The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-04-18
l,ducation for Mechanic.

/ buuG1Ll0l IOf D10CudulCS'
/ The question Of the extent OF the
! benefits of education to the working
mechanic is an old one. Many place
too high value upon the utility Of
| learning To them knowledge seems
all powerful; it is a key that unlocks
every door. 1t is among those OF les
ser culture that this opinion mostly OBJ
| tains. They overestimate the value OF
| science. while the better educated fall
| into the opposite error, and underyalue
| it. As usual, the truth is to be found
| in the middle. Education of whatever
| nature exerts a certain influence upon
| all other actions but is not responsible
| for everything. Those who are want
| ing in it are apt to attribute all their
| troubles to this deficiency. How often
| does some inefficient mechanic say that
he would have done much better if
| he had only been educated. He cannot
see that his faults are positive and in
herent. Those who possess education,
/ finding that their natural faults still inn
pede their progress, come to the conclu-
sion that what they have learned is OF
little value. r
In the case of the mechanic it is not
easy to determine just what knowledge
| is worth After he has learned his trade
mechanically, it is worth his while to
| 90 further and read up what has been
| written about it. While many of the
| best workmen do not use book knowi-
edge at all, the typical intelligent
| workman is always a reader. tie re-
ceiyes a scientific journal aud possesses
half a dozen books treating of lathe
work and kindred subjects. They de
scribe case-hardening compounds, braz-
ing and welding tluxes, and give hints
on lathe management, on cutting angles
IF 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 will he leave
the beaten track. But although he may
not follow them in practice, he always
reads them He does good work in the
shop, and reads intelligently at home.
II any question comes up with his en-
ployer about mechanical points, he will
bring him the next day some of his
books or papers rs authorities, yet his
shop work is done on principles learned
| by hard experience, and not by book
theory. His books and his scientific
journal do not seem to help him there.
Clever as the man may be, he would
seem at first sight to lack the faculty of
applying his book knowledge. Yet if
We go a little deeper into the subject, it
may appear that ii is because of his ex-
celienoe as a mechanic that he rejects
the book in practic The hard school
of experience has taught him two les
| sons. One has been right way of do
| ing things; the other has been the dam
ger of trying to improve on the way.
In the apprenticeship of the mechanical
arts the work of generations of me-
chamics is impaired to the learner. The
evolution of SD many minds and years
should be treated with reverence. To
| institute genuine and valuable i'm
provemeBt is far from easy,
All this proves the dignity of the po-
sition held by the mechanic He has q
| knowledge of shop work that's derived,
as Just stated, from generations of the
| verdi ) work. Ills 1 knowledge of this
| work is. then, Of The Very bestY. II y, qtf7
| the treatment OF different steels and
irons, is perfect. His application of il
! is All instinct. lie Will seldom find his
| course OF reading a Justification for
leaving the way he is accustomed to.
Ills special branch he knows So well
that the books can scarcely improve it
His thorough knowledge of shop work
attains to the dignity of a liberal educa-
ton. 1t is not to be despiscd or looked
down on because not acquired under the
roof of college.
This is a fair picture of the good me-
chanic as found in our shops to-day.
He reads. but does not often succeed IN
applying his reading, Yet he will study
and will enjoy studying. He elevates
his mind by giving il something besides
ITSELF to live upon. Seldom as the di-
rect application of his reading comes
into his work. its indirect influence at
fects every blow of his hammer. .ScIea-
titfc Aaaeicdu.