Institute was the most successful in our history. All but four teachers were enrolled and great enthusiasm was manifested. Our instructors were Dr. F. H. Green, Dr. Lincoln Hulley, Dr. M. G. Benedict, Prof. C. M. Parker, and Dr. J. T. Rothrock. Every year witnesses greater interest in institute work by teachers and patrons. The attendance of directors at the Directors' Association was greater than heretofore. SUSQUEHANNA-Supt. Moxley: The work for the county thus far has been excellent. The teachers are doing their best-only a few total failures. Serious epidemics have interrupted the work to a greater extent than ever before. Several districts were obliged to close school from one to three weeks. The "County Educator," published under the management of the Teachers' Association, is meeting with favor among directors and teachers; it will be continued next year. The Teachers' Association held its midwinter session at Montrose, January 28 and 29. Dr. J. T. Rothrock delivered his lecture, "Beautiful Pennsylvania," to a large and very appreciative audience of teachers and citizens, The Saturday session was largely attended from all parts of the county, and was very interesting. The next annual meeting will be held in Harford, September 16 and 17. The first summer school ever undertaken in the county will be held in Montrose, commencing May 23 and continuing four weeks. UNION Supt. Stapleton: The educational work in Union is very encouraging. The address of Deputy Supt. Stewart stirred many of our directors and set them to thinking in the direction of longer terms and better salaries. The Farmers' Institutes have been very well attended. The educational part of the programme was encouraged by every one with much enthusiasm. We have held a number of district institutes and educational meetings in different parts of the county. They were all well attended. The schools and teachers received much praise and encouragement from all classes of citizens. Each week the Superintendent was accompanied by school boards who showed the keenest interest in their schools. Parents learning of the visits of superintendent and directors came to listen and help in this feature of the educational work. WARREN-Supt. Putnam: The county institute, held in December, was generally spoken of as the best ever held here. Dr. W. W. Black, of the Illinois University, and Hon. O. T. Corson, State School Commissioner of Ohio, were the principal day instructors, and their work was of a nature to stimulate to higher ideals and better work. In January exeedingly interesting local institutes were held at Ackley Station and Enterprise. Arrangements have been made for an institute on each Saturday to April 9th in the various districts of the county. WASHINGTON-Supt. Hall: January has been a month of unusual activity in the school work. The County Institute was a great source of inspiration to the teachers and directors. While there are teachers who should quit teaching without being invited, in a general way the schools are doing well. Two to four institutes are held in different parts of the county every Saturday. Many very encouraging reports of the work being done in the schools are sent to the Superintendent for the pigeon-hole cabinet. In many of the townships and boroughs the directors have adopted the monthly faculty meeting system. At the last of these meetings in Chartiers township, the board passed a resolution that the directors and teachers take one day, February 7, and visit the best schools in Pittsburg. Can greater interest in school work than this be asked? Profs. W. E. Bair and Frank H. Ryder, principals of West and East Washington schools, spent two weeks visiting schools in Boston and New York. They received encouragement to take the trip by their directors. Our principals have adopted a plan of writing educational articles, and many of our county papers are devoting much space in the interest of the schools. The outlook for better work is encouraging. Educationally we are growing. At an institute in Amwell township the directors appeared more progressive than the teachers. They advocated a High School and the adoption of nature study in every school. They will retain their best teachers for next year, and where they hear of a good teacher, will visit the school and leave an invitation to come to their township. We are moving to the front; our High Schools are prospering; the teachers are waking up; directors are thinking along the line of the best interest of the schools; patrons are beginning to see a greater need of a good education for the children, and our local papers are doing much in increasing a universal interest in the work. WAYNE-Supt. Hower: Several districts have invested in relief maps which will be of very little value to the schools. Four district institutes were held, and all were quite successful. The one at Hawley was one of the best ever held, being well attended by teachers, patrons, and pupils. The lecture on "Character Building," by Supt. J. M. Coughlin, of Wilkes-Barre, was much enjoyed. On the evening of January 27, Dr. Rothrock delivered his lecture on The Como, Milanville, and Starrucca. teachers and patrons manifested great interest, and much lasting good will result. Prof. Hartline, of the Bloomsburg Normal, delivered an excellent lecture on the evening of February 26. Many of the schools in the northern part of the county have closed. BEAVER FALLS-Supt. Boak: On account of failing health, J. T. McKinney, Supt. of the Beaver Falls schools, was compelled to resign December 6, '97, and the principal of the High School was elected his successor. Prof. W. S. Hertzog, of California, Pa., was in turn elected principal, and took charge of that department January 3, '98. All the changes were made during the holidays, and work moved on with little interruption. BRADFORD CITY-Supt. Miller: At the regular election held on February 15, the matter of issuing bonds for the purchase of site, and erecting and furnishing a new high school building was submitted to the people, and by an overwhelming majority the voters decided that the bonds should be issued, and such a building provided. It is hoped that, by the opening of the schools next September, Bradford will be provided with a building in keeping with the progressive character of the city and the needs of the schools, and that the present overcrowded condition of the school-rooms will no longer exist. CARLISLE-Supt. Shearer: The local educational event of the month was the visit of a committee of twelve teachers headed by Supt. Gelwix from Chambersburg. They represented all grades of work and visited corresponding grades here. The two towns are about the same size. This added interest to the visit, as under these conditions comparisons are more easily made. They were a very intelligent and agreeable party of visitors, and left most pleasing impressions on the teachers with whose work they came in contact. All regretted that their time with us was so short. CHAMBERSBURG -Supt. Gelwix: By permission of the board of directors our teachers have visited the schools of adjacent towns during the past month. About onethird went to Hagerstown and Waynesboro, one third to Carlisle and Shippensburg, and the remainder to Steelton. At each of these places the teachers, distributed according to their respective grades, were asked to note superiority in classification, methods, etc., with a view to presenting the results of their observations to our entire corps of teachers at some future time. These visits were both edifying and encouraging. CHESTER--Supt. Foster: Ten rooms have been opened for evening schools three nights a week. These schools are well graded and are in charge of thirteen teachers who also teach in the day schools. The evening pupils show much interest in their work. CORRY- Supt. Colegrove: Our school board has completed the purchase of a site for a high school building to be erected the coming year. It is the intention to build a large, well-arranged structure with all modern improvements, which, when completed, will give us high school facilities second to none. Dr. N. C. Schaeffer lectured before a large audience in Week's Theatre, Friday evening, February 4, on the subject, "Does Education Pay?" Much interest was awakened by his earnest and eloquent discussion. After the lecture the Board of Education banqueted the State Superintendent at the St. James Hotel. This being the first time we had been honored by a visit from the head of the school department, we were especially gratified to have Dr. Schaeffer for our guest. DUNMORE-Supt. Bovard: The board at its last meeting ordered the purchase of Yaggy's Geographical Portfolio. Our teachers are doing better work each month. There is a gradual improvement in methods and order. HAZLE TWP. (Luzerne Co.)-Supt. Mulhall: The pupils of the High School gave an entertainment in Hazle Hall. More than 400 persons attended and all joined in pronouncing the affair a decided success. READING Supt. Mackey: Two fine new brick school buildings have been completed. A score or more of our public-spirited citizens have subscribed $12,000, paid the mortgage on the Reading Library, and have made it free to the public. There is reason to think that it will be very well patronized especially by the pupils in the higher grades of the public schools. There were 400 applicants for books on the day of its opening. SHARON-Supt. McLaughry: During the past month a very interesting meeting of the Round Table of Superintendents and Principals of Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio was held here. The attendance was good and an unusual interest was manifested in the subjects discussed. Among other subjects, the comparison of the truant laws in the two states was taken up. The Ohio people claimed that their law is much stronger, and from a comparison of the two it was made evident that their claim was well founded. SOUTH EASTON -Supt. La Barre: Our schools were open on Washington's Birthday, and the afternoon given wholly to appropriate exercises commemorative of the occasion. The moral worth and greatness of our mighty dead can be impressed on our youth best by having them in the schoolroom, where proper exercises may be made to contribute to the highest patriotic ends. STEELTON-Supt. McGinnes: An interesting local institute was held in our borough in January. Many of the teachers of the district took part in the work, and valuable assistance was rendered by Prof. Jos. S. Walton, of the West Chester State Normal School, and County Supt. R. M. McNeal. Note-Much of this matter was held over from last month, and some that is now in type must be held for next issue. This picture of "Four Generations'' is published partly by request, but mainly in honor of one of the best of mothers. A fact of some interest in regard to it is that each of the three younger members of the group here given is the oldest of a family of seven children, each family having its five sons and two daughters. The great-grandmother, venerable in years but young in heart, who, on June 14th, 1898, will be eighty-eight years of age, comes of a strong, brave, intelligent and generous ancestry, which includes Scotch, Scotch-Irish, Welsh and German-Swiss, all of whom came to Pennsylvania long before the war of the Revolution and at very early times in the history of the colony. Through a life unusually long and active she has retained her bodily senses unimpaired, never caring even to use spectacles. Her hand and heart have always been busy for others with little thought of herself, and in this, and her child-like trust from day to day in the Divine care and guidance, lies the secret of her perennial youth. It is a rare blessing to be the son of such a mother. We can pay her no better or truer filial tribute than that which we wrote on the back of her photograph some years ago when sending it to a friend : MY DEAR COUSIN: Pardon my delay in sending you this picture. It is a face that has a life-history behind it. Tried by sorrow but true to duty, patient in suffering, hopeful amid disappointments, unselfish, tender, loving and beloved-a better woman I have never known than this reverent Christian mother. She is that of which angels are made, or, if not, there is nothing else on earth good enough out of which to make them. I can wish you no fairer crown of blessing than that a son, who has known to his eternal gain not a few good people, shall say thus much of you when you are old. The representative of the fourth generation is a little girl who has also, thus far, had a very busy and unselfish life, sharing with her mother the constant care of a growing family of children full of animal spirits, health, and energy. This little maiden has been like her great-grandmother, in that she has been constantly and gladly caring for others with all the beauty of unconscious self-sacrifice. Can anything better come to her in life, though her age of eleven years grow to be eight times what it is and she also attain to the years of her aged "Grandma ?'' The representative of the third generation is rated one of the most capable and efficient officers of his rank in the army. He has seen service in different parts of the country, chiefly in Utah and Wyoming, and in the Sioux campaign, and was for four years military commandant at the Pennsylvania State College. At the expiration of this detail he made a special trip of three weeks to Europe. in which, while visiting eight or ten leading cities, he went nearly as far east as the Black Sea, making an average rate of more than five hundred and fifty miles per day for twenty-two days. He wrote a sketch of this remarkable trip for the November number, 1896, of this journal. This picture was taken the day before he left Lancaster for his new post of duty at Plattsburg, on Lake Champlain. He is now with his regiment at Tampa, Florida, where a part of the army has been concentrating for the advance into Cuba. God-speed ! to them all-and a safe return! The representative of the second generation is "a looker-on in Venice,'' who has seen and heard and known some very good people there, and finds the world each year richer in its wonders of nature and wealth of art. It is his hope that this blesséd experience of life may be continued, with an ever-broadening horizon through what is left of To-day and for the endless To-morrow. May 1st, 1898. ON PUBLIC INSTRUCTION ASSOCIATION MAY, 1898. No. 11. CONVENTION OF CITY AND BOROUGH SUPERINTENDENTS. N Wednesday morning, March 16th, the Association of City and Borough Superintendents of Pennsylvania convened for its eighth annual session, in the assembly room of the North School, 8th street and Duquesne Way, Pittsburg. The President, Supt. D. A. Harman of Hazleton, being sick, Supt. A. D. Colegrove of Corry acted as temporary chairman until the arrival of Vice President C. A. Babcock, of Oil City. State Superintendent Schaeffer opened the session with prayer, and the pupils of the school furnished music. The first paper on the programme was read by Prof. T. S. Lowden, of Greenville, on THE IRREPARABLE LOSS. The speaker declined to allow the use of his manuscript for publication; we therefore only note that the loss indicated was in the lack of study and treatment of each child as an individual. The best man is but half as perfect as he should be. The past has to do with the making of the future. Health, morality, intellectuality in the parent tells in the child. Of 100,000 pupils examined Dr. Warren tells us 20 per cent. were bodily or mentally defective; yet all alike, strong and weak, bright and dull, clever and deficient, must go through the same treadmill. Nature study seemed to the speaker to be the great panacea-nature the great teacher, and the study of the child the best means of helping him. Among other things the tendency to abridge or abandon recess periods came in for severe animadversion. Better have a ten-minute recess at the end of every hour's work, and half-day sessions in May, June and September. Impairment of health and destruction of nerve-tissue by too severe strain of overwork was part of the irreparable loss. If education is to emancipate the mind, instruction must be adapted to the individual, and must insure the healthy development of body, mind, and morals. This paper brought out a lively discussion, several members claiming the floor at the close of the reading. Dr. Schaeffer: I do not agree with the position assigned nature as a teacher. Nor can I endorse the gentleman's views of nature study, if I understand him correctly. Just here I may say that we need a definition of nature study. Terms so often used and so strongly pressed should have definite content. Obviously, nature is not always a good or safe teacher; nature may be deformed or depraved, and nature study may be abused, and produce deleterious effects. The way this matter is often presented is calculated to lead young teachers astray; the aim is so exalted (or so indefinite) as to be impractical. Supt. Buehrle, of Lancaster: I take issue with the paper on the evil effects of study on the growing girl. I do not believe that the source of the evil complained of lies in that directiou, but rather |