The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-05-09
Education for Mechanics.

= The question, or the extent of the.
benefits Of education to the working me-
chanicis An oldofie. Many place too
high ayalue-upon theSutility' Of learn
ing. To Them knowledge seems all
powerful; tits a5key that-unlocks every
door. 1T is among those of lesser cul-
ture thatthis opinion mostly obtains.
Fhey oserestimate thevalue of-science,
while the better: educated fail into the
opposite error, and undervalue it. As
asual, THE truth-is to 5be found in the
middle. Education ofwhatever nature
exerts certain influence upon all our
actions, but is not responsible for every
thing. Those who are wanting in it
are apt to attribute all to
this deficiency--How-o often does soma.
inefficient mechanic say that he would
Z have done much better If he had only
ebeen educated 20 he can not see that his
faults are positive and inherent. Those
who possess education, finding that their
natural faults still impede their progress
come 70 the conclusion that what they
have learned is Of little value, ,.roa
In the case Of the mechanic, tits not
, easylto determine Just what knowledge
is worth After he has, learned, his trade
mechanically, 1t is worth his while TO go
further and read up what has been writ
ten about il, While many of, the best
? workmen do not use book knowledge at
all, the typical ntelligent'i workman is
halways q reader. He receives sl scien-
tifici journal and possesses half q dozen
books treating of lathe work and kim
ndred subjeetsu They describe case
hardening eompoundsi, sbfazing and
welding Hnxes, and give hints on lathe
nanagement, on cntfing angles Of tools
for different metals and the like Every
day he may, have to go through some Of
the operations they tell Of yet, rarely or
never VIII he leave the beaten, track.
But although he may not follow them
in practice he always reads them He
j does good work in the shop, and reads
Iintelligently at homes I If ant question
comes up with his employer about me
jchsnicaI points, he will bring him the
-next day some of his books or papers as
fauth hor4ties, yet hs shop work Is done
ON principles learned by hard experi-
books and his scientific Journal dc, not
seem 70 help him there. Q Clever as the
man may be- he would seem at first
sight to lsck the faculty. Of applyin his
book knowledge -, Yet if we, go a little
dCCPCA l44Gn IN may r1H-
pear that ids because Of his excellence
as q mechanic that he rejects the book
i'm practice. n The hard school of expert
ence has taught him two lessons. One
has been right way of doing things;
} the other has been the danger Of trying
TO improve on that ways5In the sappren-
-tieeship of the mechanical arts the work
of generations Of mechanics Is impaired
to the learner. 4 The feFolutions Of 50
many minds and years shon' be treated
with reverence. To institute a genuine
and valuable improvement is far from
4easy.df 0IDTi EyiF oTIol 9di qii5 81 2aDo
silo All this proves the dignity of the po-
sifion held by the meehanio.asH He has q
! knowledge of ,shop-wurk fthatzis de-
rived, as Just stated, from, generations
of the worlds work His knowledge
of this work is, then, of the, very best.
bis acquaintance with different metals,
with the treatment, of different steels
and irons, Is perfect, Us HIS application
Of it Is an instinct. He wilf seldom find
I in his course Of residing a Justification
for leaving the way he Is accustomed
to- His special branch he knows so
well that the books can scarcely inn
prove it. His thorough knowledge OF
shop-workait tains ito the dignity of q
liberal education. 1t Is not TO be de-
spised or looked down on because not
acquired under the roof of college.
D This is a fair picture of,the good me-
chanic rs found inIour shops to-day He
reads, but does not often succeed In APP
plying his reading. Yet he willstudy,
and. win enjoy studying.aIIt Ielevates
his mind by giving it something be-
rsides1tself to live upon. Seldom as the
direct application of his reading comes
into his work, its Indirect influence af-
fects every blosw of 'hfs hammer. His
Intellectual being is improved by it,
and his self-respect increased His jour-
nal and books give it good pabulum.
The benefits of education can not be
doubted in his case.4 Scientific ArneTi-
can. . TIT oAt'-i'i'.-1