dialogue was as follows: You have had an this negro's calculation of the latitude, the excellent teacher of navigation, young man ; longitude, and the true time, which he had and you could not well help being a good worked out on the passage. He answered all scholar. In making the Straits of Gibraltar, my questions with wonderful accuracy, not what was the error in your reckoning?" The in the Latin of the caboose, but in good set young man replied, 'Six miles.' You must terms of navigation. This cook had been then have got your longitude very accurately: round the world, a cabin boy, with Captain how did you get it? First by our chron- Cook on his last voyage, and was well acometers, and afterwards by lunar distances.' quainted with the particulars of his assassiWhat do you know how to take and cal-nation at Owhyhee, on the 14th of Feb. 1779.” culate the longitude by lunar distances?' The young captain seemed somewhat nettled at my question, and answered me with a scornful smile, I know how to calculate the longitude! why, our cook can do that! Your cook!' Here the owner of the ship and water him and feed him, and I'll pay you for it. For the Schoolmaster. MR. BLUNT. Here, Jim, take my horse, MR. EXQUISITE. And now, Mr. Ostler, I require your strictest attention for a fleeting I surrender and commit to your moment. special care this exceedingly beautiful dappled-grey quadruped. Receive him as an important charge. Circumambulate him around this spacious mansion, this renowned public house; let him imbibe a few aqueous particles; then cast before him a small amount of vegetable nutriment, and when he has satiated his appetite, I will render to you, for his recuperative refreshment, pecuniary re the old captain assured me that the cook on board could calculate the longitude very well, that he had a taste and a passion for it, and did it every day. There he is,' said the young man, pointing with his finger to a negro at the stern of the ship, with a white apron before him, and holding a chicken in one hand, and a butcher knife in the other. Come forward, Jack,' said the captain to him; the gentleman is surprised that you can calculate the longitude, - answer his questions.' I asked him, What method do you use to calculate the longitude by lunar distances?' His answer was, It's all one to me; I use the methods of Maskelyne, Lyons, Witchel, and Bowditch; but, upon the whole, I prefer Dunthorne's. I am more used to it, and can work it quicker.' I could not express my surprise at hearing this black face talk in this way, with his bloody chicken and knife in bis hand. Go,' said Mr. Crowninshield to him, lay down your chicken, bring your books and your journal, and show the gentle-ily to which he has the honor to belong: "Gentlemen, my name is Smith, I am man your calculations.' The cook soon re muneration. The Smiths. he SMITH, the razor strop man, is about again. He is not ashamed of his patronymicrather glories in it. In the course of a recent harangue in our city, Smith administered the following consolation to the great fam turned with his books under his arm. He proud to say I am not ashamed of it. It may had Bowditch's Practical Navigator, The be that no person in this crowd owns that Requisite Tables, Hutton's Tables of Loga- very uncommon name. If, however, there be rithms, and the Nautical Almanac. I saw all one such, let him hold up his head, pull up, his dickey, turn out his toes, take courage, Smith, gentlemen, is an illustrious name, Let White, Brown and Jones increase as they will, Believe me, Smith will outnumber them still. The Boomerang. THIS curious weapon, peculiar to the natives of Australia, has often proved a puzzler to men of science. It is a piece of carved wood, nearly in the form of a crescent, from thirty to forty inches long, pointed at both ends, and the corners quite sharp. The mode of using it is quite as singular as the weapon. Ask a native to throw it so as to fall at his feet, and away it goes, full forty yards before him, skimming along the surface, at three or four feet from the ground, when it will suddenly rise in the air, forty or sixty feet, de Gentlemen, I am proud of being an original Smith; not a SMITHE, nor a SMYTH, but a regular, natural, and original s-m-i-t-h, Smith. Putting the Y in the middle, or the E at the end won't do, gentlemen. Who ever heard of a great man by the name of Smyth, or Smith-e. Echo answers who? and every-scribing a curve, and finally drop at the feet body answers nobody. But as for Smith, plain s-m-i-t-h Smith, why, the pillars of fame are covered with that honored and revered name. Who are the most racy, witty, and popular authors of this country? Horace and Albert of the thrower. During its course, it revolves Smith. To go further back, who was the bravest and boldest soldier in Sumpter's army, in the Revolution? A Smith. Who palavered with Powhattan, galivanted with Pocahontas, and became the ancestor of one of the first families in Virginia? A Smith again. And who, I ask and I ask the question seriously and soberly - who, I say, is that hand, it is a formidable weapon, striking without the projector being seen; like the Irishman's gun, shooting round the corner equally as straightforward. It was invented to strike the kangaroo, which animal is killed by it with certainty; and, though a copse intervene between the hunter and the animal, the boomerang comes round the corner, and breaks the animal's legs. DOG DAYS.-A schoolmaster asked a class, man, and what is his name, who has fought how many dog days there are? The question the most battles, made the most speeches, preached the most sermons, held the most offices, sung the most songs, written the most poems, courted the most women, kissed the passed from one to another, without a satisfactory answer, until one bright looking boy replied, that he thought there must be a great many; for he had heard that every dog has most girls, ran away with the most wives, his day." Who can give the correct answer? and married the most widows? History says, you say, I say, everybody says, John Smith. NEVER permit your energies to slumber. KINDNESSES are stowed away in the heart like rose-leaves in a drawer, to sweeten every object around them. EDITOR'S DEPARTMENT. Rhode Island outside of Providence. It has subscribers in all of the northern and western OUR SUBSCRIBERS who are in arrears will find states, including California, and in several of the their BILLS in this number. "The times are hard," friends, but they are harder for THE SCHOOLMASTER than for his subscribers. So, please be so kind as to send that dollar right along. He needs it to buy paper and pay his printer. Don't lay aside the bill and forget it, but send the $ AT ONCE and call it square. To Our Readers. A YEAR has now passed since the present editor entered upon his duties in connection with this journal. It was then temporarily suspended, and never would have seen the light again had not the financial flurry deprived him of anything better to do than to furnish a journal of education to the people of our good little state. This he undertook to do. He put his hand to the plow and has not dared to look back. He did not believe the teachers and families of Rhode Island would suffer the only magazine in the state to die for want of a single dollar, if it were worthy of patronage. He has labored earnestly to furnish a journal which should be worthy of support. He has endeavored to improve its mechanical appearance; to procure from the best writers in the state, original articles of interest and value; and to select from exchanges and from books the best articles possible for such a publication. In short, he has endeavored to furnish a magazine which should be welcome to the teachers and the families of the state-not forgetting the children and to all in other states who should chance to meet with it. This has been his aim. How well he has succeeded he leaves his readers to judge. THE SCHOOLMASTER has been faithfully remembered by its contributors, special, regular and occasional. The subscription book has been well patronized by other states, both far and near. The Pennsylvania list is nearly as large as the list from southern states. But the teachers in the various towns of our own state have not patronized their journal as they ought. There are now more teachers in the towns of Rhode Island who are not subscribers to it than who are. We are aware that the past has been a remarkable year. Rhode Island never before saw the time when business was so paralyzed. Being emphatically a manufacturing state, and all or nearly all manufacturing having been suspended for a part and much for all of the year, of course our people have found unusually "hard times," so that many have been compelled to send an order of discontinuance, accompanied with expressions of regret that they were obliged to do so. Thus we have had to struggle through unprecedented difficulties. Add to this that the subscription list was at its lowest point when we took the charge of the journal, and that the state has never given it any patronage, such as is extended by other states to similar publications, and our friends may have some idea of the effort necessary to sustain THE SCHOOLMASTER. We have succeeded in sustaining it thus far, but with no remuneration for services, and not yet receipts sufficient to cover expenditures. We therefore call upon the teachers of Rhode Island and the friends of THE SCHOOLMASTER everywhere to aid us in increasing the subscription list. The fall schools are now commenced and all are making arrangements for the winter schools. It is a time, therefore, when many new subscribers may be obtained. On another page may be found a letter from Missouri, the writer of which sent a new name with his gold dollar. We send bills to our friends in arrears, and will they not send the gold or the paper dollar accompanied with the names of one or more new subscribers? Will not, also, all who love THE SCHOOLMASTER ask their friends and neighbors, and scholars, and brother teachers, and sister teachers, who have not already subscribed, to hand them one little dollar to forward to the editor with nal, has presented year by year so long a list of which to "pay the printer?" names to be placed upon its subscription books. By so doing they will insure the continuance of Nor did his interest cease till his death. During the publication, increase its efficiency, and have the past year, while unable to appear in the the satisfaction of the assurance that they have streets, he sent not unfrequently notes of enhelped maintain the Rhode Island State Educa-couragement to the editor and short articles for tional Journal. IN the last number of THE SCHOOLMASTER appeared an article on "The Importance of a longer Course at School," which was the last contribution from the pen of an old teacher, a worthy man, and a warm and efficient friend of of this journal. GEORGE HOPKINS TILLINGHAST, M. D., died in this city August 28th, aged 62 years. He was a graduate of Brown University of the class of 1814, and has been long known as an earnest advocate of popular education. He has been one of the most efficient friends and co-workers for THE RHODE ISLAND SCHOOLMASTER since its establishment. No other person, not directly connected with the jour our readers. We understand that in former years he was himself a teacher, and for many years a member of the school committee of this city. New School House at Taunton. A NEW School house was dedicated at Taunton, Mass., on the 15th ult., with appropriate ceremonies. Addresses were delivered by several distinguished individuals, among whom were Secretary Boutwell, and Ex-Governor Morton. The building is three stories above the basement, is divided into ten school-rooms and a hall, and cost, with the grounds, $25,000. The school is to be under the charge of Geo. C. Wilson, Esq., formerly of Woonsocket, a worthy man, an accomplished gentleman, and a successful teacher. THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY for October contains some excellent articles. We have no heart, however, to read them, much less to admire them, we are so grieved that the "Autocrat" has gone into matrimony. We were in hopes he would keep up his nice stories about the "morning walks," until another summer, especially as he always had something to tell about the Schoolma'am. We could then conscientiously recommend the work to teachers, butwill you believe it-The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table was married on the last day of summer to the School Mistress! However disappointed that this event has taken place so soon, we would extend our congratulations to him, and wish the School Ma'am a very pleasant walk in the "long path." WE hope the teachers will all remember the Institute at Newport, commencing Oct. 4th. It is the only institute of the season. Providence Schools. THE ANNUAL REPORT of the School Committee of this city presents some interesting facts in relation to the schools and some important suggestions with reference to the grading and classification of schools. ing and arranging of schools, that pupils can be far better taught, and better governed, in rooms containing from fifty to sixty scholars, than they can be in rooms of one hundred and fifty and two hundred scholars. "By the recent returns from the Prospect street and the Arnold street Grammar Schools, which are under the old system, it appears that there are 392 pupils in both of these schools. And this is about the average number for the year. The cost of instruction alone, in these schools, is $4,500 a year, $2,400 being paid to two Principals, and $2,100 to six Assistants. The number of pupils in the Elm street Grammar School, which has been altered and placed The matter of popular education has recently engrossed more than the ordinary attention which our people are wont to give to the subject. It is well known to the friends of education in this vicinity that some change has been effected within the last two years in relation to the grading and classification of the schools. In a majority of the Grammar Schools the old plan of two or three hundred scholars in one room,-un-under the new system, is 388, while the cost of der the care of a principal and assistants, the latter occupying recitation rooms, while the former conducts his recitations in the main room, has been given up, and the plan of single rooms with one teacher and fifty or sixty scholars substituted in its stead. Of this plan the Superintendent in his report to the Committee speaks as follows: instruction alone, in this school, is at the rate only of $3,300, which is $1,200 less than is paid for the instruction of but four more scholars in Prospect and Arnold street Grammar Schools. Here is a gain of $1,200 a year in the cost of instruction, while the expense of the change was but $1.250." Of the system of classification the Superintendent remarks: "From the frequent and careful examinations that I have made of the several grades of schools, I am fully satisfied that their efficiency may be very much enhanced by a more complete and perfect system of classification. There are evils growing out of our present system that ought to be remedied. There is now no uniformity in schools of the same grade. In some schools there are four classes, in others there are seven and eight. The time devoted to each study, also varies very much in the different schools; hence arises a difficulty in bringing these scholars together in one class when they are promoted to schools of a higher grade. "From the examination of the different Grammar Schools, there is indubitable evidence that the alterations that have been made in two of the Grammar School buildings, have very materially increased the value and the efficiency of these schools. All the benefits and advantages that were expected when these changes were proposed, have been fully realized. The Principals of these schools, who have taught under both systems, are very decided in the expression of their opinion in regard to the superior facilities which these schools afford, when compared with those under the old system: and their experience is in perfect accordance with that of hundreds of other able teachers, who have made a similar trial. I have never known a teacher, who has had a good opportunity of judging of both systems, who has not given his decided preference to the one recently introduced into our schools. During the last few years, this subject has been so thoroughly and ably discussed by the devoted friends of education, that it has to every class for each term. By this arrangenow become an established principle in the grad-ment, the amount of study in the corresponding "The plan which I would recommend, and which I am confident will remedy the evil that is now so often complained of is this: to establish definitely the number of classes in each grade of schools, and to assign a precise course of study |