The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1874-12-24
Value Of Education In Art ana Science.

In England it has been computed that
Sl25 represents the cost of highly skill
ed over an unskilled workman; and that
this cost Of Il skilled workman is less
than one years purchase Of his increased
value to the N ton.
\ single fact will illustrate the value
of skilled labor in producing the best ma
chinery. \ Pittsburg cotton manufact-
uring company wanted new Corliss
steam engine to take the place Of the one
they then had. The offer of one for So
500 was refused. 4 second offer. for
the fuel saved in five years by the use Of
the new engine, disclosed the fact that
the saving would be 5000 per month or
$4,000 in five years The engine was
taken at the first offer The saving of
machinery running evenly, avoiding the
breaking of threads, was probably equal
to the saving of fuel.
lime will not permit US to do more
than to allude to the vast losses arising
from ignorant and incompetent workmen.
| engineers, architects, overseers, or owners
of property. The abandoning on theocean
OF the FrenchS steamship L'Amerique,
through the ignorance of the engineer;
the building by our own government at a
cost Of Sll 100000, of twenty light draft
monitors, not large enough to carry the
turrets for which they were intended;
the placing of an engine at cost Of near
ly 100000 on one of our government
tfrbs soI Il. f.
gle voyage to st. Domingo in which the
lives OF many illustrious men were endan-
gered; the Pemberton mills disaster. in
which of the $50 employees IS were kill
ed and many disabled for life; the recent
Mill River disaster, costing $50 lives. and
S2,000,000; the falling Of a floor in q
Syracuse church, killing instantly IA. and
injuring 100 more; these losses are fam
| liar to all. Large sums and many lives
are lost by incompetent railroad engineers
and architects. Soils are exhausted. and
small crops are gathered, through the IL
norance of chemical and mechanical priu-
ciples involved in agriculture. We are
now taking annually nearly $6OO.OOO.OOO
In value from the elements Of the soil
and it has been said that we have taken
more in value than the entire wealth of
the country. Agriculture is fast becom-
ing chemistry, and husbandry. machinery.
The Primary School should give
knowledge Of objects, their forms. colors
and uses. In doing this, drawing will be
highly useful, and it viii prove an agree
able change from studies less interesting.
1t is, too, the foundation of technical ed
ueation, and is important to all OF every
trade and profession b. training the
eye TO keenness, and the hand 20 accuracy
and rapidityi it viii prove valuable aid
TO penmanship, orthography and reading.
| in all Of which observation Is necessary.
In Its higher forms, geometric. model
mechanical, and architectural, it should
be continued through the higher schools
and colleges. It is not mere ric-
ture drawing of which speak. but some
thing higher and more usefgl Is q re-
suit OF this study, we shall have better
artists. engineers, mechanics. architects.
and designers. Many articles. such a.
glass-pOttery, cabinet furniture. prints.
and other manufactures, may be rendered
worthless, Or have their value increased
many fold by their designs Good de-
signs increase the value of prints from
. 20 to 80 per cent So important Is this
art Of designing now considered. that
firm in New York pays designer In
boots and shoes $4,000 year. By the
beauty of his designs, manufacturer OF
silver ware In Taunton, Mass, drove ey-
cry other manufacturer out of the mar
ket A single manufacturing company
in Massachusetts, stated that their designs
cost them $4,000 annually, every dollar
of which went to England, France and
Germany. This sum should be saved to
our own country. Workmen do not suf-
heently understand the Importance of
drawing. 1t is said that if this art
were understood by every journey
man In machine shop, the productive ef-
hciency would be increased SO per cent
BY enabling workman to work from de-
sign instead of expensive models, this art
would save a good deal of time and mon
ey. 4 manager of an important branch
of industry at Worcester, Mass. saws that
when lad, he was one of class Of thir
teen, who spent all Of their leisure time
in drawing. At the present time, every
one of then in the class has attained am
important position either as manufacturer
or manager, and each has owed his power
to seize the opportunity of advancement
to his knowledge Of drawing.
Massachusetts,, ever alive TO her educa-
tionai interests, finding that she was far
behind Europe in the education of her
laborers, and that, as q consequence, her
industries were suffering, adopted draw
ing as one Of the studies to be taught in
all the public schools in the State, max
ing it obligatory on eyrey city containing
over 10000 inhabitants to furnish free
instruction in this art TO all over fifteen
years of age. An Art Director was pro-
cured from Europe at salary of IS 900,
and generous provisions were, in all re-
spects, made. In 1870, her product in
printed cottons was over $l7 100000 and
her other manufacturers In which design
is of the first importance. were probably
more Massachusetts, never made . bet
ter Investment for her sons and daughters
and her manufacturing interests.-CHAS-
cELLoR WooD, in Penn. School journal