Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-04-27

J
chine does not supply. Mr.. Atkinson lately
visited shop in which sewing machines
were being made, where one cam was shown
to him that passed through sixty hands be-
fore it was ready for its place in the sewing
machine. This division of labor in connec-
tion with machinery has been carried so far
that we are training no American craftsmen,
and unless we devise better methods than
the old and now obsolete apprentice system
much of the perfection of our almost auto
matte mechanism will have been achieved
at the cost not only of the manual but also
of the mental development of our men,"
He thinks that from this point of view our
factories are becoming " stupefactories.
After giving an account of what is being
done at the Mechanic Art School of the
Massachusetts Institute Of Technology,
where young men are trained to the bust
ness of mechanical engineering, the build
ing trades, and other branches of the me-
chanic arts, Mr.. Atkinson takes up the ques-
tion of how much can be done in the public
schools to instil practical elements of me-
chanical industry into the minds of the
pupils, both boys and girls. Regarding this
matter he says that the work of the schools
should be to develop the mind and to give a
clear comprehension of the theory of the
mechanic arts in connection with the other
studies which form part of good common
school education. The work in the shop is
to teach the application of the theory, and
to train the eye, hand and muscles intelli-
gently to accuracy and readiness, to make
the eye and hand competent instruments of
an instructed mind, to aim to train mind and
muscle together, so that in after life the most
work shall be done with the least effort, the
least waste, and in the most effective way
The reader will see that this is just what has
been advocated in these columns in regard
to agriculture in the rural public schools.
Mr.. Atkinson says that experience has uni
formly shown that the training of the hand
to do work of any kind, particularly when
the work is such that it requires certain
amount of reasoning capacity, has a most
beneficial influence, exciting the interest,
zeal and enthusiasm of the pupils in the
work of the school, whatever it may be-
They will 60 through good deal of study
that is dry and HARDIN fact, mental work
that they can hardly see the use of,-when
it is varied by certain amount OF practical
work in which hand, eye and mind are ex-
ercised in concert.
The instruction in the department of
mechanic arts in the Massachusetts Insti-
tute of Technology is suitable for graduate
of grammar school. Aside from practice
in the use of tools, instruction is given in
algebra, geometry, English, elementary phys
les and mechanical drawing. The average
time taken up by these lessons and studies
is four hours day. Every other day three
hours are devoted to systematic work in the
shops. The course of instruction begins
with the simplest and easiest lessons in car
pentry and gradually goes up to the more
difficult exercises, requiring accuracy and
judgment. Beginning with the chalk line
and a piece Of rough board, the pupil pro-
ceeds with saving, planning, squaring, joint
ing, mitering, mailing, boring, dovetailing,
mortising and framing, receiving also lessons
in the design, structure, use and care of
tools. Wood-turning and pattern-making
come next to round out the pupils instruc-
ton in the working of wood. The use Of
the patterns is illustrated by series of les
sons in molding, core-making and casting.
In the second year of the course the pupils
enter the blacksmith's shop, where they are
first taught how to build and manage the
FIRE next, how to heat and how to strike the
iron then, in sequence, how to bend, draw
out, upset, shape, weld, bore, punch and
rivet how to heat, weld aud temper steel !;
how to case-harden iron. The aim is to
teach each pupil to accomplish what is
wanted with the fewest blows and the least
waste of material. Skilled and educated
mechanics are employed as teachers.
This is what is at present being done in
what may be called mechanics college
Now comes the question 1--WE are quoting
Mr.. Atkinson); How can this method be
Incorporated with the regular work of the
grammar ald high schools of the city 1t
is proposed that for this purpose the boys
alternate from regular school-house to a
mechanic art school-house. The apparatus
for school of four hundred pupils would
be very inexpensive. The building would
be of only one story,-a brick shell with a
concrete floor, a plank roof covered with
gravel, lighted and ventilated by a monitor
(ike railroad carl. The tools are not
practical carpenters, blacksmiths and ma
chinists. The building should contain shops
for carpentry, forging and moulding, foundry
work, vise-work, brazing, wood-turning,
metal-turning and metal finishing. For Sc
curity against fire an independent building
would be required for paint-shop. With
such schools as this in connection with city
high schools the graduates would be well
forwarded in preparation for actual work
at whatever trade each might prefer, with
fair knowledge of much belonging to other
trades, The pupils could pass from such
school directly to the shops, or 60 up from
thence to higher and more extended course
in technical college.
MIR. Atkinson thinks the same principles
might be extended, within more contracted
limits, to the grammar and primary schools,