MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER: AN AGRICULTURAL AND FAMILY JOURNAL. 
(Bfrufaliotm 
BY L. WETHERELL. 
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF INSTRUCTION. 
Keene, N. H., Aug. 12, 1851. 
The Institute met in this village at 10 
A. M. to-day. G. T. Thayer was called to 
the chair, and the meeting opened with 
prayer by Rev. Dr Barstow, and remarks 
by the President and others. Reporters 
for the Press were invited to take seats at 
a table prepared for their accommodation, 
and the delegates were requested to call 
from house to house, and become acquaint¬ 
ed with each other and the citizens gener¬ 
ally. Reports from the Board of Censors, 
of Curators, and from the Trustees, were 
received and favorably acted upon. The 
thanks of the Institute were voted to the 
General court of Mass, for an appropriation 
of $300, towards defraying its expenses. 
Then came the Introductory Address by 
Gov. Briggs of Massachusetts, Subject — 
“Popular Education.” 
First he remarked upon the interest that 
Governments have in the education of Chil¬ 
dren. He went back to “Ply mouth Rock,” 
to the days of the Pilgrims when the Wor¬ 
ship of God was first —and universal edu¬ 
cation second. In 1642, twenty-five years 
after the landing at Plymouth Rock, pro¬ 
visions were made for the education of all 
the children—and the duty of education 
was enforced upon all, by penalty if neg¬ 
lected. If the father or master refused 
to educate his children, they were taken 
from him and educated. Thus they held 
to the doctrine of State education, and en¬ 
forced it after the most rigid manner.— 
Laws, with the Puritans, were executed— 
they were not as now in too many instances, 
a dead letter. 
He asserted the doctrine that the prop¬ 
erty of the State shall or should educate 
the children of the State—not only here, 
but everywhere, upon the habitable earth. 
The property of every man should be tax¬ 
ed for the education of all the children— 
because it is for the interest of every man, 
as it is of every Government, that every 
child shall be educated. It is good econo¬ 
my so to do. An ignorant community will 
be a poor community—for ignorance is the 
begetter of crime. It is cheaper to edu¬ 
cate, than to punish for crime. 
He asserted that it is the right of every 
child to be educated; because intelligence 
is necessary to industry—and in. ustry to 
the happiness of all. A competency can¬ 
not be had without intelligent labor. 
He said that if he could have his way 
the limit of taxation, should be that of 
expending every dollar necessary to the 
building of tasteful edifices, and for the em¬ 
ploying of competent instructors. It has 
been otherwise. The time was, when the 
school-house was the most dilapidated 
building in town—and the teacher about 
the most stupid person in the village—for 
persons qualified to instruct, would not 
teach for nine dollars a month—or a dollar 
a week in summer, and “ board round.” 
He said, speaking of school-books that 
the Constitution of the United States, and 
the Constitution of the State where the 
child is educated, should be read and stud¬ 
ied and committed to memory. He would 
no sooner commit the interpretation of 
these Constitutions to “ great men,” so call¬ 
ed, than he would the interpretation of the 
Bible to his minister. He would also add 
the Bible, as a book that should be in every 
school-room, and read, and its holy precepts 
enforced by the teacher. In it you find 
every trait of human character developed; 
every variety of style and composition, from 
the simplest narrative to the boldest speci¬ 
mens of the sublime. All other composi¬ 
tions dwindle into nothingness when com¬ 
pared with the Book of books. 
He urged the reading of the Bible in 
schools, principally for the reason that it 
furnishes the foundation for religious and 
moral training. But it is objected by some, 
in these days of progress, that the bible is 
antiquated. A code of action which re¬ 
quires of man that he love God with all 
his heart and mind, and his neighbor as 
himself, antiquated! It is not in the pow¬ 
er of any intelligence, in the universe, not 
excepting God Himself, be it reverently 
said, that can' suggest a higher code of 
moral, action. 
This is only a meagre sketch of the Gov¬ 
ernor’s address. 
PHONOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION BY DR. STONE, 
OF BOSTON. 
In order to present the practicability of 
Phonography as a linguistic art—or as a 
new mode of teaching the art of reading, 
writing, and spelling the English language, 
he, the Doctor, brought a class of four lit¬ 
tle girls with h : m from Boston, for the pur¬ 
pose of favorably impressing the Institute 
concerning this “ new thing.” After listen¬ 
ing to the exercises of the class, I, for one, 
was far from being convinced of the claims 
of the art, made by a few enthusiasts, 
any farther than as an art of short-hand¬ 
writing. The reading exhibited, presented 
some good qualities, with others that were 
decidedly bad—not to say absolutely ridic¬ 
ulous. The mouthing of words was deci¬ 
dedly bad —worse than 1 ever heard be¬ 
fore from children. 
The system, says the Doctor, is composed 
of forty sounds, and every one of these has 
a character to represent it. Our alphabet 
is the worst alphabet of any language.— 
The Spanish, he said, have made their lan¬ 
guage phonetic. Of the 60,000 words in 
the English language, only 60 he says are 
spelled as they are pronounced. [Admit¬ 
ting that this be so—is it not also, a fact, 
that no two phonographic writers spell the 
same words in the same way ?] But 
enough of this at present. More anon. 
Mr. D. B. Hagar, of West Roxbury, 
next lectured, “ On the Supervision of 
Schools.” 
First: What are the Interests to be su¬ 
pervised ? Body, heart, mind and soul, 
and nothing less. These are all to be pro¬ 
vided for. Is it not true that what has 
been done, whether by the pen, or by the 
instructor, has been mainly directed toward 
the intellectual nature ? Virtue is infinite¬ 
ly above intelligence. Intellect made an 
Alexander, a Napoleon. Virtue, a Wash¬ 
ington. 
The first duty that a supervisor should 
perform, is to provide suitable buildings and 
furniture. 
The second is to see that the children be 
not overworked —that no unfit corporal pun¬ 
ishment be inflicted. 
Again: The examination of teachers is 
committed to this class of persons. This 
is a difficult work to perform. After licens¬ 
ing the teacher he must be looked after, in 
order to see that he faithfully performs his 
duty in the school-room. The faithful 
teacher must be encouraged and sustained. 
The selection of text books must be the 
work of supervision. In order to qualify 
for this, it requires the practical knowledge 
of the teacher. The moral character of 
the school is also to come under direction 
of school supervisors. 
Again: Who are the proper persons to 
perform this work? The answer—practi¬ 
cal teachers. Men whose experience has 
made them sage. Whoever undertakes to 
superintend any business must, or should 
be, acquainted with the business. Unless 
a practical teacher he is a theorist, in what¬ 
ever is proposed, as supervisor, if he be 
anything. 
Again: Supervisors should be practical 
teachers in order to give authority to his 
advice—as well as to rectify existing evils 
which he may see. 
Lastly: How many supervisors are neces¬ 
sary in a town? One competent man.— 
And he should be well qualified to dis¬ 
charge the requisite duties—and he should 
be well paid. V T hat one man can do is 
better done by one man than by many. 
This system has been tried in the State of 
New York, and found successful. 
The next lecture, by Sam. W. Bates, of 
Boston, on “ The Manifestations of Educa¬ 
tion in Different Ages.” 
He began by saying,—What is Educa¬ 
tion ? Who is Educated, and what is it to 
be Educated? Is the Indian, or the slave 
uneducated ? Is the tradesman an unedu¬ 
cated man ? Somebody has said that an 
educated man is one who has committed to 
memory other men’s thoughts. Religion, 
Government, and Education, are the great 
subjects which interest every human being. 
Education divides itself into two parts, 
called art and science. The end to be at¬ 
tained is mental discipline. 
Education is and has been shaped by 
the times, in all ages of the world. We 
think that we are wise—and those that 
lived in past times, fools. Not so—we are 
what we are because we enjoy the experi¬ 
ence of the ancients. 
This world is one vast school. Among 
the Jews the Bible was the text-book. The 
Egyptians were distinguished for knowl¬ 
edge of the physical sciences-r-the Arabi¬ 
ans for their mathematical studies—others 
of the ancients for various other things.— 
The darkness of the Middle Ages was 
caused by religious education. After the 
Dark Ages, military education prevailed. 
The moral of the history of the past is, 
that there is no such thing as abstract ed¬ 
ucation. The times must be known —in 
order to determine what education was, is, 
and should be. 
This lecture was excellent—and a report¬ 
er cannot do it justice. 
EVENING SESSION 
Lecture by Rev. Levi W. Leonard of 
Dublin, N. H., on “ The Present condition 
and wants of Common Schools.” 
He began by picturing the manner of 
teaching in the past as well as it now is.— 
Dwelt upon the defects and spoke of the 
improvements which have been made and 
are still making. 
One of the defects in teaching the art of 
reading is found in the neglect of spelling. 
The number of correct readers is very small 
—and because of this no progress can be 
made in the acquisition of knowledge. 
Another fault is the want of proper clas¬ 
sification of the pupils. This difficulty is in¬ 
creased by the frequent change of teachers. 
The committee in this State have the power 
to classify the children of the School—the 
duty however is not performed. 
More thorough instruction is needed in 
our Schools—and because of this want 
much time is wasted—nothing is presented 
clearly—and mind is put asleep rather than 
energized and quickened into action. 
The study of history is not enjoined by 
the Statutes of the State—and is neglected. 
Very little knowledge of history is acquired 
by the young men who leave the Common 
School. 
He spoke of the defects in moral teach¬ 
ing—at the present time. This is owing 
in part to the maxim, “ That the young 
must see vice in order to learn to shun it” 
Much can be done in this matter, and much 
should be by all parents as well as teachers. 
The lecture was at its close made the 
subject of discussion. 
Dr. Sears, of Massachusetts, remarked 
upon the importance of thorough training 
—such as shall secure mental discipline. 
Thoroughness, and accuracy, and assurance 
should be the fruit of the school-room. Too 
many things are studied in Common Schools, 
He was followed by Mr. Sullivan, of 
Boston, also by Mr. Philbrick, of the 
same city. Here closed the session of the 
first day. w. 
NEW PUBLICATIONS. 
The Ckkscent and the Cross; or Romance and 
Realities of Eastern Travel. By Eliot War- 
burton, Esq. New Edition, complete in one 
volume. New York; G. P. Putnam. 
Says the Author,—“Immutability is 
the most striking characteristic of the 
East: from the ancient strife of Cain and 
Abel, to the present struggle between the 
Crescent and the Cross, its people remain 
in their habits of thought and action less 
changed than the countries they inhabit.— 
The fertile Yale of Siddim has become the 
coffin of the Dead Sea, and the barriers of 
the Nile have rolled down from Ethiopia to 
the Delta; but the patriarch still ‘sits at 
the door of his tent on the Plain of Mamre’ 
and the Egyptian still cultivates his river- 
given soil in the manner practiced by the 
subjects of the Pharaohs.” For sale at 
Dewey’s 
Nineveh and its Remains: With nn account of a 
visit to the Chnldam Christians of Kurdistan, 
and the Yezidis, orDevil-Worshippers; nn Inqui¬ 
ry into the manners and arts of the Ancient As¬ 
syrians. By Austen H. 1, a yard, Esq., D. C. 
L. New York Geo. P. Putnam. 
The narrative of Ninevah consist of two 
volumes, and is an exceedingly interesting 
and instructive work. It should be found 
in every District School Library. For sale 
at D. M. Dewey’s. 
A Visit to Monestaries in the Levant; By the 
lion. Robert Carson. New York: G. P. 
Putnam. 
Other travelers in the East have written 
about animals, plants and pyramids and the 
like. The author in this volume gives an 
entertaining account of his visits to the 
Monestaries in the Levant, For sale by 
Dewey, Arcade Hall. 
THE WILD TURKEY. 
Let me say a word about the wild tur¬ 
key, in every respect a more interesting 
subject than that of snakes, unless one hap¬ 
pens to be an adept in herpetology. What 
noble game is this bird. “It is game as is 
game,” as Captain Cuttle would say, and 
no one would question the assertion. How¬ 
ever, there is doubt whether the Captain 
ever traversed the plains of Texas. 
My first contact with the wild turkeys 
was in the wooded valley of a small stream, 
where I rode in to wate r my mule. At this 
time a flock of at least thirty full grown 
turkeys rose up within ten feet of me, ma¬ 
king a noise like the roar of musketry. I 
was so much startled at their sudden ap¬ 
pearance that I was thrown off my guard, 
and before I had time to unstrap my gun 
from the saddle, the whole flock were be¬ 
yond my reach. I was more cautious af¬ 
terwards, knowing where the haunts of these 
birds were, and hence was more successful 
in shooting them. 
The usual haunt of the wild turkey is in 
the river bottoms, which, in Texas abound 
in pecan trees, on the nut of which they 
feed. They are seldom found in the plains, 
unless there is a wood near. The best way 
to shoot them is to take a stand in the wood 
near a river, towards sunset, when they 
come to roost. The call of a turkey is easily 
imitated by an experienced sportsman.— 
This call or whistle will attract any passing 
bird toward you, which, when perched up¬ 
on a tree, perhaps above your head, will 
call his or her brood to the same spot. As 
they alight, one after another, they may be 
shot down, without disturbing the rest of 
the flock. In this manner a sportsman may 
shoot half a dozen in the course of half an 
hour. It is exciting sport to give them 
chase when one is on horseback. They will 
then run for miles without taking wing, and 
a sportsman sometimes finds himself far off 
before he is aware of the distance he has 
run. I found myself in this predicament 
several times on foot, and determined never 
to give chase to turkeys again, unless 
mounted. 
At a stream known as Turkey creek, 
where our party lay in camp a day, we 
found the greatest abundance of this fine 
bird. It was the place before alluded to, 
where so many deer were shot. On the 
same day three men brought into camp up¬ 
ward of thirty turkeys. It was a great day 
of feasting: in fact, all became satisfied with 
venison and turkey. This bird, on an ave¬ 
rage, is heavier than our domesticated tur¬ 
key. Its flesh is much the same taste.— 
Indeed I could not recognize any difference. 
The last we saw of them was about 200 
miles west of the Rio Grande. The coun¬ 
try between here and there is too barren 
for any of the feathered kind. Even the 
Pecos did not, in the 150 miles we traveled 
along its banks, afford any game. — Sport¬ 
ing Scenes. 
INGENUITY OF BIRDS. 
Thrushes feed very much on snails, 
looking for them in mossy banks. Having 
fequently observed some broken snail shells 
near two projecting pebbles on a gravel 
walk, which had a hollow between them, I 
endeavored to discover the occasion of their 
being brought to that situation. At last I 
saw a thrush fly to the spot with a snail- 
shell in his mouth, which he placed between 
the two stones, and hammered at it with 
his beak till he had broken it, and was then 
able to feed on its contents. The bird must 
have discovered that he could not apply 
his beak with sufficient force to break the 
shell when it was rolling about, and he 
therefore found out and made use of the 
spot which would keep the shell in one po¬ 
sition. 
When the lapwing wants to procure food, 
it seeks for a worm’s cast and stamps the 
ground by the side of it with its feet; some¬ 
what in the same manner as I have often 
done when a boy, in order to procure worms 
for fishing. After doing this for a short 
time, the bird waits for the issue of the 
worm from its hole, who alarmed at the 
shaking of the ground, endeavors to make 
its esaape, when it is immediately seized 
and becomes the prey of the ingenious 
bird. The lapwing also frequents the 
haunts of moles. These animals when in 
pursuit of worms, on which they feed, fright¬ 
en them, and the worm in attempting to 
escape, comes to the surface of the ground, 
where it is seized by the lapwing. The 
same mode of alarming his prey has been 
related of the gull.— Jesse's Gleaning in 
Natural History. 
A Singular Tree. —In the Island of 
Goa, near Bombay, there is a singular tree 
—“ the sorrowful tree”—because it only 
flourishes in the night. At sunset no flow¬ 
ers are to be seen, and yet, half an hour af¬ 
ter, it is quite full of them. They yield a 
sweet smell; but the sun no sooner begins 
to shine upon them, than some of them fall 
off, and others close up. This continues 
throughout the year. 
BLESSED ARE THEY THAT MOURN. 
BY WILLIAM C. BRYANT. 
Oh! deem not they are blest alone 
Whose lives a peaceful tenor keep; 
The Power who pities man has shown 
A.blessing for the eyes that weep. 
The light of smiles shall fill again 
The lids that overflow with tears; 
And weary hours of woe and pain 
Are promises of happy years. 
There is a day of sunny rest 
For every dark and troubled night; 
And grief may hide, an evening guest, 
But joy shall come with early light. 
And thou, who oe’r thy friend’s low bier 
Sheddest the bitter drops like rain, 
Hope that a happier, brighter sphere 
Will give him to thy nrmsagain- 
Nor let the good man’s trust depart. 
Though life its common gift deny, 
Though pierced and broken be his heart, 
And spurned of man, he gees to die. 
For God has marked each sorrowing day, 
And numbered every secrect tear! 
And heaven’s long age of bliss shall pay 
For all its children suffer here- 
ALL LOOK UPWARD. 
Were there no other evidence of a God, 
it might be found in this fact, that every 
thing in nature .turns instinctively to some¬ 
thing higher than itself. The simple herb 
expands itself, as if seeking the law of its 
growth in the shrub that bends over it, like 
a guardian angel. The shrub finds its type 
in the tree; and the tree itself, because there 
is nothing higher, looks up to Heaven. The 
tide swells to the moon ; the vapor expands 
in the sunbeam. So all animals that are 
brought into connection with him, look up 
to man. Is the great law to be arrested 
here? Is all beyond this a blank void?— 
Is there no higher than himself, which may 
preserve for man the upward tendency of 
all things—nothing which can stimulate and 
sustain, and be the ultimate of bis aspirations. 
Nature and reason alike reject the idea. 
If there were no great sustaining power to 
preserve the balance—if the connecting 
chain were ruptured here, man would be 
thrust by the projectile forces below ii to 
utter and universal annihilation, even to his 
physical being, because he could not, from 
his own strength alone, resist the upward 
impulse. The philosophy of steam will il¬ 
lustrate this; for the expansive force acts 
powerfully from below, and if there is no 
outlet above, the accumulation of power 
must terminate in explosion. In nature 
nothing is abrupt, therefore the chain of 
being cannot terminate thus suddenly in 
man; for as bis body is an elaboration of 
the refined elements of all below, so his 
spirit reaches out of itself, and expands into 
the essence of all above. 
PROFANITY. 
The profanity which trifles with God’s 
Name and Titles, is evidently most irre¬ 
ligious; and it is, though so rife a sin, most 
unnatural, however easily and however of¬ 
ten it be committed. Ollier sins may plead 
the gratification of some strong inclination, 
—the promise of enjoyment or of profit, 
which they bring with them, and the storm 
of emotion sweeping the tempted into them. 
But what of gain o v of pleasure may be 
hoped from the thoughtless and irreverent, 
— the trivial or the defiant use of that dread 
Name, which angels utter with adoring 
awe? That the sin is so unprovoked adds 
to its enormity. That it is so common, 
fearfully illustrates the wide removal which 
sin has made of man’s sympathies from the 
God to whom he owes all good; rendering 
him forgetful alike of his obligations for past 
kindnesses, and of his exposure to the com- 
ing judgment. 
How murderously do men guard the 
honor of their own phltry names, and how 
keenly would they resent, on the part of a 
fellow-sinner, though their equal, the heart¬ 
lessness that should continually, in his nar¬ 
ratives, and jests, and falsehoods, call into 
use the honor of a buried father, and the 
purity of a revered and departed mother, 
and employ them as the expletive or em¬ 
phatic portions of his speech—the tacks to 
bestud and emboss his frivolous talk. And 
is the memory of an earthly, and inferior, 
and erring parent deserving of more re¬ 
gard than that of the Father in Heaven, 
the All-holy. — Rev. W. R. Williams. 
The Press is too often used for the 
worst of purposes; and whilst we should 
encourage and support a press dissemina¬ 
ting correct morality and a pure literature, 
let us frown down a press that would wield 
its power to corrupt the morals of the people. 
A contented mind is the greatest bless¬ 
ing a man can enjoy in this world ; and if in 
the present life his happiness arises from 
the subduing of his desires, it will arise in 
the next from the gratification of them — 
Addison. 
He that enlarges his curiosity after the 
works of nature, demonstrably multiplies 
the inlets of happiness. 
Cultivate your own heart aright; re¬ 
member that “ whatsoever man soweth that 
shall he also reap.” 
