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EDUCATIONAL ITEMS.

OHIO.

COLUMBUS.-We have long been intending to prepare an article on the Educational Institutions of Columbus. But not having found time to visit these schools, we must confine, for the present, our notice to a few general facts. Besides the Institutions for the Blind and Deaf and Dumb, Columbus boasts the Capital University-Esther Institute-Starling Medical College-Granger's Commercial College, and the City Public Schools.

The University has a Faculty of six members, Rev. C. Spielman, President; Esther Institute, a Seminary for girls, has eight Teachers; Mr. Lewis Heyl is Principal and Proprietor. In the Medical College there are seven Professors. In Granger's Commercial College, there are eight Teachers and Lecturers.

Mr. E. D. KINGSLEY is Superintendent of the Public Schools. We can not state the exact number of Teachers in these schools, but it must be about forty. In addition to the Teachers in the ordinary branches, there are Teachers of French, German, Music, Penmanship, etc A very valuable supply of apparatus has recently been procured from E. S. Ritchie, of Boston, at an expense of some $1,500. These schools have long needed more commodious and respectable houses. There is not one really good public school building in the city. In two of them improvements are now making. The Board of Education are now disposed to provide all required facilities, and the Superintendent and Teachers are indefatigable in their efforts.

MONROE COUNTY.-Educational interests are making fine progress in this county. We are indebted to Mr. William Wheeler for information in regard to the cause in that land of hills and valleys. The Teachers held an Institute in Woodsfield, commencing Oct. 20, 1856. A more enthusiastic and successful meeting was never held in Ohio. They adjourned to meet in the same place on the last Monday in March, 1857. And when that meeting is held, "may we be there to see."

STARK COUNTY.-Mr. O. N. Hartshorn, of the Mount Union Seminary, writes: "We have enrolled this term 263 students, (but two or three under 14 years of age.) 214 have taught district schools. About one-third are ladies, healthy and handsome." Inasmuch as they are "healthy," we trust that they have strength enough to hold together without hooping, as the manner of some is. And as they are "handsome," it is probable that coming events will show a peculiar significance in the name Mt. Union.

RICHLAND COUNTY.-We are indebted to Dr. Catlin, the meritorious Superintendent of the schools in Mansfield, for a copy of his late report. It is a document of high value, and we have marked passages for insertion in the Journal. OUR NORMAL SCHOOLS at Hopedale and Lebanon are, we are happy to learn, doing well. The N. S. Advocate, the organ of the Lebanon School, and published at Dayton, has of late assumed new vigor, and it is becoming a power in our educational system.

WAYNE COUNTY.-The Teachers of this county had a good time at their meeting in Chester, Dec. 6th. They have enlisted for the war, and are determined that the interests of education shall never wane in old Wayne.

ILLINOIS.

Great preparations are making for the meeting of the Illinois State Teachers' Association at Chicago Dec. 23d, 24th and 25th. A committee of twenty has been appointed in that city to make preparations for the entertainment of the Teachers who shall attend. Professor F. D. Huntington, of Havard College, with other able speakers, is to address the meeting. The editors of all the educational papers of the west, have received special invitations to attend.

Messrs. Powell and Hovey will please accept our sincere thanks for their polite invitations.

EXTRAVAGANT LAUDATION.-Hovey, of the Illinois Teacher, says of Wilder, of the (New York) American Journal of Education, “he wields a ready pen, and, like a singed cat, is a mighty sight better than he looks." We never saw either Wilder or the cat spoken of, and can not, therefore, say which has most cause for being proud of the comparison.

O Hovey, Hovey, if that is the way you talk about your editorial brethren who call on you, you will never be honored by a visit from us! Not that we are not good-looking, as well as smart, but you, Sucker that you are, might not discover

the fact.

THE ANNUAL MEETING of our State Teachers' Association, to be held in this city on the last two days of the year, promises to be an occasion of unusual interest. The subjects to be discussed are of high importance. The gentlemen who are to address the meeting are, "present company excepted," distinguished for talent and eloquence.

We are not authorized to speak on the subject, but may remark that efforts are making to secure half-fare on the various roads leading to this city. The hotels in the city will entertain Teachers at reduced rates. We hope to see an immense gathering of our whole-souled Teachers.

EXPLANATORY.-Much complaint has been made that the hospitality which Teachers receive in other towns, on occasions of meetings of our Association, is not extended to them by the citizens of Columbus. We are not appointed to defend the people of this city against this charge, but we are aware of certain facts which may be plead in mitigation of their offense.

The people of Columbus do not invite the Teachers to hold their meetings here, as is the case in regard to other towns. These, and other similar conventions, are of such frequent occurrence in Columbus, that they excite little interest among the people. And if the people were to keep open house during the sessions of them all, we should be a city of free tavern-keepers.

Again, the meetings of the Association are held here during the holidays, when the arrangements of families are such as to render it unusually difficult to entertain strangers. Another reason which influences some, is the impression that many Teachers come here rather to visit the Public Institutions, here located, than to attend the meetings.

We regret that the Executive Committee can not assure all Teachers who shall be in attendance upon the coming meeting, of gratuitous entertainment. But it appears to be no fault of theirs. Possibly we better hold our next meeting in Chicago.

VIEWS AND REVIEWS.

MORSE'S GENERAL ATLAS OF THE WORLD. D. Appleton & Co. The man who buys this work for six dollars, should be felicitated on his good fortune. Works of the kind, worth no more than this, have been sold for three times the money. It contains SEVENTY splendid maps, drawn and engraved from the latest and best authorities, full descriptions and accurate statistics of all nations, brought down to the year 1856. Such a work is a necessity in every family. It embraces the Geography, History, Agriculture, Manufactures, Commerce, Wealth, Finance, Government, Education, etc., of every Country and State on the globe; all put in condensed form, but so arranged as to be easily understood.

ABRIDGMENT OF THE DEBATES IN CONGRESS FROM 1789 TO 1856. By THOMAS H. BENTON.

Of this work GOVERNOR CHASE says, in a letter to the General Agent, Mr Foster:

EXECUTIVE OFFICE, COLUMBUS,

December 5, 1856.

DEAR SIR: The proposed abridgment of the Debates of Congress, by COLONEL BENTON, Commends itself to the favor of all Americans. The work itself is most important. It will place within the reach of thousands otherwise inaccessible treasures of historical knowledge. It will make audible to the present generation the discussions of the past-deeply interesting themselves, but even more interesting as exhibiting the beginnings of great traces of events, the procession of which is yet passing before our own eyes.

And no man is so well fitted for this work as the distinguished statesman who has undertaken it. His large experience in the public councils, and his comprehensive judgment, afford sufficient guaranties that nothing will be retrenched which should be retained, or retained which should be retrenched.

Very respectfully, yours,

FRANK E. FOSTER, Esq.

S. P. CHASE.

This work will be embraced in fifteen volumes; the first of which will be published early in January 1857, to be succeeded by another in April, and so on to the close, one at the end of every three months. The price will be $3,00 per volume. As this will come only four times a year, and as payment is to be made only on delivery of the volume, it will be in the power of many to furnish themselves with this great work.

N. B. The Atlas and the Abridgment can be obtained only of the Agents, who will canvass the State for subscribers.

See Advertisement of Mr. Foster.

TEMPLE MELODIES. Mason Brothers.

"Least said, soonest mended," is true of our singing powers. But we do love vocal music. In religious songs, uttered in sweet tones, there is more that is Heaven-like, than in aught else ever heard on earth.

This work seems to us to be well adapted to accomplish its purpose. It is a collection of 200 popular tunes, and 500 favorite hymns, selected with special reference to public, social, and private worship.

Address the Publisher, or J. A. Sloan, Esq., Batavia, Ohio.

A PRONOUNCING SCHOOL DICTIONARY OF THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH LANGUAGES. By A. SPIERS, PH. D. Revised by J. L JEWITT. New York: Mason Brothers.

Our French is about like our music, decidedly pauvre. We bemoan our deficiency in this particular, and advise our youthful readers to send to Brother

Sloan, as directed above, get this Dictionary, and make a good use of it. We know of no better work on the subject.

THE GEOGRAPHY OF NATURE. Boston: Hickling, Swan & Brown, 1856.

This is a beautiful, interesting, and instructive work, of 600 pages ; so arranged as to be suitable for a text-book in schools, or for use in the family. The numerous cuts of all the animal creation, men, beasts, birds, fishes, reptiles, insects, etc., will render it attractive, especially, to the young. We recommend it to the careful perusal of all our readers.

We have also received from this House several other works of high value, a notice of which we are obliged to postpone till a future day.

THE ELEMENTS OF PUNCTUATION. By JOHN WILSON. Boston: Crosby, Nichols & Co. Cincinnati: Geo. S. Blanchard.

This is an abridged edition of the excellent work of Mr. Wilson, and has been prepared with special regard to use in schools. There are few matters in the way of education, which receive so little attention as the laws of punctuation. And yet few things are more important. We have heard of an author who wrote a book without punctuating it at all, and then put all the needful commas, etc., in the appendix, so that the reader could put them in, here and there, to suit himself. This is a rather better mode than many authors practice. We earnestly recommend this work to all Teachers and school officers. It should be used in every Grammar and High School throughout the State.

Examine, also, the other works advertised by Crosby & Nichols in this Journal. They all are of high value.

THE JUVENILE DEFINER. BY WILLIAM W. SMITH. New York: A. S. Barnes & Co.

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The name of the author of this work Smith is to it a tower of strength. Would a Smith write a poor book? Perish the base thought! And should such marvel happen, Barnes would not publish it, Childs would not sell it, not he. In arrangement and definition we think it the best work, on the subject, extant. GRACE VICTORIOUS; OR, A MEMOIR OF HELEN M. CowLES. Oberlin : Printed and sold by J. M. Fitch, 1856.

The subject of this memoir was a daughter of Prof. Henry Cowles, of Oberlin. She was born Aug. 10th, 1831, in Austinburgh, Ashtabula Co. O., and died in Oberlin, May 3d, 1851. She received a thorough education, and was for some months engaged in teaching in Cincinnati.

Helen was, at the age of 12 years, afflicted by the death of her mother; but subsequently came under the affectionate and judicious care of one who, as stepmother, was active and faithful in her training. Naturally self-willed, it required the utmost carefulness to lead her in the way she should go, and many were the sad forebodings of her pious parents. But at the age of fifteen, she gave her heart to God, and became a meek and devoted Christian. We have not room to say all that we would, but we trust that our readers will possess themselves of this most interesting little work. It will cause the tears of sympathy and joy to burst from their hidden fountains, and hard must be the heart that will not melt over its simple but blessed narrations. Precious and heavenly was her dying hour. To her weeping sister, now Mrs. M. B. Bateham, of Columbus, she whis pered, "Not a tear, Josephine, not a tear, I want to go home." These were her last words. She sleeps in Jesus, and precious is her memory. In her life and death Grace" was most manifestly "victorious."

THINGS PERSONAL.

Mr. E. E. WHITE, late of the Cleveland High School, has accepted the position of Superintendent of the Schools in Portsmouth, O., at a salary of $1,200. This is an excellent appointment. But Mr. Freese must be a most patient man, if he never remonstrates against the selection of so many of his Teachers to fill important positions in other places. During the past year four, to our personal knowledge, of the Cleveland male Teachers have been called to other positions, -three in Ohio, and one in Illinois. No better testimonial could be furnished, to show the high character of the Cleveland Schools. School Boards will "get the best," and if you, Mr. Freese, wish to retain your Teachers, you must employ those of less distinguished qualifications.

PROF. J. C. ZACHOS, well known as one of the most prominent Teachers of the country, is giving a course of Lectures in Cincinnati, upon the English Poets. The press of that city speak in the highest terms of these lectures, both on account of their eloquence and æsthetic criticism.

Mr. WILLIAM T. HAWTHORNE, having resigned his position as Superintendent live men in our profession, and we are mistaken if any "wooden horse" stratagem, of the Schools in Franklin, Warren Co., has taken charge of the Grammar Department of the Union Schools in Troy, Miami County. Mr. H. is one of the or any other one-horse machination, shall demolish Troy so long as our worthy friend remains there. Henceforth men shall not say, "Ilium fuit," but Ilium est.

SYLVESTER WATERHOUSE, LL. D., a distinguished classical Teacher, has been appointed Prof. of Latin in Antioch College.

Mr. J. A. SLOAN, formerly Principal of the Union Schools in Batavia, Clermont County, has accepted an agency for Mason Brothers. His post office address is still Batavia.

REV. ASA MAHAN, formerly President of Oberlin College, has been chosen President of Michigan Union College, located at Leoni, Michigan.

PROF. GEO. R. PERKINS, of Albany, New York, has been appointed Frofessor of Mathematics in Iowa University.

PROF. A. MCMILLAN has received and accepted the appointment of Principal of the Utica, (N. Y.,) High School.

MR. JOHN W. DICKINSON has been appointed Principal of the Normal School at Westfield, Mass., in place of Mr. Wm. H. Wells, "gone to Chicago."

PROF. HAHN, the Mathematician, DR. BUCKLAND, the Geologist, and SIR JOHN ROSS, the Arctic explorer, have recently deceased.

MESSES. IRA MAYHEW, of Michigan,

LARABEE, of Indiana, and W. H.

POWELL, of Illinois, have been elected Commissioners of Schools for their respective States.

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