HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Signal, 1910-11-17, Page 8• THOR/MAT, Novsaf1RR 17, )fru
The TeacrnngPapdBesseb J.M.
Field,,. A ,
of Goderich, at the
of History .
Sever •l years ego the Ildueatinn
Department cancelled the examina-
tion in history for the-tlrtrancr. The
immediate occasion for ha action was
the setting of two or 'three difenit
history papers that called forth Con-
siderable eilticism. 1 do not know
whether they arrived at this derision
by a short process of Inductive reason-
ing. by a desire to escape continued
criticism and thus parity the dis-
eontenl., or whether they felt that
there were good pedagogical reasons
h •hind their action. In any event,
the result hoe hcen disastroms to the
teaching of history iu the public
schools. No long as there is an en-
trance examination just so long will
the actual sehjects for examination
receive the greater nttrnt' in spite
of the efforts of the teacher and the
inspector to do their duty. The non -
examination subjects are nal orally
looked upon by the pupil aa of sec-
oodary importance anti their Lack of
interest in them will naturally im-
puess heel( upon the teacher. even if
you leave out of consideration his
own tendency to neglect the vubjeet.
This is the view one would take
-theoretically of the matter : does it
work out so in practice ? Sly own ex
perienee is that pupils know far less
of the history of Great Britain and
their own country than they did ten
years ajrp, 1 find there generally
lacking in the most essential know)
edge of British history. :Moreover. it
is not eouffned to this county. The
ridiculous answers gleaned from the
matriculation and normal entrance i
examinations a year ago and puh-
Iiahed by the Toronto papers indicate
that the condition Is genetal through-
out the Province. 1 have asked pupils
in other eounties how much history
was taught in their schox.la : 1 have
been told that there was none at all
after the iospeelo 's visit and only a
lesaon onw and again before it. Gram-
mar and arithustic have eeusd to be
examination subjects in our high
school.. %VIII history not repeat k-
nelt with us ? I. not here to be fonrud
• • probable cause .,f the outcry against
---thttalifticulty n( this year's examina-
tion paper in arithmetic 1'
My porpoise in introducing my sub-
ject
jest thus is not to censure the public
• srhonl te•arher nr expose a neglect Itt
teaching. It is merely to mark a con=
dittos. 1 would have considery►Me
hesitation in -denying that Shia mime
la the natural one. it. is first of all it
most difficult subject to leads auceeas-
fully. there is no reedit Arelvd if
couch time is spent on it, and it b
directly in the interests of the en-
trance pupil. to utilise the time as-
signable to history nn the examina-
tion anlyrcts.
Whatever enters into pure litera-
ture may be considered within the
dnmsin of history It is for tbiar
reason that l would inelude in a
eouree of history the fairy tales. folk-
lore and legends of our own rate. 1
ilo not mean that I would leach them
as history, but as an introduction to a
e
recent meeting of the
West Huron 'leach-
ers' Association.
pretty certainly make them hate his-
tory, and t believe es. have not ripen,
our t' • in vain if we have aroused in
there an interest in Ih,• eubjts t. It ie
much better to learn eimething alxntt
[he great and eventful periods than to
go on continuously in the way Rug:
gaited by the form of the text-hook
The relative signifeance and value of
events is of far more importance than
their chronological order and does not
in any way correspond to it. It would
be well to Hz upon the most character-
istic• periosts. to cause 'hent to be
st .died with fulness and exactnes..
and to reserve the chronicle of the Tess
notable reigns until afterw.uds. The
times of Fmhert, of the Conqueror, of
Elizabeth, of the Prtte7torste, of
Anne and of George 111. are turning
paints in our history. He who under-
stands these well is. so far am history
is concerned, well informed, even
though he maybe unable to repeat in
due order the list of sewerelgos and
tell their relationship to one another.
in short, it is not necessary that a
pupil should take with hien into the
world all the facts of a school history,
but it is necessary that he should be
provided with a taste for historical
reading. and loth the power and the
diapsition to study the subject sys-
tetnatically for himself. This abject is
far more likels' to be obtained by judi-
ciously seleetlng end dwelling on the
prominept epochs than by the malice
ary routine method.
In speaking of chronology, a few
words in regard et the learning ob
dates may not he *mists. The date It-
self. slew fr•our the event, is of Tittle
use. What I bavo said in regard to
the study of periods of history ens
apply to the learning of dates: Itla
wire to tike three as fixed points in
the memory. 'There are other dates
whi; h only a pedant would celite and
which even a well -instructed man
war Id not care to burden his memory
with. The date is tributary- to the
fact: we study a fact. being sensible
of Its Imlpooi moor. and then we remem-
ber the date. The learning of many
dales is it WPaI784/l11e and meaningless
later to s child. whose instinct rebels
at prolIdew effort.
I do not think that ('''nadian his•
tory should to studied as h1111 cry 11114 41
the pupil has a fair knowledge of the
owttJinea of Willett history . Even
many of the events that help 1,1 stake
'wont text -books might with vivant
age he relegated to the hi,itorical
scrap -beep. Of what p t..lble interest
or valve to its can be the quarrels and
iota* nes of a long line of miserable
French Governors? I do not think
I have yet freed 11.5 self from the pre-
jndice 1 formed as a school -tiny
against tanadian history acquired by
weary hesara spent over the fives and
doings • of French Governors whose
names I found unpronounceable and
whose airs) were mean and selfish•
let there is much 11tat im romantic
std thrilling iu Canadian hlstry.
There is a romance in the discovery
nd settlement of the country. in the
hivalrou4 exploits and self•saeriHc-
ng lives of Cartier and Champ! tin
nd the discoverers of t he vast inland
waters of our continent, in the de-
voted lives art the Jesuit misaionari.s
,and the intrepid French generals
whose valor long sustained ay un-
equal straggle against the stronger
and ad j•tcent English caalemieet. wi -
little help from a disinterested mother
country. The later facts and events
of Canada's history under British rule,
with the story of the settlement of the
different province., ate likely to prove
of interest to any ('anedian hoy.
11 mint not be ',imposed that i con-
sider history as a narrative of rmulti-
*rionts events. It is hhe logic of
vents. Ifistorie intelligence is not
aerel information respecting events,
t k the t• tmprehension of their logic.
he development of this plot of hie -
try may very propetly be left to
lore rut ye need clsases. Got.] teachers.
however, will nun•n•.eiou.ly keep this
in mind even with voting pupils 1 do
not think it should he toad• the ul-
•ct of the lessons at this early stage.
he object should be to crest t e an i nter
at in the subject and all of her things
ill he added thereto. Through an
detest In hiatoly ie -derived a tante
for gond and- wholestyiw reading and
fonndat'nn for a love of the hest lit -
rehire. With s habit, thus formed
here would to lees jny-rkling with the
condom" rending with,:which our li-
raries abound.
a
history. 1'ou can begin very early--
even in the second part of the burst
book it can be done incidentally by
readings or by stories related by the
leacher. 11 can be mettle a chief fac-
tor In the development and training
of the imagination. Children very
early give evidence of this faculty anti
derive considerable pleasure floor it
Indeed, it has been trtily said that.
limen is a Isle -telling animal, and
ranter maliciously said Khat womntt
is a tale-hearleg animal. Certain it is
that It is not long after ,t child hoe be -
win to lisp Its first accents that it
b
begs to e told a story. At this stem!
cu
it is ease to direct and excite the im-
agination of the child—a falty that f
in too often given over to neglect..
When the child buts reached the r
second book some simple anti (untie- I
mental hieint kat Wrote S11011111 I/41 made T
intelligible a state. r nation. a pros- It
Mee, a dyru.ast y, a m inerrh. a premier. n
r
a Rnyenor-general, a p a r l i e nt e n 1,
lewislatioo, the administrat Inn of Ms-
tier..'eves and ek it and foreign war.
The earls history of our own snooty, j(
township and town might be intro- T
•(Need sit the came time, and in coat- e
tete of local history the 'petite' may w
beasenred of the hearty eo-operation it
of the parent a. About this time. too,
such stories as appeal to a child's love w
of adventure, latera of great. bravery- e
h
and polls sacrifice, cony be read or
narrated. English poetry Is rieh in
stories cf this kind and may thus
prove a valuable aid in the teaching
of history. Ruch stories as those of
Alfred the taw, Kin Arthur of the K
Round Table, King John and Magna i
('harts, the -,,9pfinish Armada and e
many others' will he found most in• v
w
As another meanm of u;ivin life and
salify to Iesa•ne on this euhjeer, Wee-
ional readings leforo a class of histair-
cal selection/1 tinny deserve* prnntin-
nt place. The teacher may with ad-
antage give his class a half-hour's
ending nreaainnally from name look
hlrh Illnetrates the period to which
the i -,'cent, histomteal lemons rarer.
Much readings should he largely anec-
otal on• dramatic in their eharacter,
R 11. im more necessary that they
hould deepen or intensify the impacti-
on of some one characteristic ind-
ent of the time than merely go over
he ground which has been covered by
he ltistoi 1(111 lessons. The school 1ih-
er y should furnish suitable historical
readings for the pupils and they
old he encouraged to make free use
f it.. I should, however. avoid theta
lied historical novels of plenty;
prison's Handbook of History in seven
faded resoling hook. will be frond
cry interesting, as well as the Chil-
r e a ' s Kncyelop(r tie, pn thHaheri
nnthly in London, England. at $2 rte
tear.
Biography is valuable as an adjunct
histuu y and should not he neglected.
teryone knows how much in ore at -
active the life of a person is them the
story of mere event's, There ie a
mpa•hy and human interest awak-
ed, when the career of a man is die -
seed. which can never be excited in
y other way. fhe life of s great
an m ty he the mitre of the most.
natant events events of an epoch. A pupil
ho has been directed successively to
e biography of .\lied, Thomas k
tecket, of ()Maurer, of Bacon, of
romwell, of Mad none, and of Pitt
n not fail to have an extenslvs ac -
lererting and if paperly handled
sheadd thrill the dullest pupil : lives
....and Incidents of this kind belong to
/''� the romance and poetry of history,
/ 1 do not, think 1 should place a text-
book of history in the hands 'of
d
a
pupils until they have at least reached s
the senior third class. Even then it si
should he used merely as supple- d
mentary to the teacher's work and t.
guidance. Even in thebigherela'seswe t
should not be the slaves of text -hooka. 1
Especially in history will the routine
work as outlined iu text -books bays a elle,
deadening influence on a pupil and l o
rause him to lose all interest in the 1 ora
subject. Nearly all text -hooks have N
drawbacks—they do not suit the Indi- g
vidual needs of teachers. in history • v
they are likely to sacrifice the pro- d
duction of vivid impressions to the nt
enumeration of hie °Her l facts. In; a
spite of this the use cf text books is a
necessity if gent would avoid vague.' o
nesse ; therefore subordinate t hem to B
mal ',sienna—their place is for refer- tr
enee and home sandy. 1f they be hl
used in the class at all they abound be pt
'n
aloud. explained, amplified, com-
mented on, and made vhidIy interest- 1 �n
leg before any of it is required to ire • sr
learned as a lesson. Then, by way of ,u
giving (tennl•envoi to what yon have pe
taught, h im not nnrrasonahle to ex w,
pert the pure Lura ma giy••n in the th
teat hook. to he prepared. I
1 should not Al fleet whin the tort 11
book 1s pul into the hands of the cr►
v pupils take up the facts of history in
Qbeir chronological order : It would rqb
ttalotance with the current history of
e times in wbioh florist men It
THE SIGNAL : GODERICH, ONTARIO
while the form in which that knowl-
edge has been acquired will be found
hetter adapted than any other to re-
tain a permanent hold on the mind.
The study arf the lives of writ mai
noble men must have an excellent
motel effect on pupil.. and f111 thettu
with nolle *spitations and worthy
ambitions.
Peohaps 1 should. before closing this
paper, say a word about the teaching
of the Bible in schools. My own inn -
pression is that it should he taught,
and as history ; it can be begun in the
very first year of a child's school life.
Sunday school teachers are not con-
cerned shout teaching the Bible as
history. and the Bible lessons Ate not
arranged with this purpose in view.
Sermons are ethical or evangelical, a,
that references to Bible history are in-
cidental. As a result, well-seaanred
pupils in our high schools have the
vaguest kind of knowledge of bible in-
cidents, and out of a class of thirty
pupil. a teacher will do more than I
e•zpect be will if he finds• three who
will understand an allusion to the
story of Ituth and Baas. The He-
brew's have transmitted to us their
conception of tiod, ofreligion. and cf
morality. Their thoughts., beliefs, as-
pirations, emotions, have entered into
our inmost being and constantly affect
our outward life and conduct. Their
ecstasy of joy. of triumph, of hope
their passion of remorse, of sorrow, of
despair have been embalmed in our
sacred music, and hallowed by the
most tender stud solemn astocia;ions
of religion. Their language and their
imagery have permeated our litera-
ture and color our daily speech.
Finally, we should not overlook the
necessity of so teaching history that
our scholars may he ioepiued with a
love and admiration for the country
we live in and the great Empire of
which we form a part, and tor the in
stitutiens by which we are governed.
I'atrIntiam 1s one of the things which
our teaching aught to cultivate --a
rational and affectionate regard for
the country in which we were torn
and for the privileges we enjoy
J. M. FIELD.
ACCUSED OP ROBBING WRECK.
Six Men on Trial at Manitoulin Leland
on Serious Charge.
Sault Ste. Marie. Nov. ft.—Atter an
investigation extending over nine
month'', during which time private de-
tectives have stemmed the island of.
Manitoulin, the (brown oMrers are
ready to proceed with the trial otsfit
men who are alleged to have taken
part In one of the most serious cases
of vessel plundering encountered in
recent. years. The vessel was the
freighter Wissahickon of the Anchor
Line of Buffalo, which was wrecked
nn Outer I hick island. off the southern
coast of Manitoulin, last winter. The
six men who are alleged to have plun-
dered the vessel of freight to the yelite
of $•�),O9) were placed' under arrest at
Gorr Bay some time fig°, ar,d will Ap-
pear for trial there before Magistrate
Price tomorrow.
The men. who are now at liberty on
hall, ere Victor Matheson. William
Hain. Kenny !McDonald, Fred Beni -
town, and two brother', John and
Alex. Purvis. All six are charged with
stealing from the wreck, and the Pur-
vis brothers face an additional charge
of selling the -ender' freight The sten
live in the vicinity of the spot where
the wreck occurreel, John Purvis being
a lighthoruse-ke,•per.
Had a Rich Cargo.
The Wissahickon, a freighter with a
rapacity of 5,5011 tone, was bound up
the lake for Duluth with a cargo of
general mer,handiee, shipped at Erie,
Uleveland raid Detroit. The cargo
wY valued at over $125,11011,
it wits about the middle of Decent -
her. and as the freighter neared Mani
toulin the weather became storun-
and blinding avow began to fall. Abs
navigation had offtcialIy eloae i, the
lights on the heaellnnd4 were not shin-
ing. and the captain of the %Viskshiok-
on 1041 big hearings,
in the 'form the vessel ran ashore
on Outer Duck island. The rept:tin
and the crow were compelled to re-
main for some time norm the,wreck.
Ilenilean and .inhn Purvis., two of the
men now awaiting trial, Tried to gel
out to the wreck in a launch, hot
failed, and it tits nerea4ary to await
the 'arrival of n ting to take the crew
off.
I hey left Ilse veered the Rairege
boat from S►uIt Ste. :Marie was just.
corning into sight. its erew immed-
iately went to work nt salvaging the
freight They kept at it for some
time, and then left, returning to the
work in the spring. •
Valuable Freight Disappears.
After the erarwn had been removed
and the owners began figuring mit
how they stood. it was dierovereot that
over *1 ),IMM) worth of freight bad dis-
appeared. The owners reported the
matter to the Dominion Police al 01 -
'awe, and ,leo engaged several Pink-
erton detectives to trace the missing
gins's. The Pinkerton* worked for
months on the Wand, gathering the
evident. the Crown will present when
the trial in proceeded with. Thar. eyi•
dense was considered Strong enough
Reverie, weeks azo to warrant the ar-
rest of the six men, and since then, it
is understood, considerable of the
missing freight bas been located.
All Escaped.
A party of young men dined sumpt-
uously at a restaurant in Dublin,
and each one insisted on paying the
bill. To decide the matter. it was pro-
posed to blindfold the waiter, and the
Hint one he caught ehonld pay the
hill. He hasn't caught any of them
yet.
Flower of Old Age.
(1. Heide Nina -le, the Philadelppbio
lawyer, spends his summers at Dark
Harbor. Mr. Noma is a favorite
among the natives of Camden. North.
port. I,ineolnvllle, and other towns in
that beautiful region. Of the older
natives he hu many amusing tales to
tell.
"1 used to know," Rniel Mr. Norris at
* luncheon at. the Philadelphia
Country ('rut, -a very, vet y- old man
in Northport. 1 !grid to him one day
•'-Jo.eph, you stave reaehed a very
great age. h*ve you not. r
"'Indeeel, and that I have, Mr. Nor-
ris, air,' piped the ell man. 'If 1 live
tilt next Notember i•l1 be an ncteger-
anium."' -Kansas City Alar.
.J'
?E!1INGLE
UNDERWEAR
THAT is the name, and
below is the tradetuark,
you are to look for next
time you buy underwear.
Your size in any garment
with that trademark will
tit perfectly, will outwear
ordinary underwear, will
not shrink. Yet you pay
nothing extra for this
extra value ; and you get our
Guarantee of "money back
if you can fairly claim it."
Made at Paris in Canada,
by P E N M A N S Limited.
51
j
qe ry
/4:4 e
' �S
, P Q�e
0
XUNSHRINKABLVg.
fig/,
Trade /far
ou had trouble with (/prepared
e Icing, it was not Cowan's.
Elven a child can ice a
cake perfectly, in three
minutes, with Cowan's
Icing. Eight delicious
flavors. Sold everywhere
The f0WAY 1.0. 01.11,4, TOROatO. _
•
SHOE - StiAp
THAT STAYS
If
shoes differ al
any particular point
it is in keeping thei►
shape.
Shape - retaining...
quality depends up-
on good lasting, or
the way the leather
is. stretched down
around the last, and
time given for the
shape to becolne
permanent.
fnvictus Shoes
are never rushed at
anystage, and prove
themselves by re-
taining shape until
,Worn out.
•
111
S Kyr
T•
(4"
the bill
and 11
,Mies h
,lent
ri
*fellre
II died
.Wine aSHARMAN—
corner Best Street and Square
- 1OF:ftICq
ITC) NEW SUBSCRIBER
We will'send The Signal from now to "Si
S i
the endLof 1911, for 1
\I • se
.,•-r
.41
• :1.•
N1,1
1
•„-it
•
• You are a particular house- , -I
keeper- -
You, are a discriminating
buyer--
.
'You` are a good Manager --
That is why we ask -you townie in and let us show you this
Thelmperial Oxford -. r
There's not a better baker in the Dominica'. A special divided oven flue guarantees that.
A gpecial grate guarantees the most heat for the fuel cousunted. Specialiash-door guard guarantees
cleanline-.s. Nickel lifts off and saves work of ccouring. And
GODERICH
THE ;LF..A1►1\t;
Fgneral Directors
And Embalmers
Orders carefully attended to
at all hours, night or day
that
K , d
Zoom•
dandy
141, I
sod it
real 1.
tar
Het
11 .11
ore b
It nt
51.1107
Rex41
(inks 1
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M..
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ing hu
Pant,
Her
inter(
Clam,
•I n�'r1
- bur
1.
Kee.'
roclti,
parte
h.:n1
great
h�xrd.
TH1
,.sat
hath''
I MI
Richt
chute
attest
good
r•t.r
saves 2O”. of your coal hill. -
\1'c -want to demonstrate these exclusive Gurney features to you—their
economy, t Lei: iency, the satisfaction they give. - Then we leave it to. you to
decide --can you afford to use any other range -in your kitchen? - - --
You'lt.find a full line of Gurney. Oxford Stoves on ruff floor --all styles and
-all prices --Made for every purpose and all kinds of fuel, Come in any time,
we're always glad to seow them.
J. HARPER
`PLUMBING AND HEATING
si tau "JUST AROUND THE OORNER"
GURNEYOXFORD
HEATING
ELECTRIC WiRING
ROOFING
METAL WORK
Etc., Etc.
W. R. Pinder
ode
,edi'
than!
ao t
laid .
Rv
finch
West
tool
Blau
bele
the
Lase
near
Nwni
One i
ei
of the
Past
teens
Papel
the I'
husk
Ott
is nal
Giri
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Min
"It
but
au .
(hat
D.
tab
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sIi out
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