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Show "IN THE MATTER OF SPELLING." Editor Tribune: Your article under the abovo heading has recalled the past and the present writer's early days. Liverpool, England, 1853. Scene, a tailor's workshop. There every day proved the value Bet on the limited education edu-cation for the masses then in vogue. Newspapers were 9 cents por copy, -tho London Times 12 ccnls. Two local scml-weekly papers were taken, and the Times purchased at half price the day after publication. The men subscribed 2 cents per week; and the papers, after reading, were generally soldN at half price. Few trades give better opportunities for oral reading and social intercourse than tailoring; and, as a, rule, the papers pa-pers were thoroughly road and the greatest attention ' givon by old and young. Many a parson whom we have heard reading tho lessons could have learned much by listening to some of tho readers, if a young man. mispronounced mispro-nounced a word ho was corrected sometimes it was to Iia iv nn oath but it drove homo the Information Infor-mation all tho same. One man carried a pocket distlonary, and yet would ar-pruo ar-pruo that certain words were not in the English language. Then came reference, refer-ence, refutation and long argument, and a genernl discussion on the spelling of words; and In such a school correct spelling became grounded In all who had tho least gift of retention. Newspapers News-papers and good books were dear, and all the more thought of In consequence; and the poor fellows could not but envy those who had the way before them for higher education. They como before me as a wonderful set of men. considering their small chances. Now, with, free education in America and England, the very wealth of learning at tho command of the people seems only to produce lack o appreciation. Then came school boards, compulsory education and cramming, with such evening lessons as tho following: Draw rout a map of Scotland, Introducing tho rivers and mountains: next, spelling, parsing, arithmetic and composition; with these as a dose, the young pupil generally got through by 11 o'clock, went jaded to bed, and In the majority of cases forgot It all In a few hours. Many pupil teachers and scholars were prostrated; and this state of affairs led to Parliamentary ' debates and somo modifications. And those also were the days of a cheap press. Newspapers in London and the provinces, with the exception of the Times, cost only 2 cents; evening even-ing papers, 1 cent; in fact, they were so chean as onlv to receive rnrlrs ntton. tion from many, Now, we will change the scene to n tailor's workshop once more. Ey this tlmo tailors' wages had advanced one-fourth, one-fourth, but there was no time for reading. read-ing. If anyono read some great 'political speech they would listen, but the days of the great readers had almost gone, and they lived only In the memory as names. The young bloods were principally prin-cipally occupied with music hall ditties, plain songs and slang, and before starting start-ing w'ork for the day ono of them would sing that inspiring line; "Oh, boys, hero's a lark, Angelina's got her baby." And then treat you to a break-down. These are all facts, and tho greatest fact of all Is that the majority of them in point of education were far behind the youth of earlier days because they held their chances too cheap. It would seem to the present writer though hc never had the chance of learning even the first principles of grammar, that there Is a way of getting get-ting nt the capacity of scholars, and that it should be the first duty of a teacher to find out what Is best for each boy and girl; and In this regard I will venture to say that one of tlx; greatest gifts a teacher can possess Is tact. The apt scholar is on tho tide of success, suc-cess, a word to any of them does wonders; won-ders; but the laggards and dunces should have the most attention Instances In-stances are not rare of many who are regarded today as the bright lights of the world who were dunces In their early youth; and what can be more disheartening dis-heartening to slow scholars than to be constantly taunted as blockheads, and to be reminded time and again of the gifts of others? All can not possibly be in an advanced Btate; but the evil tho teacher is expected to remedy is only Increased by harshness and the want of a few kindly words of encouragement. encourage-ment. Some arc in such awe of their teachers that what they know Is lost sight of for the time, and through timidity ti-midity they give wrong answers, A word In season would brighten them up and help them very much. Talk about education! Here In Salt Lake City where the chances are many you will And pupils who have been at school and college from eight to twelve years and can only Bpell the simplest words. But It can be said of the same kind of pupils, both here and elsewhero, that if they had twenty years' schooling they would advance very little further In this acquirement. Many of them have dictionaries at home and will not refer to them. They prefer to ask some one on the spur of the moment and not trouble themselves by references, and many of their parents set them the example. ex-ample. Without application no knowl-edco knowl-edco can be gained, and It would behoove be-hoove even' child and young man and woman to give thltj matter their serl-qus serl-qus consideration. Call upon their will power; bo determined to succeed, and to remember that bad writing is sooner 1 excused than bad spelling. To crown all: Tho English language consists of over 100,000 words, and out of all these only about 3000 are in general gen-eral use. Therefore let our young minds ponder upon this, and master the spelling spell-ing of every word that they and others use every day. ROMEO. Salt Lake City, May 2a |