. James L. Schoolcraft of Michilimackinack, in a letter of
Nov. 10th, describes a most revolting scene of murder, which, owing to
the effects of drinking, recently occurred at the Menomonie pay-ground
at Grande Chute, Wisconsin.
"Since closing my letter of this morning, Lieut. Root, just from Fort
Winnebago, informs me that he attended the payment of the Menomonies, at
the _Grande Chute_; that liquor, as usual, had found its way to the
place of payment, and that, in consequence, an Indian had killed two
Indian women. That the individual (murderer) was taken to the tent of
the agent, Colonel Boyd, but that, in consequence of the repeated and
threatening demands of the Indians for the man, the agent was obliged to
deliver him up to them, and that they then, in front of the tent,
inflicted wounds of death, from six different blades, upon the body of
the murderer, beat his brain out with clubs, and then threw his body
upon a burning fire, after which he was dragged some distance, to which
place he might be traced by attached embers strewed along the path.
"A child was crushed to death by a drunken Indian accidentally. Lieut.
Root informs me that he left the ground, soon after the scene above
alluded to, and that many of the Indians were armed with knives, and in
much excitement."
_6th_. I visited Mr. Gallatin at his house in Bleecker Street, and spent
the entire morning in listening to his instructive conversation, in the
course of which he spoke of early education, geometric arithmetic, the
principles of languages and history, American and European. He said,
speaking of the
EARLY EDUCATION OF CHILDREN.--Few children are taught to read well
early, and, in consequence, they never can become good readers. A page
should, as it were, dissolve before the eye, and be absorbed by the
mind. Reading and spelling correctly cannot be too early taught, and
should be thoroughly taught.
_Arithmetic_.--_G_. There is no good arithmetic in which the reasons are
given, so as to be intelligible to children. Condorcet wrote the best
tract on the subject, while in confinement at a widow's house near
Paris, before his execution. The language of arithmetic is universal,
the eight digits serving all combinations. They were not introduced till
1200. The Russians count by sticks and beads. The Romans must have had
some such method. M stood for 1000, D for 500, C for 100, L for 50, X
for ten, V for five, and I for one. But how could they mu
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