The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-04-16

earnestly discussed. Agricultural and me-
chanical colleges have been endowed. indus.
trial branches, such as telegraphing, print
ing ETC., introduced into various schools,
and industrial schools have been founded in
several States But these special schools
and colleges do not reach the masses.
The public school is the poor mans col
lege and the universal dissemination OF
knowledge. There is growing demand that
industrial education shall form part of the
public school course, at least in the cities,
the great nurseries of idlers, vagabonds and
criminals. AS you are aware, sewing and
garment cutting have been taught for some
time in the public schools of Boston. Only
few days ago memorial was presented to
the board of education of the city of New
York, asking that sewing be made branch
of study in the public schools. This memo
rial was signed by Mrs. J. ]. Astor, Mrs
Jonathan Sturgis, manager of the Wilson
industrial School; DIR. Emily Black we'll, and
other we'll known philanthropic ladies. So
you see that garment drafting and cutting
and sewing is not such an unheard of and
utterly ridiculous matter as some Indianapo.
lis people have imagined" .clts a
"Will you relate briefly the measures
taken to Introduce this study in the schools
here?'' ff = .tltHsaf
I'm November, 1877, offered to teach q
class in two schools. for three months, fur
nIshing books, charts and services free. This
offer was accepted by the board, and began
t6dculIlg III NO. = uOItl 1uQ INO U cOut1s
giving one lesson each week to class of
about 80. Alter completing the first term
the results were so satisfactory that letters
and petitions were sent into the school
board by the most prominent patrons of the
schools asking that the work be continued.
No action was taken by the board until July,
when. no obisctiou having been presented.
| the Geometry of Dress was adopted as q
| text book. In November preliminary ar
rangements were made by the board, and on
December | began teaching in all the
grammar grades. l have upward of 600
pupils only two of whom have asked to be
excused from taking lessons.
| / have met with bitter opposition from
certain quarters, but have also been greatly
encouraged by many philanthropic ladies
and gentlemen. Superintendent Tarbell is
| a strong advocate of this and other branches
| of industrial education, and the school
board has determined that the experiment
shall be fairly tried. I know that il the
subject were submitted to day to the people,
/ to the mothers and fathers OF the pupils who
have engaged in the study, large majority
would vote to have 1t continued"
By inquiry it was learned that although a
number of teachers were at first opposed to
the Introduction of the system into the
schools, they now almost universally regard
| it favorably. One teacher interviewed was
exceedingly enthusiastic.
81 have seen crowds of girls graduate from
our schools utterly incapable of following
any Useful avocation. / am glad to have
| thing whereby the large number of girl,
! who bslong to the working class will be ben
Fitted"
''Are not the children overcrowded?T
school children are not crowded as much
as is frequently supposed. By the improved
facilities for teaching We are enabled to i'm
part more instruction than by the old meth
cd. Besides. the hour now given to dres
cutting was formerly occupied by chemistry
which, as taught, was no practical benefit tt
most pupils"
'Some are OF the opinion that teachin,
this system is unjust, because it gives thu
girls an additional advantage over the boys,
suggested the reporter.
Il think there ought to be some industria
education for boys was the reply, ';bu
the boys are usually behind the girls In som
study, and occupy the time in bringing i
up, Several boys do attend the lessons, an
indeed it would be we'll for wives and moth
ers il every boy would learn to sew"
What is the cause of the opposition +
Mrs. Jackson's system in the schools?"
sit arises partly from the mistaken ide
that manual occupation is degrading. l re
joice that it is in the schools because 1t vii
tend to make labor honorable. Part OF tn
opposition is simply because it is a woman
invention. The strongest opposers ara tn
dressmakers and sewing women, who, with
! out Just cause, fear that their calling will b
injured. As well might Jacob Cox or Lott
Guffin fear that the bread will be taken fror
their mouths because drawing is taught i
the pubic schools" BA
By the way the s. I. was informed durin
her perigrlnations that $40 came from ce
| tain dressmaker's pocket in payment for tn
| publication of an article in one of the cit
pa pers against the Geometry of Dress an
I that the editor of the paper kindi
mentioned to Mrs. ]. that she could hay
the use of his columns at the same rates.
A committee of ladies in each ward hs
been visiting the schools, and investigator
the dress cutting subject very carefully an
thoroughly. The report, which is to be mad
soon, will be read with intense interest
| the friends of industrial education throug
out the Union.
| A Visit to a Dead City.
[Tunis Cor. Of the Detroit Free Press.
II