The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1873-01-25
Education of the Eye.

No mechanic can ever attain distinc-
ton unless he is able to detect ordinary
imperfection at sight, so that he can see
if things are out of plumb, out of level,
out of square and out of proper shape;
and unless he can also detect dispropor-
toned or ill-shaped patterns. This is
great mechanical attainment. We say
attainment, because it can be attained
by any ordinary person OF course
there are defective eyes as there are
other defective organs; the speech, for
instance, is sometimes defective; but
the eye is susceptible of the same train
ing as any other organ. The muscles,
the voice, the sense of hearing, all re-
quire training. Consider how the ar
tist must train the organ of sight in or
der to detect the slightest imperfection
in shade, color, proportion, shape, ex-
preston, sc. Not one blacksmith in
! five ever attains the art of hammering
square; yet it is very essential in his oc-
cupatIon. 1t is simply because ile-sri
/ lows himself to get into a careless habit;
little training and care is all that is
necessary for success.
The fact is that the eye is not half as
much at fault as the needless mind.
Some carpenters acquire the careless
habit of using a try square every time
they square off a shaving, in place of
giving their minds right to their bust
ness and properly training their eyes;
and unless they cultivate this power of
the eye they will always be at journey
work. Look at the well-trained black
smith; he goes across the shop. picks up
/ the horses foot, takes a squint, returns
to the anvil, forges the shoe, and it ex-
/ actly fits the foot Contrast him with
/ the bungler who looks at the foot, then
! forges a shoe, often TO the ruin of fine
/ horse. Now the fault lies in ever allow
! ing himself to put a shoe that is not in
/ proper shape for the foot; he should de-
! termine to make the shoe fit the foot in
/ place of the foot fitting the shoe, and
he should follow it up until the object
is accomplished.
/ A very good way to discipline the me-
3 NAd4iNtiA ID ~ AAASt iAANt~'tAAS eAAA t-A~-'
with the eve, then prove it with the
rule, then measure a half inch, then an
eighth, and 50 on@and you will soon be
/ able to discover at glance the differ
/ ence between twelfth and q sixteenth
/ of an inch; then go TO three inches, SIX,
/ twelve and so on. Some call this guess
ing; there is no guess work about it; it
is measuring with the eye and mind.
+ Acquire the habit of criticising for i'm
perfections every piece of work that you
see; do everything rs nearly as You can
without mshsuring Cor spelling it, or
as nearly as you can trust the eye with
with its present training. If you can
not see things mechanically do not
blame the eye for it; it is no more to
blame than the mouth is because we can
not read, or the fingers because we can,
not write. A person may write very
good hand with his eyes closed. the
mind OF coJngu Siirecting tire fingers
The eve Is necessary, however, to de-
tect imperfections.
Every occupation in life requires a
mechanically trained eye, and we should
realize, more than we do, the great i'm
portance of properly training that
organ.