We are under special obligations to the New England Publishing Co., of Boston, for a set of excellent lithograph portraits of eminent educators, viz; Hon. John Eaton, Col. Francis W. Parker, Dr. A. D. Mayo, Dr. William T. Harris, and Supt. John D. Philbrick. Each shall have a place on the walls of our sanctum. The first named was one of our predecessors in the principalship of the Brownell Street School, Cleveland.

EDUCATIONAL INTELLIGENCE.

-The winter term of the Damascus Academy, under I. P. Hole, opened with an enrollment of 80 pupils.

-The Educational Weekly, of Indianapolis, calls upon the teachers of Indiana to organize a TEACHERS' READING CIRCLE.

-A meeting of county examiners, called by Commissioner De Wolf, was held at Columbus, Dec. 28th, but we have no report of the proceedings.

-The meeting of the Ohio College Association held at Columbus holiday week was largely attended and the proceedings were full of interest.

-The public Schools of Wilmington, O., enrolled, in the month of November, 517 pupils, 49 of whom were in the high school, and 110 in the colored schools.

-The normal school at Milan, B. B. Hall, Principal, had an average attendance during the fall term nearly fifty per cent. greater than for the same time

last year.

-The Galion schools received the First Premium at the State Fair-a beautiful silver medal.

Richwood, O.

R.

-Wittenberg College, Springfield, O., never was in a more prosperous condi tion than it is now. A new building is nearly under roof, and will be ready for use in the fall of 1884. --The Inter Ocean reports that there were 539 more teachers in Nebraska. in 1882 than in 1881, and that the demand for good teachers is still considerably in excess of the supply.

-The Columbiana County Teachers' Reading Club has issued a printed Course of Study and an outline of work for each month. G. N. Caruthers is President and E. J. Godfrey Secretary.

-There were 74 applicants before the State Board of Examiners at its recent meeting at Columbus. Thirteen of these were ladies. Twenty-five sought life certificates and forty-nine sought certificates for ten years.

-The Rio Grande College, in Gallia County, Ohio, continues to prosper. Besides the regular college and preparatory classes, it has a normal department for those preparing to teach. Second term closes Jan. 18. Third term begins Jan. 21.

-The executive committee of the Ohio Teachers' Association met at Columbus Christmas week, and prepared a program for next Summer's meeting.

Lakeside has been chosen as the place of meeting. We hope to meet the entire MONTHLY family there.

-The North-Western Ohio Normal School, at Ada, still prospers. The enrollment for the fall term reached 937. The catalog just received shows an enrollment in all departments, for the last school-year, of 2077 different students, from 22 different States.

-A neat little pamphlet before us contains an eight-year course of study for the country schools of Washington County. Another contains "Rules and Regulations for Promotion and Graduation in the Allen County Course of Study for Country Sehools." Thus the good work goes on.

-The Guernsey Times says of the Eastern Ohio Teachers' Association which met at Cambridge, Nov. 30, that "the assembled pedagogues had very little respect for parliamentary restrictions. They ran things after thir own fashion." Brother McBurney, of the Eastern Ohio Teacher, should look after the boys.

-Superintendent R. W. Stevenson has been appointed General Manager of Ohio for the meeting of the National Association, to be held at Madison, Wis., July 15-18. Ohio, to keep up her reputation, should have the largest delegation of any State in the Union. Those wishing information concerning this meeting, will address Mr. S., at Columbus, O.

-At a joint meeting of the Xenia Board of Education and the Xenia Township Board, recently held, an arrangement was entered into whereby pupils residing in the township, but outside of the city school district, are to be admitted to the Xenia High School. This action is in pursuance of a recommendation made by Supt. Cox, of Xenia, three years or more ago. This is an example worthy of imitation in other localities.

-The Holmes County Institute was held at Millersburg during the week beginning Dec. 24. The instructors chosen were Prof. Olney, of Michigan, and the editor of the MONTHLY. On account of a misunderstanding as to the time, Prof. Olney was not able to be present, and Supt. M. Manly, of Galion, supplied his place, and did effective work Mr. Manly's evening lecture on Ohio was specially interesting. Christmas festivities interfered with the attendance somewhat for the first two days, but during the last three days there was a full house and deep interest in the work was manifested. Holmes County is blessed with a body of intelligent and earnest teachers. We regret want of space and time for a fuller report.

-The Board of Control of the Ohio Teachers' Reading Circle held an important meeting at Columbus Christmas week. All the members were present except Mr. Carnahan, of Cincinnati. The following course of study for the second year was agreed upon: Literature, Shakspeare's Julius Cæsar and Irving's Sketch Book; Pedagogy, Currie's Common School or Calderwood's Lectures on Education; U. S. History, to close of War of 1812; Science, Brown's Physiology or Science Primer of Physiology. It was decided to issue a certificate, at the close of each year, to each member who completes the work prescribed for the year, and to issue diplomas, upon examination only, at the end of the four years course. A fee of 25 cents will be charged for each certificate granted. We expect a fuller report of the action of the Board, in time for

next issue.

-The new building of the Ohio University, at Athens-there are now four in all-containing the chapel and the two society halls, was formally taken possession of by the faculty and students on the last Wednesday in November. The chapel is provided with opera chairs and has a seating capacity of 250. The society halls are each one-half the size of the chapel. The windows are frosted and the wainscoting is stained of a cherry color, so that the interior of the building presents a very attractive appearance. The necessary gas fixtures will be in place before the end of the year. The institution has also purchased within the last few months several hundred dollars worth of apparatus, some of which is already in use.

-N. E. O. T. A. The regular bi-monthly meeting of the North-Eastern Ohio Teachers' Association was held in the rooms of the Board of Education, at Cleveland, on Saturday, Dec. 8. The usual Friday evening conference was held at the Forest City House. The attendance at the evening session was not large (less than twenty), but the occasion was one of interest and profit to those present. Dr. Thos. W. Harvey, of Painesville, led the conversation, which turned upon Socrates and the Socratic method. The first inquiry was concerning the nature of the Socratic method of reasoning and instruction. What was the method of Socrates? A leading feature was the exact definition of ideas. Another was the interrogative feature. Instead of dogmatizing, or laying down a proposition authoritatively, he led his pupil to discover and acknowledge it himself by a series of questions put to him. In controversy, he was fond of what is known as Socratic irony. He would lead his antagonist to take a position which he would accept, for the time, as correct; then, from this as a starting point, he would, by skillful questioning, lead him into a hopeless maze of contradictions. This, it was noted, is in effect the reductio ad absurdum of geometry. The 'further question of the extent to which the Socratic method is, or may be, used in modern school instruction was raised and discussed at some length.

The topic of conversation chosen for the next meeting (in February) is the Jesuits and Moravians and their educational methods, Dr. Harvey to lead. Ladies who are members of the Ohio Teachers' Reading Circle will have an interest in this topic, and they are especially invited to be present. The proprietor of the Forest City House offers the use of the large parlors of the hotel, which will accommodate a large number.

There was about the average number in attendance at the Saturday session. Some of the faithful were noticeably absent. Superintendents Stevenson, of Columbus, and Dowd, of Toledo, were present. Superintendent Parker, of Elyria, occupied the chair until the arrival of the train which brought President Comings from Norwalk. Prayer was offered by Principal Campbell, of the Cleveland Central High School. Superintendent John E. Morris, of Garrettsville, was chosen Secretary pro tem. The following excellent program was carried out, except that Mr. Stevenson opened the discussion of Mr. Johnston's paper, in the absence of Mr. Ross:

I. The College, Fetich, Principal B. M. Hill, Rayen School, Youngstown, O. Discussion opened by Prof. C. H. Penfield, of Central High School, Cleveland, O.

II. The study of English, by Principal Theo. H. Johnston, West Side High School, Cleveland, O. Discussion opened by Supt. W. W. Ross, Fremont, O. III. Undue Development of the Receptive Faculties, by Prof. A. C. Pierson, Hiram College.

All the papers were excellent. The writers, who are new men in the Association, made a very favorable impression.

Superintendent Hinsdale, from the committee on reading for pupils, reported progress and asked further time.

The officers elected for the ensuing year are as follows:

President, M. S. Campbell, Cleveland; Vice-Presidents, J. H. Shepherd, Painesville, and Miss-S. A. Platt, Salem; Secretary, Miss Bettie A Dutton, Cleveland; Treasurer, W. H. Rowlen, Cuyahoga Falls; Executive Committee, S. H. Herriman, Medina, C. W. Carroll, Chardon, and Elias Fraunfelter, Akron.

PERSONAL.

-Edward Merrick is superintendent of the schools of Wilmington, O.

-Geo T. Hancher is doing good work as superintendent of the Batesville schools.

-J. G. Schofield succeeds J. W. Watson as superintendent of the Macksburg schools,

-C. C. Davidson is serving his eighth year as superintendent of schools at New Lisbon, O.

-Hon. B. G. Northrop, of Connecticut, has a place on the program of the Indiana Teachers' Association.

-M. C. Stevens, an old Ohio teacher, now fills the chair of pure mathematics at Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind.

-C. E. McVay, it is said, will have a place on the State Board of Examners, by appointment of the new Commissioner.

-J. J. Burns attended the recent meeting of the Indiana Teachers' Association, and promises a report of the proceedings for our next issue.

-Geo. S. Ormsby, for many years superintendent of the Xenia schools, has just returned to his home at Xenia, after an absence of two or three years in Europe.

-Another Ohio man going. I. J. Manatt, Ph. D., Professor of Greek in Marietta College, has been elected Chancellor of the University of Nebraska. Salary, $3,000.

-Mr. and Mrs. Hiram Sapp celebrated the tenth anniversary of their marriage at the Commercial House, Stromsburg, Neb., on Christmas Eve. We acknowledge receipt of card with tin attachment.

-Prof. T. J. Morgan, D. D., Principal of the Normal School at Potsdam, N. Y., has been called to the position of Principal of the Rhode Island State Normal School, at Providence. It is understood that he will accept the invitation.

-E. E. White, late president of Purdue University, now resides on Walnut Hills, one of Cincinnati's delightful suburbs, where he expects to devote some two years to literary work. Dr. White is welcome back to Ohio. Institute committees would do well to note his address as above. We have no doubt he would be willing to make a few engagements for next summer.

- Capt. Wm. S. Wood is highly complimented in the Educational Weekly, of Indianapolis, for the work he is doing as superintendent of schools at Seymour, Ind. He has 17 teachers and 800 pupils under his supervision. Capt. Wood was at one time principal of the Mayflower School, in Cleveland, and afterwards superintendent of schools at Findlay, and at Salem, O.

-L. D. Brown, School Commissioner elect. writes under date Dec. 5: "Death has for the first time entered our door. We buried our baby Mary last Saturday."

If the sympathy of friends could restore baby to its sorrowing parents, it would come back speedily. Sometimes the little lamb in the arms of the shepherd induces the flock to follow where they would not otherwise.

--The North Carolina Teacher thus compliments T. J. Mitchell, who left Ohio more than a year ago to take the superintendency of the schools at Charlotte, N. C.:

Prof. Mitchell's brilliant success in the Charlotte schools, and the ability he has evinced in the details of their management have not only proven the immense value of a trained superintendency, but have given him a place in the front rank of the practical educators of our country as one of the most effi cient and intelligent leaders of the great educational movement of the South. -Supt. T. A. Pollok, of Miamisburg, in a paper read before the Hamilton County Teachers' Association and repeated in Montgomery County, makes a vigorous attack on the evils of school supervision. He claims that what was intended for the purpose of giving general direction to the efforts of large bodies of teachers has, in many cases, become a despotism which "reduces everything and everybody to the dead level of a stupid uniformity." He proposes heroic treatment. "We shall find it necessary in some localities to crush the heads of the system, if we would give life to the extremities."

BOOKS AND MAGAZINES.

A Complete Latin Course for the First Year, comprising an outline of Latin Grammar, and a Series of Progressive Exercises in Reading and Writing Latin, with Frequent Practice in Reading at Sight. By Albert Harkness, Ph. D. LL. D., Professor in Brown University. New York: D. Appleton & Co. C. B. Ruggles, Agent, Cleveland, O.

The student is here furnished with all he needs for his first year in the study of Latin. It is designed to take the place of the author's "Introductory Latin Book" and his "Latin Reader," and enables the student to dispense with both grammar and lexicon until he reaches his second year. For those who prefer to use the grammar from the start, there is an edition containing the progressive exercises, the sight reading, and the vocabulary, without the grammatical outline; we think, however, the "Complete Latin Course for the First Year'' is to be preferred. It is a book every way worthy of its place at the beginning of the excellent Latin series to which it belongs. It is followed by Harkness's Cæsar, with Notes and Dictionary, Frieze's Six Books of Vergil's Eneid, Georgics and Bucolics, with Notes and Dictionary, or, Vergil's Eneid complete, with Notes and Dictionary (there is also a separate Vergilian Dictionary), Lindsay's Cornelius Nepos, Lincoln's Ovid, and other books; the whole forming one of the most extensive and excellent series of Latin texts now published.

A Primer of American Literature. By Charles T. Richardson. New and Revised Edition, with twelve portraits of American Authors. Thirty-ninth Thousand. Published by Houghton, Mifflin & Co., Boston. It is a small book containing sketches of American authors and their writings, from 1620 to the present time.

Barnes's Brief History of Ancient, Medieval, and Modern Peoples is a substantial 12mo book of 600 pages. Political history, to which most schooltexts are devoted, is here confined to the essential facts, leaving room for some account of literature, religion, architecture, character, and habits of the different peoples. It is certainly of more value to the student to learn something of the life and thought of the people, than to devote his whole attention to the intrigues and wrangles of kings and courts. It is a book which would tend to fascinate rather than disgust the student with the study of history. Published by A. S. Barnes & Co., New York and Chicago.

Davies' Elements of Surveying and Leveling, a work first published in 1830, and several times revised by the author, has recently undergone another revis