5

WHERE TEACHERS ARE MADE

State Normal School at Peru an Institution of Remarkable Excellence.

Keeping Pace With the Times, It Now Banks With Any of Its Kind in the Country.

Present Liberal Policy is Proving a Success - Attendance is Growing Yearly - Class Now About to Finish

A week of notable closing exercises, attended by thousands, and the contemplated departure from Omaha of two carloads of the alumni, calls attention to the State Normal school-that beautifully situated academy at Peru. Nebraska may be monotonous in scenery, and uncertain in elimate in tom portions, but at Peru lying in the southern part of the state. It is as beautiful as a king's pleasure ground. Peru used to be a river town, but it awoke one morning to find that it had been filled by the Missouri, and has been able to console itself only by lying so far from that river that its turgid water, winding below the swelling and wooded hills, turns into silver and {onchants?} the eye. There has been some complaint because the State Normal school was "dropped away in the corner of the state," but the surroundings are in reality so remarkably attractive that the school is becoming a favorite on that account.

Within the last two years the standard of the school has been raised very considerably. Up to that time the policy with which it was conducted was conservative in the extreme, and it is a melancholy fact that a few years ago an applicant for a position as teacher in a country school was first accepted on his merits, and then refused a dipoima was presented from the State Normal school. The members of the board had never heard of the institutions although they lived but thirty miles west of it. But with the coming of Prof A. W. Norton to the presidency, the school has not only been actually raised as an institution of learning but it is rapidly becoming celebrated.

HAVE RETURNED TO SCHOOL

This has been the result of a liberal policy of an original method of teaching and large public spiritedness which has taken Prof. Norton into nearly every county of this state, lecturing, addressing teacher's institutes and talking to schools on educational matters. In this particular Prof. Norton and Chancellor Canfield have much resembled each other in their activities. A considerable number of the present pupils of the Normal school are young men and women who have held positions as teachers, but who, on the hearing Prof. Norton, have decided to return to school and more fully equip themselves for their responsible work. It is a fact, that so materially has the important institution been raised in its value and credit during the last two years, that young teachers leaving it have been able to secure positions immediately, for excellent schools at salaries from $900 to $1200 some of these positions being outside of the state.

In spite of hard times and the need that many young persons who would have chosen a teacher's career have had to work at something bringing an immediate income, the attendance has grown considerably, In 1891 the whole number in attendace was 450 pupils; in 1804 it was 55. The graduates in the elementary departments numbered forty-eight.; in 1894 they numbered fifty-five. The graduates from the higher course in 1891 were twelve in number. In 1804 they were thirty-four. In 1891 the graduates from the training school were ninety-five; in 1894 they were 182.

WORK OF TWENTY YEARS

The development of the school and of the state can be inferred from the factthat during the twenty odd years of existence of the school previous to 1803 the number of graduates was 188; while during the years of 1803-4-5 it has been 101. This is the case not withstanding the fact that the pursuit of thirty-six studies is a requirement now for a diploma, while previously but twenty-seven studies were required. Moreover, the amount of work along certain lines has been increased. During the last year two books more of virgil have been read than previously; the work in chemistry and physics has been more than doubled, and the work in physilolgy has been nearly doubled. All this is the result of a vivid and vital personally at the head of the school. The State Normal has felt the same acceleration from its head that the university has from the management of Chancellor Candield. Militarism has shown itself in a moderate and commendable way, and there are two companies of cadets are only partly uniformed, but will be fully costumed next year. The college has a paper, the Courler, which is brisk and interesting and typographically good. There are now four societies in the school, two of which have been recentuly formed. These societies are the Junior, the Wellingtonian, the Everett and the Philmathean. Under the proper guidance and suggestions, these societies have ceased to be organizations fror amusement, and have become literary societies, following a systematic course of study, cach making its selection and pursuing it through the year; and at the "open sessions" giving the school the cream of its work.

BOASTS SOME ATHLETES

The school is unfortunately, without a gymnasium through it boasts of a sprinter who can run 100 yards, standing start, in 10 3/4 seconds Field day is not neglected though that has also been introduced within the last two years, and the program includes some excluding and novel numbers. Being a
co-educational institution in the fill sense of the word, the young women are not neglected even in the field day program, but participate with a noble disregard of the traditions of sex.

The school appears to be very well equipped in laboratory, as to observatory and in class rooms. The buildings would stand some repairing. They bear silent witness to the fact that the appropriations for the school have not always been as large as the {Necessitioes?} demand. Standing as the buildings do, surrounded by sixty acres of beautiful groves, it is easy to forget all such deficienoies, however, in rejoicing in the beauty of the surrounding. What influences such beauty may have upon the minds and spirits of those who are to become the instructors of the children of Nebraska the psychologist may determine. Certainly the institution is the most fortunately placed of any in the state. there are five buildings all staunch and good. These buildings include a dormitory for the girls and an ordinary at which the young women and facility may board.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The institution is managed by a board, which, at the present writing, consists of the state superintendent, the state treasurer, Hon. Church Howe, Hon, Wilson E. majors, Hon. B. E. B. Kennedy, Hon. J. A. West and Hon. J. T. Spencer. Mr. Church Howe holds his term but two days longer and leaves behind him the record of a generous and large administration, so far as it lay in the power to secure it.

The school has gained the reputation of late of being conducted upon a pecullar method. To a casual observer it would seem that the method strongly resembles that of the university. Certainly, insomuch as the pupils control themselves, as all police surveillance is banished and the pupils are absolutely upon honor, there is a strong resemblance. Insomuch, toon as the formation of character is considered as of as much importance as the gaining of knowledge, there is a resemblance. To acquire power, strength and the power of [exeolating?] influence for good is, according to Prof. Norton, a true education. It is in a sense the idea which is great European educators who originated the kindergarten held.

"Education is easily acquired by the trained mind" Prof. Norton says, "Once a student has acquired powered over himself he can learn anything, or do anything he may set out to do. To anything, he may set out to do. To triumph over whatever obstacles may arise to act quickly and wisely-these are what mark the cultivated mind. I believe that the student should believe that the student should be taught to meet each day's exigencies, and to acquire the ability to meet them bravely and well. Character seems to me the ground work of the equipment of our teachers. The common earth rests upon the school-the school upon the teacher-the teacher upon his own inner power. The man or woman of character who takes up teaching as a profession will, it goes without saying., be well informed. That becomes a matter of consolences. And when the lessons of mental victory over obstacles arel earned it is no longer difficult to force the mind to acquire whatever one sets out to have it acquire"

THIS YEAR'S GRADUATES.

The graduating class of forty-one shows in its earnestness and vigor that it has received instruction of an unusual sort. There does not appear to be a member of the class who will take up his or her duties as instructor in a perfunctory way. The deep responsibility which a teacher bears has been planted in their comprehension.

Sunday morning this class listened with profoundest attention to the baccalaureate sermon by Dr. Roland of Lincoln. Wednesday next will be the commencement exercise. The class day program by the way, is said to have been quite the jolliest and most original in the history of school-even Miss Morgan, the preceptrees, says that and she ought to know, for she has been with the school for over twenty years. Twenty years, it may be parentheitcally remarked is a long time in Nebraska.

Prof. Norton and some of his facility conducted a summer school at Peru last summer, but owing to a union of a number of teachers' institutes this year, he will not take up the school, but will accept a position at a summer school at Colorado Springs. President Norton is form Elimies, N.Y. and a man who has had much experience among many different sorts of pupils-and most obviously a man who has accepted his calling as a sacred one, with incalculable opportunities for influencing the lives of others. It is a fortunate thing for the state that such an educator is within its borders, to counteract to some extent the daily selfishness and secularism which is too liable to grow up in the public school system. The state is fortune in having over its prospective teachers a man of profound religious conviction, as well as one of keen intellectual activity, and any of aggressive and progressive modernity.
ELIA W. PEATTIE

WHERE TEACHERS ARE MADE

State Normal School at Peru an Institution of Remarkable Excellence.

Keeping Pace With the Times, It Now Banks With Any of Its Kind in the Country.

Present Liberal Policy is Proving a Success - Attendance is Growing Yearly - Class Now About to Finish

A week of notable closing exercises, attended by thousands, and the contemplated departure from Omaha of two carloads of the alumni, calls attention to the State Normal school-that beauriful situated