and that was with a red—no,
auburn-haired girl with,a freckled complexion,
and who had but few pretensions to beauty ;
but then she had such really beautiful eyes,
deep liquid orbs, through which her soul in
moments of .tenderness looked out with a pass
ionate ferver, and in joyous mirth flashed and
sparkled with the light of a thousand dew
drops, diamonds we were going to say, but we
never saw a thohsand diamonds. ■ Her name
was Laura—which when breathed softly by a
very soft lover, is a very sweet name—and'hCr
clear ringing laugh fell all around you like a
shower of silver belle. Moreover, she wore a
dark’wine-colored dress,’trimmed with lilac
colored velvet and black fringe, with a neat
little white collar of fine lace, which is ’ the
prettiest of dresses, and has the effect to make
a very plain girl look absolutely charming.—
She never perforated her ears to hang thereby
a pendulum of brass and glass ; and the only
ornament on the little white hand, which nee
ded none, was a plain gold ring, sacred to the
memory of a maiden promise. Well, one eve
ning, it was moonlight in the summertime—
we sat alone in the porch by the cottage door
holding that little white hand in a gentle pres
sure, one arm had stolen around her waist, and
a silent song of joy, ‘like the music of the
night,’ was in our soul. Our lips met in a
sweet, delicious kiss, and bending softly to her
ear we whispered a tale of passionate devotion
—we proposed. In a moment she tore her
hand from ours, and with a look of ineffable
scorn, she said in a voice trembling with sup
pressed rage, “What 1 marry an editor 1 %'ou
rfitoui!” We slid.
How the Democratic Partt is Ixjcreb.—
The Thie Southron gives the following curious
idea of-a Democrat, as to the danger- in whi<;h
-his putty is placed In the'State of Mississippi :
“In a Fix. —We were not a little amused yes
terday, at the remark of a leading Democrat of
this city. Referring to;the controversy going
;on in the columns' of a niorning paper about
the proposed pardon of Fisher, he' said : ‘At
every term of our Court, Judge Yerger sends
ten or a dozen good Democrats to the peniten
tiary, and now, when we propose to get one
pardoned out, we are told it will injure the
Democratic party of Warren hundreds of
votes V His opinion, from these premises, is,
that the Democracy is doomed. In a few years
all the party will be in, and if one is pardoned
out, the remainder will join the opposition I
Unfortunate Democracy I”
' “On, my dear,'.’ said a young wife, just re
turned from a ball, “I have learned one of the
most difficult-steps.” “There is a step,” re
plied-the husband, “the most valuable of all,
but it is one, I fear, you never care to learn."
“Indeed!’what step can that be?” “It is a
step into the kitchen.” 1 ' '
A Clergtman, who was reading to his con
gregation a chapter in Genesis, found the last
sentence to be, “And the Lord gave nnto Adu lll
a wife.” Taming over two leaves together he
found written, “and she was pitched without
and within.” He bad unhappily got into a de
cription of Noah’? ark. ..
atfrotcq to tftc &xttnBion at tfjr of iFmJjfom a«q ttjeSfcrcaq of f©caltljj? XUfovm.
WHILE THERE SHALL BE A WRONG UNRIGHTED, AND UNTIL "MAN’S INHUMANITY TO MAN” SHALL CEASE, AGITATION MUST CONTINUE,
miSBORO, TIOGA CIirSTT, PA., THURSDAY MORNING, MAY 19-1859.
IX EXTREMIS.
Ixsomnie.
educational.
PROCEEDINGS
.. of.rug . ...
Tioga County Teachers’ Institute.
Special Correspondence of the Agitator.
' ‘ ' Tioga, May 3, 1859.
The semi-annual Session of the Tioga Coun
ty Teachers’ Institute commenced here this
morning. The number of teachers present is
not so large as was expected. ! The people of
this place built, last year, a large and commo
dious' school house, probably the best in the
County, and here theTnstitute-met.
V. A. Elliott, of- (pherry Hats, one of the
Vice Presidents;, called the meeting to order,
and S. E'. KirkendallJ of Lawreneeville, -was
elected Secretary pro tem. On motion the
Chair appointed the following Committee on
Business for the morning; N. L. Reynolds, R.
C. Bailey; and Anna B. Kemp.
Mr. Reynolds then spoke to the teachers, and
congratulated them upon having met once more
to devote a portion of time for -'the benefit of
each other. After some appropriate remarks
In ’regard to Institutes and the benefits derived
from them, he spoke on the sdbject of Orthogra
phy,and the necessity of a thorough knowledge
6f this important study -to the teacher. He
was followed by Wm. Qarfetspn Esq., of Tioga,
who- offered some pertinent remarks on the
“Pronunciation of Words.”
The Committee on Business reported that
Mr. B. C. Bililey, of Middlebury, would occu
py the first half hour of the afternoon session,
on the subject of “‘‘Heading; how it should
be taughti" whereupdri the Institute adjourned.
Afternoon Session.— The President, Mr. Mor
gan Hart, of Charleston, I 'took the Chair, and
returned thanks for the honor conferred upon
him'.
Mr. Beyndlds suggested, that, in order to fa
cilitate business, teachers should write on strips
of paper, to be left at the desk, any question
or subject they would like to hear discussed.
On motion, B. C. Bailey was , elected perma
nent Secretary.
Mr. Bailey then, gave his views on the sub
ject of teaching the art of Heading.
Mr. Garretson on being called upon proceed
ed to explain the difference between “spelling”
and “reading" in performing the operations of
arithmetic, and showed in a lucid manner the
superiority of the latter over the former method.
Mr! Eeynolds spoke oh-the subject of Prima
ry Beading. He recommended that the child
bo taught to name the. words at the beginning
of a lesson until he becomes quite familiar with
them; then let him begin at the end of the ex
ercise and pronounce each word correctly, 1 going
backwards through it; then the child will be
sufficiently familiar with it, to read the exerci
ses through correctly, from the beginning.
Miss Anna B. Wright, of Middlebury, then
proceeded to demonstrate the principles in
volved in Compound Proportion or Double Eule
of Three.
The Institute then disposed of some general
business in regard to lights, &c.
On motion, Mr. Reynolds was requested in
behalf of the Institute, to invite Rev. A. C.
George, of Rochester, N. X., who was known
to be afc Mansfield, to deliver a lecture before
them on "Wednesnay evening.
The Chair then appointed the following per
sons as a permanent Committee on Business:
N. L. Reynolds, 0. M. Stebbins, Miss A. B.
Wright, Miss M. Coon, and Miss Anna Kemp.
On motion the following resolutions were adopt
ed for discussion during the evening session:
Resolved, That no prize?, nor even head-marks
should he given in school as an inducement to emula
tion.
. Resolved, That music ought to be one of the regu
lar exercises in Common Schools.
Resolved, That it is the duty of the teacher to de
vote the entire time for which he is engaged to teach,
for the advancement of his pupils.
Adjourned.
Evening Session. —The Secretary proceeded
to record the names of the members present.
The Institute then proceeded to discuss the
question,
Resolved, That no prize nor oven head mark should
be given in the common school as an inducement to
emulation.
Victor A. Elliott spoke in favor of the reso
lution. He was opposed to giving prizes for
the reason that he that thought it stimulated
improper motives, and did not do justice to all
schools. He was in favor of giving each scholar
credit according to his recitation, but was op
posed to giving a head-mark to one, while others
who had recited equally as well received no
mark of credit. -
Mr. Ezra 'Williams was opposed to the reso
lution. He thought every one , was striving for
a prize in some way or other, whether in school
room, the work shop, or the law office.. He did
not think giving prizes stimulated improper
motives as has been alleged, and he could see
no injustice in giving head-marks.
Mr. 0. M. Stebbins had tried giving prizes
during the past winter, and had not been suc
cessful. He had since taught iu the same school
without offering prizes, and had witnessed a
much healthier progress among.his scholars.
Mrs. Kellogg was in favor of giving prizes
to all scholars in proportion to their progress,
by allowing them a certain per cent on some
given amount.
Mr. Morgan Hart thought that the teachers
had proved each side of the question conclu
sively by their own experience. Ho saw no
farther use of discussing the resolution. As
for his experience he had never offered, prizes,
but had frequently given head-marks.
Mr. Reynolds thought that offering prizes
was appealing to the lower motives, which
might be resorted to in certain coses of abso
lute mental depression ; but be was of the opin
ion that those teachers who appealed to higher
motives to induce their scholars to study, were
pursuing the better course. ■
- On motion, the further discussion of the res
olution was postponed.-
The question, ‘’Resolved that music ought to
be one of the regular exercises in Common
schools,” was next colled for, add discussed by
Wm. Garretson, Esq. He thought that music
would hove a tendency to promote harmony-in
the.school room, and in some casea-where there
-was a lack of energy In the scholars'lt might
rouse their ambition, and infuse new -life into
their drooping spirits. The resolution was adopt
ed without further discussion. •
. The question, “.Resolved that itia the duty,
.of the teacher to devote his entire.time during,
the days’ for which he engages to teach.'fpr the.
advancement of his pupils,” was discussed by
Messrs. • Williams, Gafrutson, Hailey,. Hart,
Stebbins and Reynolds, all agreeing that teach
ers should devote tbeir entire .energies .either
directly or indirectly to the advancement of
their 'schools. It was argued 1 that teachers
should have’proper time for recreation, and
they might devote a reasonable portion of their
time in gaining useful information, by reading
historical works, news, <Sbo.; hut that in so doing
they should not neglect their duties to their
scholars.
An amendment was offeredjthat the word
energies be substituted in the place of “time.”
The amendment was adopted, and the original
motion,-put, and carried.
Adjourned.
Seco.vd Dat, Wednesday - , May 4th.
Morning Session. —Names of the members
called by the Secretary, and the minutes of the
first day’s proceedings read.
Mr. Garretson proceeded to answer the fol
lowing question:. Id it essential for a teacher
tq use incorrect language in order to be under
stood by hia‘scholars, or should he use strictly
grammatical language, in order to .bo better
understood. He thought that .teachers would
; hardly ha excusable for using ungrammatical
language in any case, much less before their
scholars. ,
Mr. Eeynolds enquired if under some circum
stances teachers-might not conform to the. usa
ges- of certain localities, in pronouncing words
improperly, for the sake of not appearing over
wise by being too particular, and thus draw
upon themselves the sneer and ridicule of the
people. ' . 1
Mr. Garretson thought that teachers would
gain nothing by thus bending their conversa
tion tq the usages of society; A teacher would
make himself a hero by correcting popular er
rors in a neighborhood, in spite of opposition.
He thought public opinion would soon be suffi
ciently strong in any community to uphold a
teacher in speaking grammatically regardless
of the sneers and ridicule of the vulgar.
The remainder of the forenoon was devoted
to the demonstration of Arithmetical principles.
The Superintendent performed long ( division
upon the hoard; and gave his method of teach
ing it to beginners. Division of common frac
tions was very clearly demonstrated by -Miss
Martha Beet of Delmar.. Other methods of ex
planation were suggested ; hut that given by
Miss Peet seemed to claim the preference.
Mr. 0. M. Stebbins of Middlebury gave de
cidedly the best explanation of Equation of
.Payments that I have ever chanced to hear.
Alligation alternate was ably demonstrated
by Mr. 11. G. Vail of Liberty. ,
Multiplication of duodecimals was explained
by E. C. Bailey of Middlebury I to the entire
satisfaction of the class.
The principles involved in the cube root were
carefully explained by Miss Coon of Biossburg.
The explanation of these long and intricate
principles, was given in such a manner as to
leave no doubt upon the minds of the teachers
that she had mastered the subject.
Mr. Morgan Hart of Charleston proceeded
to demonstrate the principle involved in arith
metical progression.
V. A. Elliott of Cherry Platts gave -an ex
planation of the “how” and "why” of finding
the value of the repotend in ■decimal fractions.
Mr. Ezra Williams of Tioga gave a short
lecture on the modes of grammar..
The general question “How should orthogra
phy be taught ?” was then discussed by .several
members.
Afternoon Session— Many philosophical ques
tions wore propounded, and assigned to differ
ent teachers for explanation. . ,
Mr. H. C. Vail gave his method of teaching
Geography in answer to a question upon that
subject. He approved the use of the globe in
explaining the motions of the earth, and the
consequent changes of the seasons. In his
opinion it was the only way that those phenom-,
ena could be satisfactorily explained. He also
favored the use of outline maps. He would
have students frequently exercised in drawing
maps upon the black-board.
Mr. R. C. Bailey read from the decisions of
the State Superintendent 1834-’55, p, 05, in
answer to sundry questions concerning the
teacher’s authority over pupils. The section
alluded to reads as follows;
“A teacher in the common schools stands in
loco parentis, in the place of a parent to a pu
pil, and may administer correction to him un
der the same restrictions as in the case of a
parent,” et cetera.
Mias Martha Prutsmsm of Tioga, explained
the revolution of the earth around the sun.
Miss Anna B. Wright of Middlebury ex
plained to the teachers that the cause of the
earth’s depression at the poles was in conse
quence of the rapid revolution of the earth
while in a fluid state. A limited depression of
the poles had been observed with reference to
other planets, and it had also been observed
that those planets which revolved most rapidly
were subject to the must depression at the polos.
This tended to confirm her opinion that the de
pression' was caused by the revolution of. the
earth. The fact that the earth is depressed at
the poles, is proved by the effect produced upon
gravitating bodies, as we approach the north or
south pole.
Mr. Reynolds gave bis views respecting the
laws which govern the- rain and wind. He
thought the fact of our having more west wind
than any. other was occasioned by the long
chain of Rocky mountains lying on the west,
which by their great height operated as a cooler
to the atmosphere,^while the air becoming
heated in the valleys, west of them would as
cend, and the cold air from the mountains
would, rush in to'fill the'vacancy. Other re
marks upon the same subject were exceedingly
- interesting, and useful. ■ ' :
Mr: Williams described in very beautl&l lan
guage the appearance of the sun at either pole
during the summer months.
After recess ■ a lively discussion tooki place
upon the questrdn, l whether the.psrtiojpleorthe
participial mode, was-the preferable term to bo
employed-in teaching'.Grammar. Miss Prnts
fflan spoke in favor .of the use of the participle,
also Messrs. Hart,' S. B. 'Elliott and others
argued the snperiority of the term participle,
contending tfaatit participated in the properties
of the verb -and adjective. Messrs. Reynolds,
.Gorretson and others favored the term particip
ial rtaode for, the reason as they.alleged, that it
was only -a separate, form, of the, verb, and
should therefore be classed with it.
A resolution was read from the chair to the
‘effect that.teachers should bo expelled from
school for the use of alcoholic beverages during
term time, which- after some very strong and
pertinent temperance remarks by S. B. Elliott
Esq., of Mansfield, was unanimously adopted.
By permission Mr. S. B. Elliott read an ex
cellent artiele on “Schooling” from the Agita
tor of May sth. He also read a very generous
proposition from the editor, offering a prize of
ten dollars in books for theToeat essay upon
“The duties and responsibilities of teachers.”
This proposition was.warmly received by the
teachers, and many publicly expressed their
thanks to Mr. Young for the interest he bad
manifested in the teachers’ cause. It was also
announced that a column of tho Agitator was
still open for the communications of teachers ;
and the Superintendent and other? urged teach
ers to give it a cordial support.
Evening Session. —The teachers proceeded to
discuss the Resolution that pupils should be
compelled' to. write compositions, and speak
declamations in the Common Schools.
the opinions of teachers seemed almost unan
imous in favor of the resolution.
Mr.TlaghYoung, of Wellsboro, was invited
to address the teachers upon the subject of the
resolution.
- He commenced by saying that he was no
speech-inaker upon educational subjects; but
he -would give a simple method of teaching the
art of‘composition writing. He illustrated up
on the board how the thoughts of young boys
might he drawn out and combined into senten
ces upon a plan both useful and interesting.
Addresses were delivered by Mr. Ezra Wil
liams, of Tioga, and Victor A. Elliott of Cher
ry Platts.*
The Institute then adjourned for the evening.
■ Third Dav, Thursday, May sth.
Morning Session. —The attendance is consid
erable larger this morning than before. Teach
ers are coming from abroad, and the inhabit
ants of tlie village begin to realize that there is
a Teachers’ Institute in town.
The resolution on offering prizes was called
up, and after considerable discussion was adopt
ed almost unanimously as follows:
Jte*otvcdf That while we arc in favor of giving pro
gress marks.to all scholars in acjjprdapco with the de
cision of the Slate Superintendent, wc'aro opposed to
offering prizes, or 'even ‘giving njead-Aarfea as an in
ducement to emulation. ‘^l
A resolution favoring the introduction of his
tory as .a study into the Common Schools, was
adopted.
On motion it was resolved that a committee
of five be appointed to draft resolutions express
ing the sentiments of the Institute.
The Superintendent introduced a resolution
favoring the method of reciting by subjects in
stead, of question and answer. Discussed by
Messrs. Williams, Hart, Stebbins and Eeynolds.
The Rev. Thomas K. Beecher, of Elmira,
having arrived, spoke upon the resolution,
much to the amusement and edification of the
teachers..
The resolution was adopted.
The question,
Resolved, -That in the Common Schools, teachers
should always be governed by the rule of iliglit-
Mr. S. B. Elliott argued that the resolution
amounted to nothing definite as there would be
just as many different opinions as to what was
right as there were scholars in school.
Mr. Williams thought that teachers should
decide what was right. ;
Mr. Beecher proposed that in order to obvi
ate the difficulty suggested by the gentleman
from Mansfield, that a coordinate resolution be
agreed upon, ‘
Resolved, That in buying and selling Crocerics the
law of gravitation should he the only gnxde.
(Laughter.)
The resolution was indefinitely postponed.
Mr. Beecher offered the following resolution
ns a substitute for the one just laid upon the
table.
Resolved, That in the Common Schools every offence
should be treated upon its own merits, and not by any
fixed rule of fault and punishment.
The resolution was discussed by Messrs
Beecher, Garretson and Williams, and then
for further discussion.
Afternoon Scssion.~A question was proposed,
“What are Thermal Springs, and what causes
them V ■
. Mr. Reynolds answered the question in a
short speech.
On motion the following resolution was adopt
ed for discussion,
Resolved, That the character of n school depends
more upon the community than upon the teacher.
This resolution elicited many curious and in
teresting remarks respecting the occupation of
teaching, and the situation of the common
school teacher.
A large number of teachers entered largely
into the discussion of this interesting resolu
tion. Their names are as follows; Messrs.
Reynolds, Bailey, Williams, Garretson, Steb*
bins, Kirkendall, Ilart, and Misses Martha
Prutsman, Elizabeth Lichtentbaler, DianthaM.
Drew and Anna B. Wright. The _Reverends
Beecher, McCntlongh and Stilwell also partici
pated in the discussion.
The opinion' seemed to prevail that a good
teacher would make a good school in any com
munity, and that a poor teacher would do no
good in any place. .One teacher (Mr. Stebbins
of Middlebury) thought' that a good school
roijjht be' taught in any neighborhood. He
generally Calculated to euit himself when he
taught, and let others be suited or not as they
thought best, and he thought if teachers would
adopt this plan, they might teach good schools
even in had neighborhoods. When asked what
he would do if the Directors refused to uphold
him in doing as he pleased, be replied, “1 would
phok up my duds and toddle;” (Laughter.)
*Wo shall try to publish this address in full, m onr
peat issue.—Ad; Ayrf'utor.
Advertisements will be charged $1 per square of 14
lines, one or three insertions, and 25 cents for every
subsequent insertion. ■ Adveitfsements of less (Baa 14
lines considered os a square. Tbesubjoined rates will
be charged for Quarterly, Half-Yearly and V early ad
vertisements ;
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Advertisements not haring the number of insertion,
desired marked upon them, will bo published until or
dered oat and charged accordingly.
Posters, Handbills, Bill-Heads, Letter-Heads and all
kinds of Jobbing done in country establishments, ex
ecuted neatly and 'promptly. Justices', Constables*,
and township BLANKS; Notes, Bonda,Decds, Mort
gages, Declarations and other Blanks, constantly on
band, or printed to order.
m. 4i
Mr. Beecher said that teaching was Ufcs
preaching; as a good preacher could not long
remain in a had congregation, so a good teach'
er could not long remain in a bad school. The
good preacher would either convert his.bad con
gregation, or he would soon be obliged to “tod
dle.” as the teacher bad beautifully said. So
he also thought a teacher who bald'the true
spirit of a teacher in him, would not only make
his school a good one, but he would improve
the patents and complelely renovate the neigh
borhood.
The resolution waslost.
Mr; Beecher suggestions how
teachers might gain the confidence and esteem
of parents. He was followed hy Mr. S. B. El
liott on the same subject.
Mr, Reynolds made a few remarks caution
ing teachers against taking sides in neighbor
hood quarrels. •
On,motion, it was resolved that the Institute
proceed to elect Counsellors for the present
term. The following were duly elected:
Blobs. —Miss Marietta Coon.
' Brookfield.—(to be supplied.)
Charleston.—Morgan Hart.
Chatham.—Daniel Vandasen.
i Clvmbr.^—(to be supplied.)
Covington Bono.—Sarah Derow.
Covington T’s’p. — Augusta A. Orris.
Deerfield —Miss Mary Purple.
Delmar.—Martha Peek
Elk;—(to be supplied.)
Elkland Bono.—M. H. Brooks.
Farmington. —Miss ArmarD. Camp.
Gaines.—Emma Watrous.
Jackson. —Phccbe Grinnell. [
Knoxville Bono.—-James Goodspeed.
Lawhencevilte. —S. E. Kirkendall.
Lawrence.—Miss Licbtentbaler.
Mansfield.—S. B. EUidtt,
Middlebcrv.—O. M. Ktebbina,
Mobris.—'(Ko teachers.)
Nelson. —Miss Ellen Eddy.
Osceola.—£f. L. Reynolds.-
Ricmrom—Mary E. Pitts.
Rutland. —Miss Amanda Simpson.
Shippen.—*(to be supplied.)
Sullivan.— J. E. Webster.
Tioga.-—Letka Mitchell.
Union. —A. A. Griswold.
Ward. —(Ko teachers.)
Wellsbobo.— -Hugh, Young.
Westfield— Ambrose Close.
Mr. R. C. Bailey proceeded to explain, the
predicates according to Kenyon's Grammar.
Adjourned. | - , [
Evening Session, by 3f. Beecher.
[The School House was crowded to hear Mr. Beech
er's speech. We have a full report of it, and regret
that our space prevents its insertion at present, though
we intend to give extracts from it from time to time in
our educational column. The audience was delighted,
although many were disappointed because it was ad
dressed solely to teachers.— Ed. Agitator.]
Fourth Dir, Friday, May Gth.
The Institute was opened this morning with
more than usual interest.
Mr. Reynolds occupied three-quarters of an
hour in explaining “npw teachers' reports.”
On motion, Mr. Beecher was invited to take
charge of the Institute as much of the time be
fore adjournment as he thought proper. ~
Mr. Beecher conducted the exercises during
the forenoon with his usual elegance and good
humor. His remarks to the teachers were
highly interesting, and we have no doubt but
that they will have their desired effect.
Afternoon Session.—lt was announced from
the Secretary's desk, that the next meeting of
the Tioga County Teacher's Institute would be
held at "Wellsboro.
The Chairman of the Committee on Resolu*
tions reported the .following, which were taken
op separately, and after sundry amendments
were adopted as follows:
Resolved, That the Common School System df Penn
sylvania merits o«r unqualified approbation; that,wo
have increased confidence in the County Superintend
ence and in the efficiency of. the present system of
School Directors.
Resolved, That the “Tioga County Teacher's Insti
tute” is the fit place for teachers to declare thoir ad
herence to the cause of popular education, and to pub
licly vindicate the character of their profession; that
it is both the privilege, and duty of teachers to be
punctual in attending the meetings of the Institute;
and that they do individually and severally pledge
themselves to uphold and support it by all honorable
means.
Resolved* That while wo acknowledge tho Tioga
County Teachers’ Institute to be a result of the la
bors of the County Superintendent,—-that it was not,
and probably never would have been established, ex
cept through his Instrumentality,—wo hold that it is
the means of sustaining the Superintendency, and
serves the important purpose of commending it to
publio favor.
Resolved, That wo heartily welcome to our midst
the Rev. Thomas E. Beeches, of Elmirs. That wo
express our heartfelt thanks for his eloquent and feel
ing addresses, and for his many expressions of sym
pathy and encouragement, which we feel will not only
tend to lighten the burdens, but also the hearts of tbo
teachers who have listened to him*
Resolved, That the thanks of the Teachers are duo
to Hcgit Youxc'Esq,, of the Agitator , for the kind
ness and attention he has shown us. In him we recog
nize a zealous advocate of Common Schools, and an
earnest friend of the Common School teacher. Wo
recommend him as well as his valuable journal to the
kind regards of all teachers.
Reaolted, That in tho Wellsboro Demaerat, we recog
nize nn able paper, whose columns have ever been open
to the discussion of all questions pertaining to Com
mon Schools. We recommend it to the favorable con
sideration of Teachers.
Reaolced, That the thanks of the Institute are duo
to those inhabitants of Tioga, who bare so kindly
aided us daring this session of the Institute.
It was moved and carried that a committee
of seven be appointed to nominate officers for
tho ensuing term. *
The following persons composed that com
mittee : Messrs. S. E. Kirhendall, O. M. Steb
bins, H. C. Vail, and Misses Martha Peet, Lyd
ia Coon, Martha Prutsman, Ellen Eddy.
Alligation Alternate was explained by V. A.
Elliott. He was followed by Mr, Beecher, who
gave a very plain and clear solution of that in
tricate rule.
The Committee on Nominations presented
their report.
A motion was made to elect by acclamation.
Carried,
The following persons, nominated by the
committee, were duly elected officers for the en
aamg year.
President-—^ Victor A. Eiuorr.
Tice. Presidents.—TsVisa Ltdia Coos-, O. M.
■Stetotss.
Jlfcordinff SccrUary— R. C. B.uixv.
Rates of Advertising.
Victor A- Elliott
S. £. Kirkesdall
Elizabeth Ltchtexthaler
m, L. Retxolds
Sarah Derow