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GRAMMAR IN RHYME.

We advise every little grammarian just entering on Murray, Brown, or any of the thousand grammars in use, to commit to memory the following easy lines, and then he will never need to mistake a part of speech. Who its author is we do not know, but he deserves immortality. With one exception, "Thirty days hath September," etc., it is the most useful poetic effusion we have ever met with.-Phil. Sat. Bulletin.

1. Three little words you often see
Are Articles-a, an and the.

2. A Noun's the name of any thing,
As school or garden, hoop or swing.

3. Adjectives tell the kind of Noun,
As great, small, pretty, white or brown.
4. Instead of Nouns the Pronouns stand-
Her head, his face, your arm, my hand.

5. Verbs tell of something being done-
To read, count, sing, laugh, jump, or run.
6. How things are done the Adverbs tell-
As slowly, quickly, ill or well.

7. Conjunctions join the words together-
As men and women, wind or weather.

8. The Preposition stands before

A Noun, as in or through a door.

9. The Interjection shows surprise,
As Oh! how pretty, Ah! how wise.

The whole are called Nine Parts of Speech,
Which Reading, Writing, Speaking teach.

PHILOSOPHY IN COURT.

We observe that a prize is offered this year by Harvard College of $500 to any pupil who shall be decided by the Corporation to have attained the greatest skill in mathematics. The person who offers the prize, which is only proposed for this year, is Uriah A. Boyden, a civil engineer of Boston. This gentleman was concerned in a suit last year, brought by him in the Supreme Court of Massachusetts, against the Atlantic Cotton Mills of Lawrence, which was of a very interesting character, but has never, so far as

we are aware, come before the public. Mr. Boyden had agreed to make a turbine water-wheel for the Atlantic Mills, which should save or "utilize," as it is termed, seventy-six per cent. of the water-power; if he succeeded in saving that per centage, he was to have $2000; if not, he was to have nothing; and for every one per cent. above that he was to receive $350. Mr. Boyden went to work and produced a wheel which saved, as he affirmed, ninety-six per cent. The labor involved in this result may be imagined, from the fact that Mr. Boyden spent more than $5000 in the mere mathematical calculations. The Company had provided no sufficient means of testing the question practically, and as the per centage claimed by Mr. Boyden was altogether unprecedented, they contested the claim.

The case went into court. No jury on the globe could comprehend the question, and the learned bench also found itself entirely at fault. The case was accordingly referred to three well chosen parties: Judge Joel Parker of Cambridge, Prof. Benjamin Pierce, the mathematician, and James B. Francis of Lowell, the agent of the united companies of Lowell, in the management of the common water power. Prof. Parker furnished the law, Mr. Francis the practical acquaintance with hydraulics, and Prof. Pierce the mathematical knowledge. That learned geometer had to dive deep and study long before the problem was settled. But settled it was, at last, and in Mr. Boyden's favor, to whom the referees awarded the sum of eighteen thousand seven hundred dollars. Mr. Boyden had previously constructed turbine wheels that utilized respectively the extraordinary amounts of eighty-nine and ninety per cent.; the last wheel, utilizing ninety-six per cent., exceeds anything of the kind that was ever made. The wheel is one hundred and four and three-quarters inches in diameter.-N. Y. Evening Post.

DANE COUNTY TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION.

WE inadvertantly omitted to publish in the July number of the Journal, the proceedings of the Dane County Teachers' Association, held in the city of Madison, on the 17th and 18th of April last. As some time has elapsed since the meeting of this organization, we omit some portions of the recorded proceedings; giving only the resolutions and such other matters as are of the most practical importance.

THURSDAY, April 17, 1857.

D. Y. Kilgrove was chosen chairman, and J. C. Pickard, Secretary. F. F. Mackay, from a committee appointed for that purpose, reported the following Constitution:

PREAMBLE.

Whereas, we the teachers of Dane county, deem it highly essential to the progress of educational interests in our vicinity, that all persons engaged in the occupation of teaching should meet occasionally for the discussion of

such questions as may arise relative to the instruction and government of schools, and for the purpose of mutual improvement through the instrumentality of Institutes; therefore

Resolved, That we form ourselves into an association, the better to accomplish our object, to be hereafter known as the Dane County Teachers' Association, and agree to be governed by the following

CONSTITUTION.

ART. 1. This association shall consist of persons engaged in teaching in this county, and of persons actively engaged in the cause of education; each male member paying one dollar annually. Honorary members may be elected at any regular meeting.

ART. 2. The officers of this association shall consist of a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer, who with a Board of five Directors shall constitute an Executive Committee; any three of whom shall constitute a quorum, and shall be elected by ballot at each annual meeting.

ART. 3. The duties of President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer, shall be such as pertain to the same offices in similar associations.

ART. 4. The Executive Committee shall arrange business for the annual meetings, procure lecturers for the same, and through the secretary of the association, who shall be ex officio their secretary, conduct all correspondence. They shall also have power to call special meetings of the association, to fill all vacancies occurring in the offices, and shall make to the association an annual report of their proceedings.

ART. 5. The regular meetings of this association shall be held annually at such time and place as the Executive Committee shall designate, and any five members who shall meet at any regular or special meeting, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

ART. 6. This Constitution may be amended at any regular meeting of the association, by a vote of two-thirds of the members present.

The report was adopted.

On motion, proceeded to the election of officers, with the following result: D. Y. KILGORE, Madison, President; J. C. PICKARD, Madison, Vice President; F. F. MACKAY, Madison, Secretary; WM. MAGOFFIN, Madison, Treas

urer.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS.-THOMAS B. WILLIAMS, Albion; W. N. MASON, Sun Prairie; J. F. SMITH, Verona; B. F. NOTT, Fitchburg; E. L. POUND, Black Earth.

The following questions were handed in by members of the Association for consideration, and elicited much interesting discussion:

1. Are public examinations and exhibitions advantageous to schools? 2. Can the infliction of corporal punishment be justified in any case?

3. Is the practice of awarding prizes commendable?

4. Is it advisable for teachers to adopt a code of laws for the government of schools.

5. What is the best method of preventing tardiness?

6. How can whispering be prevented in school?

7. What is the best method of teaching children to read? On motion, adjourned until 9 o'clock, A. M., Friday.

FRIDAY, 18th.

D. Y. Kilgore offered the following resolutions: Resolved, That it is the duty of every teacher to strive for the highest attainments in the art of teaching.

Resolved, That it is the duty of the parents to co-operate with the teachers in elevating the standard of public education in this county, by providing suitable school-houses, furniture and apparatus, and by increasing the compensation of teachers to an amount commensurate with the services rendered.

Resolved, That we recommend the formation of a teachers' association auxiliary to this in each town in Dane county.

Resolved, That we recognize in the Wisconsin Journal of Education an important auxiliary to the cause of public instruction, and it is the duty of the teachers of Dane county to sustain it.

The resolutions were discussed by Messrs. Kilgore, McKeever, Pickard, Warner, Smith and others, after which they were unanimously adopted. Prof. Daniel Read, of the Normal Department in the State University, was introduced to the Association, and made some encouraging remarks. Mr. Lewis introduced the following resolution, which was adopted:

Resolved, That in view of the high responsibilities of the teachers' profession, we will do all in our power to place it in a position that shall realize the utmost expectations of the most sanguine friends of education.

Adjourned to 7 o'clock, P. M.

EVENING SESSION.-Association was called to order by the President, when Mr. J. F. Smith introduced the following resolutions:

Resolved, That the true interests of society demand that the sexes should be educated together in the same school and in the same classes.

Resolved, That the practice of confining young children six hours each day in the school-room, is inconsistent with a proper development of either body or mind.

Resolved, That in the opinion of this Association, the cause of education in this State would be promoted by abolishing our present system of town supervision, and adopting a system of county or district supervision.

The resolutions were adopted.

On motion the thanks of the Association were conferred upon the officers for the manner in which they have performed their duties.

The President then introduced Professor Read to the audience, who delivered an address upon the importance of teaching the principles of civil government in our common schools.

On motion,

Resolved, That the thanks of this Association are due to Prof. Read, for his very able lecture upon the necessity of teaching civil polity in our comVOL. II. 6

mon schools, and that we as teachers will endeavor, as far as practicable, to train our pupils for the discharge of their duties as American citizens. After some remarks by the President, the Association adjourned sine die. F. F. MACKAY, Sec'y. D. Y. KILGORE, Pres't.

Editorial Department.

MEETING OF THE STATE TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION.

THE Meeting of the State Teachers' Association was largely attended, and the deliberations were characterized with good feeling. The speakers who participated in the discussion of matters brought before the Association, observed a gentlemanly bearing towards each other amidst differences of opinion; and in no instance did the excitement of debate lead any one to forget the amenities and courtesies which belong to well ordered deliberative bodies. The citizens of Waukesha are deserving of much praise for their kind attentions and hospitalities, to teachers and friends of education, who attended the meeting of the Association.

THE ADDRESSES.

Addresses were delivered during the session of the Association by A. C. SPICER, of Milton; J. G. McMYNN, of Racine; J. B. TURNER, of Jacksonville, Ill.; D. Y. KILGROVE and Prof. REED, of Madison; and N. A. CALKINS, of New-York. It would be profitable to notice the leading thoughts of the several addresses, but no outlines so brief as our space would necessarily require, could do justice to the speakers. The subjects treated upon, had generally an immediate relation to the Public School interests of the State, and were calculated to be of practical benefit to teachers.

REPORTS OF COMMITTEES.

The reports of the several committees, to which subjects had been previously referred to be reported upon, were mostly written with ability, and exhibited study and research upon the matters to which they particularly related. Among the reports which excited the largest share of attention during the session, was that from the committee on Normal Schools. This report, as will be seen by the resolutions submitted, proposes several important changes in our common school system, especially in respect to school supervision. The merits of the plan as a whole, proposed by the committee, admit of differences of opinion, as the discussions of the Association fully evinced; but that portion of the report which asserts the inadequacy

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