Gathering of Much Importance Held Yesterday.

ADDRESS MADE BY DR. STILES

Educational Conference Attended by Many from Surrounding Counites. Another is Planned.

In November, 1909, Superintendent S. M. Clarkson of Richland county conceived the idea of having a joint meeting of the teacher of Richland and adjoining counties. He mentioned the subject to Dr. S. C. Mitchell, president of the University of South Carolina, who at once promised the cooperation of the university and named Profs. Baker, Hand and Wardlaw to act with Superintendent Clarkson in executing the plan. Saturday, February 5, 1910, was fixed upon as the date, and the university asked to have the honor of taking care of the visiting teacher. All plans were thoroughly matured and yesterday teachers from Richland, Sumter, Newberry, Lexington, Saluda, Lee, Fairfield, Kershaw, Orangeburg and Charleston and other countries assembled in the chapel of the University of South Carolina to the number of more than 200.

It was a great day for the teachers of these counties, and the union of city and rural schools with the faculty of the State university is the fulfillment of a long designed wish of the many friends of education in the State, and will be productive of great good, as it brough into close touch the different elements of school workers and binds them the closer in the common course.

Prominent Features.

The two prominent features of the convention were the exhaustive discussion of the question of the certification of teachers and the addresses on public health delivered by Dr. C. W. Stiles of the United States public Health and Marine service and Dr. Routzhan, who has charge of the local campaign against consumption. The cooperation of the teachers in the fight for bettering of public sanitary conditions is earnestly desired by the man who have the campaign in charge. The talks by these two leaders were listen to with the deepest attention by the teachers.

The morning hour until noon was occupied with a discussion of the “Certification of Teachers.” The discussion was open by the state superintendent Swearingen, followed by County Superintendent Sample of Saluda. Under present conditions, the speaker said, the certification of teachers was attended with many irregularities arising from the fact that the examinations for the certificates were held in all the 41 counties under practically different circumstances. The county superintendents were given more or less freedom in the selection of the questions compiled by the state board and consequently the examinations were not as rigid as they should be.

It was toward raising the requirements for the certification that the teachers return their discussions.

Dr. Stiles’ Address.

Dr. Charles Wardell Stiles of the United States Public Health and Marine service, the eminent zoologist who discovered the hookworm disease in the south a few years ago, was introduced by Dr. William Weston. He discussed the public health in the public schools before the teachers yesterday. For sometime past Dr. Stiles has been engaged in investigating the sanitary conditions in the world districts of the south. He has laid special stress on soil pollution which is one of the menaces to health in this part of the country.

In discussing the subject yesterday before the teachers, Dr. Stiles did not miss matters. He told his audience in plain language exactly what part public schools should play and could play in awaking the rising generation to the need of better sanitary surroundings in order that they might be more successful contend with consumption, scarlet fever, hook worm and other related contagious diseases. Dr. Stiles said that in a large majority of the schools he had visited in this in other sections of the water bucket with it single dipper for the use of all the children was one of the worse breaches of the laws of sanitation. By means of the common dipper, scarlet fever, consumption, and other malignant diseases could be transmitted and have been transmitted from one people to many others. This state of affairs is easily remedied by compelling each pupil to furnish his own drinking cup.

But the comments and dipper with its attended danglers was not the worst violation of the loss of sanitation which Dr. Stiles found in the rules falls. As a result of his investigations, he discovered that a large percentage of the rural schools all over the South were without water closets thus affording the most favorable conditions for soil pollution and the spread of the dreaded hookworm disease. This condition of affairs is not confined to the state but is shockingly common in all the southern states from Virginia to Texas.

Dr. styles showed some interesting stereopticon slides of the germs of some of our more common diseases. Especially interesting were the pictures which trace the life history of hookworm from the embryonic stage to its more developed as a human parasite.

The speaker appeal to the teachers to lend him their aid in combating the dangers to the public health which arise from unsanitary conditions. They can do this by telling the rising generation in plain language of the diseases which attend a lack of the necessary sanitary precautions and every day affairs.

In conclusion, Dr. Sal said that the public school teachers all over the south were doing a great deal of thinking on questions relating to public health. With the cooperation of this earnest body of auxiliaries, the sanitary condition which surround the schools are sure to be bettered and the rising generations instructed on questions of sanitation.

Luncheon by Dr. Mitchell.

At 1 o’clock Dr. Mitchell graciously invited all teacher present to repair to the college refectory to partake of a luncheon that had been prepared by Mrs. S. L. Latimer, assisted by the wives of the college professors. It was a magnificent dinner, well served by the ladies of the campus and their charming little daughters as helpers. Everything was well prepared and beautifully serves, and the occasion was one of good cheer. After the dinner President Mitchell, acting as ToastMaster, introduced Doctors William Weston and C. F. Williams, who made brief talks. Then he called for Professors E. S. Dreher, Superintendent Murph of Calhoun county and A. R. Banks of the Hyatt Park high school, who responded briefly in terms fitting the occasion.

AAt 2:30 the session was resumed with an address by Dr. Routzahn, impressing and illustrating the points of Dr. Stiles’ morning lecture. Then the discussion of the main subject, the certificate of teachers, was resumed. Brief addresses were made by Mr. Marchant of Orangeburg, by Mr. Murph Calhoun county, by V. E. Rector Of Columbia, by Mr. Aycock of Ridge Springs, by Mr. Lee of Lexington County, and by Mr. Banks of Eau Claire, Superintendent Clarkson of Richland expressed the tanks of attending teachers and visitors and voiced the general gratification at the great success of the initial conference, as only the beginning of large movements hereafter.

Some Who Were Present.

The following is a partial list of those in attendance: Miss S. P. Hines, Mrs. E. Ewing, Miss S. A. Walker, Miss Julia F. Smith, Mrs. M. B. Cofield, Miss Mary Auld, Miss Henrietta Calhoun, Columbia College for Women: Miss Mary C. Wingard and Mrs. W. E. Black, Lexington; Prof. W. N. Marchant, Orangeburg; Miss Sue H. Corley, Miss Agnes D. Richardson, Miss Minnie Moses, Miss Elizabeth W. McLean, Sumter; Miss Maude E. Aman, Bishopville; Miss Annie Davis, Little Mountain, Newberry county; Miss Nellie H. Wilkes, McBee; L. R. Rawls, Blythewood; Superintendent H. A. Brunson, Batesburg; Superintendent D. M. Ellen, Ridgeway; W. C. Curry, Jr., superintendent Johnston high school; A. C. Daniel, Springfield, Orangeburg county; J. Ingram Wilson, Gilbert: Miss Madeline Spigener, Miss Ermina Wells, St. Matthews; Superintendent D. S. Murph, Calhoun county; E. P. Aycock, Ridge Spring; Miss Maude Erskine, Jamison; Miss Floride Keller, Shelton, Fairfield county; Geo. Harris Webber, Elloree; Miss Jennie Lawton Harper, Lugoff, Kershaw County, J. F. Sawyer, St. Matthews; J. C. Riley, Blythewood; Miss K. M. Pickens, Miss Ruth Harington, Wedgefield; Miss Alma Felder, Clarendon; Miss Essie Davis, Miss G. Romanstine, Mrs. S. R. Griffin, Miss Katherine Fleming, B. J. Wills (J. E. Swearingen, E. S. Dreher, Miss Gertrude Gibson, Miss W. E. Gavin, Miss Mary S. Reid, Miss Mary Marks, Miss Elizabeth N. Davis, Mamie G. Squier, Clara Berg, Margaret L. Brunson, Francenia Brennen, F. Leonella Perry, Clelia Gray, Harriet M. Billings, Elizabeth Thomas, Isabel H. Duncan, Lutie F. Harvin, Ellen Reiff, Nellie Lee Boykin, Louise S. Wootton, Lizzie Crayton, Mary H. Meighan, Agnes R. McMaster, Alice J. Selby, Sarah S. Douglas, Abbie D. Bryan, Helen G. McMaster, Julia F. Smith, Pauline E. Brooker; Louise Norris, N. May Docus, Katherine C. Bollinger, Edith T. Swaffield, Nan Crayton, M. E. Davis, W. H. Jones, C. V. Neuffer, Elizabeth Yates, N. V. Converse, Mrs. E. B. Wallace, Mrs. Margaret Selby Detyens, Fannie Calhoun McCants, Mrs. B. R. Rouguire Columbia; Misses B. M. McDonald, Lykesland; Marie W. McDonald, Marie Duke, Isla Willoughby, Vernon Cook, A. R. Banks, Hyatt Park; D. D. Seay, Waverley; Miss Lizzie Rogers, Eastover; Miss Vera Houseal, Brookland: H. W. Scott, Hopkins, Miss Ella Magil, Central; Magie Hammond, Lykesland, Elizabeth Waddell, Corinne Anderson, Kathleen Anderson, Louise Wharton, Epworth; Bessie Black, Palmetto: P. H. E. Derrick, Belview; Madeline Fraser, New Hope; Oliver Haltiwanger, Blaney; Lottie Green, Fair Lawn; Pauline M. Evans, Edgewood; Miss Helen Lufbarrow, Edgewold; Lila Grier, Sligh; E. R. Fickling, Miss Cora Anderson, Grace Mellichamp, Hattie Lee Gentry, Horrell Hill; E. G. Routzahn, Columbia; Mrs. J. W. Gorman, Hopkins; Miss Lottie Roberts, Hopkins: Mrs. Blanche Harrley, Fairmont; Miss Melle Jones, Congaree; Miss Louise Oakes, Lykesland; Miss Annie K. Chaptown, Lykesland.

The following resolution, offered by Prof. A. R. Banks, was adopted:

“Resolved, That the Conference of Teacher held this day in the chapel of the University of South Carolina feel and acknowledge that it has enjoyed a great privilege in being permitted to meet under such pleasant surroundings as the guests of the president and faculty of the university and superintendent S. M. Clarkson of Richland county.

“2. That we thank these authorities for this pleasure and realize that this is but the beginning of great things.

“3. That the union thus formed will, we trust, continue until every educational element in the State shall be brought into one harmonious whole, working for the advancement of every best interest in the State.

“4. We thank all who aided in any way in affording us such a pleasant meeting, but especially Profs. Baker, Hand, Wardlaw and Superintendent Clarkson and Mrs. Latimer and the ladies of the university.

Another Meeting Planned.

So successful was this first meeting of the teachers from this section of the State that it was unanimously decided to hold another in the near future when it is hoped that the attendance will be even larger than it was yesterday. The certification of teachers is a question of vital importance to the welfare of the State’s whole public school system and the interest which it awakened yesterday was very great.