Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-03-02
EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT.
Conducted by J. q. Terry, Principal OF Hirera
Point Public Shoots.

The subjoined article from the
Chicago Tribune expresses the views
of education of those who are ex-
tremely practical" Its becoming
manifest that return to first prin-
ciples by the adoption of some COM
mon definition of the term educa-
ton is imperatively necessary before
the advocates of any particular the
DRY can hope to win over those of
opposing views, or lead the public
in general to accept their opinions.
Whether the term half educated is
| applicable to the men who have
spent years of hard labor in trans
lating the ancient classics and pene-
trating the intricacies of pure math-
ematics depends wholly upon what
is meant by education. There is
unquestionably a great deal of AFRO
gance in the claim of every new
fiedged A. B. to a liberal education"
but it will certainly require the
lapse of some time and the removal
of some deeply rooted convictions
before the skilled artisan, the &C
countant from the commercial
school, or even the student who
knows something of plants and an
finals and other products of nature,
will be considered as having a better
right to the appellation.
The belief that the curriculum of
the old-time New England college
did not comprehend all that is in
| Guided in the idea of education has
been steadily gaining ground for
half century, and the changes
that have resulted to the colleges
them selves as well as the country at
large have been wholesome but
this like other reforms may encoun-
counter the risk of being pushed
beyond the limits of reason.
The success of the industrial
school founded at st. Louis by Prof.
| Woodward the puplic are quite ia
miliar with. A similar one has been
in operation in New York for two
years with the best results. 1t is
now giving instruction to eighty
young men in various branches of
industry, and the utility of its teach
ings has received the most practical
proof possible in the fact that a
number of the pupils have been en-
abled by what they have learned to
obtain an advance in wages. The
students learn by doing and not by
being told how things are done.
They mix mortar and cement, build
different kinds of walls, lay brick.
set window and door-wcrk, con-
struct fues, fireplaces, arches and
vaulting The bricklaying class
was broken up last year by the IN
reference of the trades-union, which
forbade the instructor, who was a
member, to 90 on; but this Difficult
ty has been overcome. There is an
evening class in plumbing reserved
for young men employed in plumb
rooms fitted up with all the appli-
ances of the best workshops. Next
year a class will be started in artistic
stone-cutting, which there is now
no chance to learn in this country,
although a skilled workman can
make Sc or 81 day by it.
This school is particularly useful
to young men who want to be art
isans, since the trades-unions have
adopted the restrictive policy with
regard to apprentices. 1t is not
charity school, though it is in the
highest sense a philanthropic enter
prise The founder, Mr.. Richard T.
Authmuty, has wisely decided that
its usefulness will be more deeply
felt if the pupils pay something
though it is only the actual cost of
instruction and tools and material.
The charges are 50 for the course of
bricklaying, $40 for plumbing, So
for pattern making for molders and
machinists, and S15 for fresco paint
ing.
In recent address in Boston on
Education Mr. James Parton sadly
confessed that contact with the world
had taught him that he belonged to
what Joseph Cook calls the. half
educated classes He had spent a
good deal of his time at school in
picking up a fractional education,
getting a superficial knowledge of
two or three languages, and smat-
tering of several things-for the
most part eminently impractical.
! Being with party at an English
country house one summer, he be-
came aware of a great many def
cencies in his early training
When asked if such or such a
flower or tree was native of Amer
lea he could not tell. He was unable
to inform his questioner how much
grass was cut to an acre in Amersca.
He had not fully comprehended
the fact that any grass was ever cut
in this country. He began to see
that no people had SO thoroughly
separate d themselves from Nature
as Americans-a fact particularly
salient when the familiarity of Eu-
ropcans with country interests is
considered.
In the same line of regretful con-
fession the Pail Mall Gazette in its
last issue says: "Any one who
looks at the book-shelves OF a sue
cessful young gentleman from a
public school or University will see
what an extraordinary collection it
is. Perhaps not one book in fifty
is or will be useful to him on any
occasion in afterlife " 1t is a
strange thing, but it seems true, that
l. L l. L IL