EDUCATIONAL EXHIBITS AT THE NEW ORLEANS

EXPOSITION.

INTRODUCTION.

EXPOSITION AUTHORITIES INTERESTED IN EDUCATION.

The World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition provided, in its earliest plans, for a department of education. The directorgeneral, members of the Board of Management, and influential citizens believed it would be an interesting and profitable feature of the exhi bition. They also desired that educational meetings should be held to unite the words of experienced men with the lessons of silent exhibits, and thus create a lasting impression upon the surrounding States in favor of popular education. The Department of Superintendence of the National Educational Association is accustomed to hold a winter session, and consequently this body was invited to meet at New Orleans during the continuance of the Exposition. This first public effort by the Management in behalf of education was in February, 1884, and the acceptance of the invitation was accompanied by the appointment of a committee to co-operate with the Bureau of Education in arranging for a suitable exhibition of education. The members of this committee were Hon. G. J. Orr, State school commissioner, Georgia; Hon. H. Clay Armstrong, State superintendent of education, Alabama; Hon. W. O. Rogers, superintendent of schools, New Orleans, La.; Hon. Aaron Gove, superintendent of schools, Denver, Colo.; Hon. J. H. Smart, president of Purdue University, La Fayette, Ind.; Hon. T. W. Bicknell, Boston, Mass., president of the National Educational Association; and Hon. B. L. Butcher, State superintendent of free schools, West Virginia, and president of the Department of Superintendence. The wishes of the director-general, Maj. E. A. Burke, were expressed in his first report to the President of the United States, dated April 19, 1884. He said: "Extensive preparations have been made for a national educational display. No subject claims greater attention on the part of our people, and the effect of this school of instruction will be to impart a healthy impulse to the cause of education and a better knowledge of methods. Already local educational societies are being organized throughout the State of Louisiana, and I am sure that the Exposition will secure for the cause of education a more liberal provision from all of the backward States."

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APPOINTMENT OF SUPERINTENDENT.

The Board of Management selected Hon. John Eaton, Commissioner of Education, as superintendent of the Department of Education, and urged him to accept the position. He consulted the Secretary of the Interior, and not only received permission to accept the appointment, but was encouraged to devote a portion of his own time and to assist the enterprise by the means at the command of his office. Preparatory work was immediately undertaken, and a preliminary circular issued to scatter information and stimulate activity. Scarcely more than this could be done until money had been appropriated and more definite knowledge of the inclinations of educators obtained.

REPORT OF COMMITTEE TO CO-OPERATE WITH BUREAU OF EDUCATION.

The National Educational Association met in July at Madison, Wis. The subject was presented at one of its meetings by Director-General Burke and Commissioner Eaton. The former considered education the great need of the South; believed that its people realize that the peace, progress, and happiness of that section depend upon it, and expected much aid from a well-sustained exhibition of education. The committee appointed by the Department of Superintendence made a report which has been circulated by the Bureau of Education. This report enumerated the articles that could be contributed to an educational display, and gave rules for preparing material. Among its recommendations was one "that the State and city educational authorities act as agents of their respective States and cities in the preparation of the representation of the systems, institutions, and instrumentalities within the sphere and range of their official connection or authority." The principle recognized in this recommendation did much to determine the grouping of exhibits at the Exposition. Generous rivalry between States, localities, and institutions helped to improve the quality of their collections.

ACTION OF SCHOOL OFFICERS.

The superintendents of public instruction for several States promptly began efforts to have their educational exhibits creditable and complete. Circulars were issued informing teachers and superintendents of the nature of material desired, inquiring what and how much could be supplied, and offering assistance in the work of preparation. The circular sent out by the Nebraska superintendent, Hon. W. W. W. Jones, illustrates the initiatory steps taken in some States. He divided the work of preparation into eight sections, and assigned the control of each section to a person familiar with the field given him. The divisions are best presented in his own words:

(1) A showing of the State organization of schools and the administration thereof, with statistics of growth, school funds, &c.

(2) The State university, its organization, growth, and present condition, and specimens of work.

(3) A complete showing of the normal school work, with history of the normal school; also, the flora and fauna of Nebraska.

(4) A statement of our normal institutes, with methods, courses of study, announcements, circulars, examinations, and general character.

(5) The work of the children of the State is of highest importance, and should occupy the most prominent place. The teachers of the State are especially requested to make this department most creditable.

Examinations, daily written work, map drawing, free-hand drawing, compositions, specimens of penmanship, which may be copies of several lines of prose or poetry, specimens of handiwork in or out of school, in fact, anything that shows what our children are doing in an educational way.

Ungraded, graded, and high school work will all be included in this department. The county superintendents, teachers, and principals are earnestly requested to lend their assistance and are urged to co-operate in making this department all it should be. All pupils' work should be upon paper of uniform size, 8 by 11 inches, with a margin of one inch, written only upon one side and neatly bound for preservation. (6) A collection of kindergarten work; photographs and ground plans of our best public and private school buildings; plans and specifications for the lighting, ventilation, and construction of school houses; also, a collection of school literature and periodicals published in this State, school books, and educational addresses, and woman's work in connection with the public schools.

(7) Exhibits of technical work; industrial and other departments of schools for the deaf and dumb, the blind, and the feeble minded, and of reform schools.

(8) A department showing the plan, organization, curriculum, work, and history of the denominational schools of the State.

The action of city superintendents in carrying out the suggestions and recommendations of the committee of the National Educational Association is excellently illustrated by the course of Superintendent W. O. Rogers, of New Orleans. Already an appropriation had been made to meet necessary expenses. Public interest had been stimulated. Teachers' meetings were held to consider how best their work could be represented. The general directions issued by the Bureau of Education were adapted to the particular needs of the city schools, and circulars printed to show what to do, and how to do it. Examinations were conducted by means of questions prepared by the superintendent, and precaution exercised to have the true condition and work of the schools shown. Penmanship, map drawing, and composition received special attention, as affording very suitable material for exhibition. By such means not only New Orleans, but many other cities, collected representative exhibits from their public schools.

PLAN OF EXHIBIT OF BUREAU OF EDUCATION.

The end sought by the plans made for the exhibit of the Bureau of Education was the display of material illustrating the work of all classes of schools and as many phases of education as practicable. This was to be arranged according to the relations existing between the different articles. As museums, in general, ignore geographical boundaries and recognize only scientific classifications and relations, so an educational

display would be most effective in which the same rule prevailed. This idea was expressed by the committee of the National Educational Association in the following words:

It would seem wise to represent the education of the country as a whole, sections. and State lines being disregarded, due credit being given for all contributions, whether from States, municipalities, institutions, or individuals, by the mode of installation, by appropriate labels, and otherwise.

The extent of the educational display and the feelings of the exhib itors made the logical arrangement of the entire department undesirable, and increased the importance of consecutive display by the Bureau of Education. Contributions were obtained from many sources, so that the principal branches of education were represented by suitable articles. The methods followed in collecting material are indicated by the following rules early adopted by the Bureau: (1) Contributions of furniture and appliances are to be solicited from manufacturers of school supplies; (2) text books are to be asked from publishers; (3) gifts aud loans may be accompanied by the owner's card or labeled so as to identify him; (4) practical and tested apparatus is to be preferred to costly instruments, and those having iimited and infrequent uses; (5) available schools may be resorted to for pupils' work; and (6) purchases are to be made or aid given in cases when it is necessary in order to complete an exhibit or to insure the representation of a class of schools.

ALLOTMENT TO BUREAU OF EDUCATION.

An essential element in all plans was economy. The limits of the appropriation to the Interior Department for the preparation of its exhibits, and the many bureaus in the Department having close relations with the industry and progress of the country, reduced the amounts received by them respectively. Hon. Benjamin Butterworth, representative of the Interior Department for the exposition, said in his letter apportioning the fund at his disposal:

The amount appropriated for the Department of the Interior is grossly inadequate to defray the expense of making a full and creditable exhibit. We are compelled, therefore, to do the best we can with the money we have received. It was the desire of Congress that there should be shown at New Orleans that which is indicative of the resources of this country, embracing every department of field and forest, shops and factory, mills and mines, lakes, rivers, &c., to show the greatness of industrial art and its effect upon the general prosperity of our people, and also the progress that has been made in education and the means adopted for the general diffusion of knowledge among the people.

The amount assigned to the Bureau was $15,000. This was done "with the intent to add to the sum so apportioned as we progress with the work."

The intention so expressed has been carried out by Marcellus Gardner, esq., the successor of General Butterworth as representative of the Department; for, though the plans of the Bureau, formed after the apportionment, did not contemplate an expenditure in excess of the

original apportionment, a slight excess became necessary. The amount accomplished by this comparatively small sum has been surprising to those acquainted with the facts.

TEXT-BOOKS AND APPARATUS.

The collection of text-books and apparatus was greatly facilitated by a circular letter from the Commissioner of Education to all the firms known to the Bureau as publishing school books, or dealing in or manufacturing educational appliances. The body of this letter was as follows:

In the course of preparation for the New Orleans Exposition it has become probable that this Bureau will display in its exhibit a considerable amount of school apparatus and many text-books. Some firms have offered to supply, free of charge, such articles of their manufacture or publication as I may wish to use in this exhibit. While intending to accept these offers, I desire to show no partiality, and would be glad to receive others of similar nature.

The response to this letter was very general on the part of publishers. Charts and maps, slates and black-boards, pencils and crayons were sent forward in suitable shape and quantity for exhibition. Only two manufacturers of school furniture responded, though others who received invitation to contribute regretted afterward their failure to do so. The same hesitancy to exhibit heating and ventilating apparatus existed. The catalogue of exhibits contains a list of these contributions, to which reference may be made.

PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY.

Several dealers in physical and chemical apparatus expressed a willingness to exhibit their wares with the Bureau. The museum of the Bureau already contained a collection of valuable physical appliances. The amount of apparatus available suggested the equipment of laboratories for physics and chemistry. Prof. Isaac J. Osbun, of Dennison University, Granville, Ohio, was requested to furnish a plan of a model laboratory suitable for a high or normal school, and did so. It was intended to economize space in schools and be in itself an exhibition of a room adapted to the purposes of both a laboratory and recitations without either use diminishing its value for the other. The plan was adopted in a modified form, but there were difficulties in the way that prevented the free use of the laboratory for illustrating chemistry and limited the work in it to a few simple experiments. The physical apparatus was utilized for public instruction and entertainment. Every department of physics was illustrated, as the collection of apparatus was complete and adapted to the purpose. The Bureau secured from an expert a list of articles necessary to illustrate all the leading divisions of physics, such as heat, light, acoustics, magnetism, and electricity. The Commissioner put Mr. Charles H. Richardson, a gentleman of experience, in charge of the collected material, and placed at his disposal means