schools, as well as in graded schools, are doing surprisingly well, showing that it has come to stay as part of our regular work.

FRANKLIN-Supt. Benchoff: A larger percentage of the pupils who took the examination in the course of study passed, which shows that the work in the county was well done. There will be at least a half dozen select schools open for young teachers and graduates of the common school course during the summer months.

GREENE-Supt. Stewart: Local institutes were held in Franklin and Cumberland townships. The attendance was fairly good and quite an interest was awakened in the centralization of schools.

HUNTINGDON-Supt. Dell: Interesting local institutes have been held in Marklesburg, Tell, Dublin, Cass, Three Springs and Clay. They were largely attended and much interest was manifested. Many of our pa. trons participate actively in these meetings. Several literary entertainments also were held during the month. Interesting educational meetings were held in Shirleysburg and Three Springs. At both places there were crowded houses. Our people are wide awake to the good results of these meetings. JUNIATA-Supt. Klinger: With one exception, all the schools were visited twice, and some the third time. Most of them have done good work. A few were failures, partly due to lack of discipline and more to indifference and lack of support on the part of parents.

LACKAWANNA-Supt. Taylor: In March I visited fifty four schools in twelve districts. The attendance was fairly good in all but two, where measles prevailed. This, of course, refers to pupils enrolled, not to some thousands in mining districts who are working in breakers and have never entered school. I attended local institutes in Fell and Lackawanna.

MERCER-Supt. Fruit: The eighth grade examinations were held this month; thirtyfour out of seventy-five were successful. This small number was due to the age limit of sixteen years, none under this being accepted for graduation and yet eligible, and a requirement of eighty per cent. to pass in arithmetic and grammar. An excellent local institute was held at North Liberty. Besides the teachers and schools of the township, the directors were present in a body. Dinner was served by the ladies of the district, and all enjoyed a social as well as an intellectual treat. I visited the new schools of South Sharon for the first time and found them in excellent condition, under the management of Prof. C. G. Canon and his able corps of assistants. They have two school buildings, one of buff and one of red brick; eight teachers in each and an enrollment of almost 900 pupils. The buildings are modern in every respect--light, heat and ventilation. In West Middlesex the directors have increased the facilities for doing good work and have employed a good music

teacher for the instruction of the pupils in vocal music.

MONTGOMERY-Supt. Hoffecker: During the month I held one examination of pupils in the graduating class. The work in arithmetic was well done, showing more than ordinary care in the teaching of this branch.

SOMERSET Supt. Seibert: A number of our country schools are holding appropriate exercises for the closing of the term. Our system of graduation stimulates the work of the schools and contributes largely toward keeping the pupils in school for a longer period. A new school district was formed in Jefferson township.

UNION-Supt. Stapleton: Few weak schools have been found during my visitations, and these among the beginners. Special efforts are made in behalf of this class. Local institutes and educational meetings have been well attended. Many teachers have made special efforts to estab lish and increase school libraries. Most of the districts have held institutes. One of the largest was a two-day meeting in Limestone township. Besides the local teachers, there were present Profs. Brungart and Hoffman of Mifflinburg, Birch of Susquehanna University, Johnson of Lewisburg, and the County Superintendent. Most of the schools have also observed patriotic and literary days. At a meeting of the County Teachers' Association one-half the teachers were present and enlivened the occasion by the dis cussion of the following subjects: The Ideal Teacher, Discipline as a Factor in School Work, Primary Reading and Nature Work in Primary Grades. Prof. Hamblin, of Bucknell University, addressed the institute on "Some Common Errors." His address was well received and cleared away many errors.

WARREN-Supt. Gunning: The Teachers' Reading Circle is progressing finely. Sheffield has a circle of twenty members; other places also have flourishing circles. The reading for the year consists of Winship's "Great American Educators," and White's "Art of Teaching." Questions for the spring examination in Theory will be based upon these two books. The committee on professional reading has selected Dr. Schaeffer's "Thinking and Learning to Think" for next year. Pine Grove township voted to put in a system of centralized schools, and the people of the district are much in earnest. Within the year Warren has added a well-equipped commercial department to her already excellent schools. Some 170 pupils are doing good work under the direction of Prof. C. E. Sisson. Type. writing and shorthand are taught, and instruction is given in other lines followed by the best commercial schools.

WASHINGTON-Supt. Hall: The teachers have been enthusiastic over the help they received from the instructors at the County Institute. Our effort to secure well classified schools with a timed programme for daily use, has prevailed with some, and

better results are apparent. No school can be counted a success if it does not have system. In the main the work done has given satisfaction. Many of the teachers are going to school. Much of the discussion at the local institutes was along the line of better preparation for the profession of teaching. Directors are now active in looking for good teachers for next year. Wages will advance, and so will good work.

WAYNE-Supt. Hower: District institutes have been held at many points, with good work at all of them. The papers and discussions at these institutes are better than ever. Several meetings of citizens were held in Bethany and Dyberry townships to uiscuss the centralization of all the schools. Considerable interest has been aroused, and we hope for results. This is the first year that three teachers have been employed in the high school in Dreher township, and they are making the school very popular and efficient. The schools in the southern section have done the best work in the county. This is probably due to the better average qualifications of the teachers. The school board of Paupack township has provided poles and flags for all the schools. An enthusiastic flag raising was held at Arlington. Rev. J. G. Raymond made the principal address.

Our

WESTMORELAND-Supt. Ulerich : schools as a whole are doing well. The attendance is good, and the teachers are faithful. Considerable trouble has been experienced in supplying all of them with teachers. Especially has this been true of the rural districts. In order to keep them going we have licensed a number of young people to teach who should be going to school. They are not competent to fill the positions they occupy, but we saw no other way out of the difficulty. We hope for more teachers next year.

BRADDOCK-Supt. Lamb: Our school board has let the contract for a new seventeen-room building to replace the old eightroom structure in the first ward. The new building will cost about $105,000, and will be modern in every respect. In addition to the seventeen school-rooms, it will contain offices, teachers' parlor, rooms for manual training and for kindergarten, bath-room, all completed with best material and in first-class manner. The contract provides for the completion of the building by August 15, 1903. The manual training and cooking schools are very popular, and are doing splendid work. This work at present extends from sixth grade through the high school. On March 1, 1903, my connection with the Braddock schools and my work as a school man came to an end. Twenty-six years ago I began teaching in a country school in Mercer county, Pennsylvania. For the past eighteen years I have been constantly in the schools, and supposed this was to be my life work. To me the work has always been enjoyable, and I regard the

school men as my truest friends. There are just two things wrong with the teaching profession as now constituted: first, the tenure of office is insecure, and second, the remuneration is by no means adequate. Improvement in both these lines, especially the first, is apparent, but there are serious objections, and it was just this that induced me to take up another line of work, that of librarian of the Carnegie Free Library of Braddock. The circumstances of my leaving the school work furnish a striking commentary on the salary question. My pay as Superintendent was as much as most men get for similar places. This was the work I could do best, and the schools furnished a sufficiently large field for all my energies, and yet the same people employing me in the schools were willing to give me a handsome increase in salary if I would drop the work which I had made a life study and take up work in a field entirely new to me. Mr. Grant Norris, of Wilmerding, has been chosen to succeed me, and assumed his duties March 1st. To my friends in the Department, and to my brethren in the profession, I desire to extend this my final greeting and farewell, and wish them God-speed in their noble work.

BRADFORD-Supt. Miller: A new tenroom school building has been completed in the Fifth Ward and was occupied for the first time at the opening of the new term on January 5th. The building is of stone and pressed brick, and contains all the modern improvements in school architecture. This is the second large brick school building to be erected in this city within the past three years. There still remain one or two wooden buildings which will perhaps be replaced in the near future. A number of our teachers have arranged to take a European trip next summer. There has been an unusual number of vacancies to fill since the opening of the school term; resignations due to sickness, marriage, and election to other positions. The general progress of the schools has been excellent.

CARBONDALE-Supt. Garr: I heartily endorse the attitude of the Department in the matter of minimum salary of $35; also the hiring of lecturers by the Department for general institute work.

CHELTENHAM Twp. (Montgomery Co.)Supt. Wagner: Up to January 7th our teachers reported 1216 readings of books from our Pupils' Reading Course list of forty titles by pupils of grades I to IX inclusive; 631 of our 972 pupils are enrolled in the course. In company with Supt. J. I. Robb, of Lower Merion township, I spent the week of March 16-21 visiting schools in Boston, Concord, Brookline, and Springfield, Mass. problem of centralization was a special subject of investigation and study.

The

COAL TWP. (Northumberland Co.)—Supt. Lloyd: February 20th was appropriately observed as Parents' Day. A unique feature of the exercises at the Lafayette and Garfield

schools was the presentation of six portraits -one of Lafayette, three of Washington, and two of Garfield-by the patrons of these schools.

DANVILLE-Supt. Gordy: Two members of our School Board attended the meeting of the State Association. A report of the proceedings was given by both delegates, each telling of the special benefit he derived from the meetings and from personal conference with other directors. The outlook seems to be that it will result in needed improvements and school appliances.

DUNMORE-Supt. Hoban: The compulsory law is now in full operation. Over 106 boys and girls that were in the breakers and mills have been returned to school. We hope to make their return profitable in every sense. Owing to a settling of the mines underneath our high school building, considerable damage has been done. The school was closed for a week, but has been re opened. No further settling is expected. One of the best and most profitable institutes that have ever been held in Dunmore was that of March 28th. The papers were the best I have heard, and the discussions were spirited. As an evidence of the great interest manifested, we had time for but two papers, one on "The Recitation from all Standpoints," and one on "Arithmetic." We are very much encouraged by the results that have been accomplished, and we are hoping for still better work before the year ends. Up to date, 128 pupils have been returned to school as a result of the enforcement of the compulsory law.

HAZLETON-Supt. Harman: At the municipal election the citizens, by a vote of almost five to one, granted the Board of Controllers the right to issue bonds to the amount of $60,000 to provide additional school accommodations.

MAHANOY TWP. (Schuylkill Co.)-Supt. Noonan: Music has been introduced into high school, with a special instructor, Prof. John Jones; one lesson a week, not less than one hour. Fourteen night schools have been open, with an average nightly attendance of 259 boys and two girls.

READING - Supt. Foos: A course of study for the grades below the high schools has been adopted. The several committees have asked for $278.544.25. The school board has decided to begin at once the erection of a twelve-room and a four-room building. We have changed the requirements for admission to the high school: instead of basing the promotion on four examinations alone, the daily work or recommendation of the teacher will count one-half and two examinations for the other half. Individual promotions in the lower grades will be made at any time.

SCRANTON-Supt. Phillips: An eightroom brick building has opened, with pneumatic clocks and the most improved system of heating and ventilating. A kindergarten training class has been established to meet

the demands of an anticipated extension of the system. Only those who have completed the training and high school courses are eligible for admittance.

SHAMOKIN-Supt. Howerth: Exercises in commemoration of Washington and Lincoln were held in all the schools on the afternoon of February 20th. A large number of parents and friends of the schools attended these exercises and also inspected the exhibits of the work of the pupils, thus showing an appreciative interest in the progress of the schools. At a recent meeting of the Board of Examiners of Wellesley College the right of certification for admission to that college was extended to the Shamokin high school. This is the first leading woman's college that has granted this privilege to our high schools.

SHARON-Supt. Hadley: Our schools have met with a great loss in the death of J. W. Mason, secretary of the school board. He had acted as secretary for the last eighteen years, during which time he served the schools very faithfully. On March 26th, Prof. Richards, of Chicago, lectured on "Oxygen" to the senior class of the high school. The school board has approved two sets of plans for two new buildings to be erected this summer.

WILLIAMSPORT-Supt. Lose: We are using the circulating-library system in our grammar schools. Eight sets of books are sent to each grammar school from the Public School Library, and these books are changed once each term. We find that this plan has several advantages over the old plan: The books can be better cared for, the pupils become acquainted with a larger list of books, and they are more convenient for the use of teachers in class work. The set sent to each school contains juvenile books, fiction, travel, biography, history and literature. The Art committee of our teachers' institute arranged for a series of two lectures, to increase the fund for the decoration of school rooms. The lectures were delivered by Rev. A. T. Kempton, of Fitchburn, Mass., illustrated by the most beautiful views ever seen here. The subjects were Longfellow's Evangeline and Miles Standish. More than 1,000 pupils attended the lectures and nearly $70 was added to the fund. The lectures are so fine and of such great value to schools that they should be given all over the State. A Frick electric programme clock and an encyclopedia have been added to our high school equipment. A class of twenty-five boys from each grammar school and from the high school are taking military drill from officers of the National Guard. The 175 boys will march in platoons in the procession of G. A. R. men on Memorial Day. The committee appointed to prepare plans for a new grammar school building have nearly completed their work. This building will contain every modern appliance for good sanitation, and for heating, lighting and ventilation.

There was a well-fed, prosperous looking woman of strident voice on one of the suburban trains the other morning, and above its roar and rattle her accents could be distinguished telling the story of the friend who was visiting her. "You remember Lou, of course," she said "Well, she's been staying with me since last week. And, you know! the funniest thing has happened. Lou-that's her name-always has a way of adopting other people's habits easily. Adaptability, I suppose, some people call it. For instance, if she was with a gay crowd she was gay, and with sober people she was sober. She hadn't been in our house three

JEM, THE CARTER LAD.

days before she got to talking as loud as if some one was deaf. And when I spoke to her about it-half joking, you know-she said she supposed from my talking so loud that Robert was deaf, and so she had spoken above her ordinary tone. Now, what I'd like to know, Kate, is if my voice is unusually loud. Tell me the truth." The car listened breathlessly. When Kate did the kind-hearted thing, sacrificing her desire to be honest in her instinct to be kindly, and said that she never thought so, the lady with the voice said decidedly: "There, I was sure of it! Something's the matter with Lou, and I shall advise her to consult an aurist."

J. S. BAKER.