Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-11-21
THE MANUAL TRAINING SCHOOL
Adds New Dignity 10 Eabor-Arusnns
Nowadays seldom Americana.

81. IOulS Globe Democrat
dts very good thing" sud an old gen.
tlenan energetical!y, AS he looked at the dis
play of tools made in one of the galleries on
the Olive street side Of the exposition build.
my by the Manual Training school
Whats Il good thing" II reporter ir
qured.
This SCHOOL" said the gentleman, ADJUST.
ing his glasses as he glanced ndmIringy ut
the long tables and decorated walls at adds
n new and fresh dignity h. labor, and give.
hope that the trnde, and all branches of the
mechanical arts will receive tine attention
from Americans winch they deserve"
The reporter asked for AN explanation.
"lOw many of your friend, have learned
tradc,N
The reporter could not recall a half dozen.
"Ihey' we all taken To the proiesSlurs' Slll
the old gentleman "Thcy'Ve all started ont
To hc lawyers, doctors, artists, actors, and
things Of that sort, haven't they or course.
Well, "A few more schools of this klni will
break up that sort of thnL 1t will make
you.g men feel proud oI work thcy can d.
with their hands, AMI teach them that it is rs
noble and honorable the work that folks
do with their heads
Il talk th, way" the speaker continued,
"becuuse have given some attention to this
matter ard tin1 that the trades are gradually
slipping out of the hands Of Americans. Your
artisan nowadays is seldom an American
Foreigners build your houses and fashion the
metals that are use in the construction Of
your machinery. Go to any house in process
of erection and count the carpenters
there employed You will find them
Scotch English, or German, but not
American. Count the briclsayers; they IRE
usually llishmen or the SONS of lriShmpn. 90
to your foundrieS; the employees are OF all ma
tionalltes except American The same state
of affairs will be found in nearly every fac
tory ana place of product in the country.
Question the bosses, and they will tell You
1t Is the most difficult thing IN the world for
them to obtain good apprentices of the home
made pattern. The foreign element FREEDOM
mates To an alarming extent in every depart
nent of industry, III every branch of skilled
Ii hor, particularly OF the middle order,
at is not only curIou,--t is really painfully
absurd to see tine nee lect with which the
skilled line OF labor ar treated 10y American
boys and American parents. A. said be
tore the ludu~tlie, are now in the hands Of
our foreign born citizens OF their SONS, and it
takes two generation, of these to lind ont
that the trade, are heueath them and not
worthy their time or attention. That's what
ter OF everyday barter IN these United States
tho fact that 1t belongs to the new element
coming constantly IN, like wide and deep
stream filling the gull that suhmerge' and
SINKS out of sight the real American
What becomes of Young America" the
reporter asked.
Young America" was the stlaightfor.
ward and emphatic reply; us a glorious
fraud Young Americans want TO bold lilies
in their hands part their hair in the middle
and walk like lot of an minated saw bucks
| strutting around on their hind legs The
| young American wants to be adored. He Is
39-lOOths ambition and l-lOJth ability, as n
general thing. He always starts out in lie
with an object, and poor one at that, or he
is started out the wrong way. He puts in
all the time his parents can pay for at
school, and when he lays aside his calculus,
piano and Indian clubs he turns up his nose
at the smoke of our factories with an "Oh,
dear me, how horrble' and turns his eyes
in the direction of the arts-the profession,
something at which he can sit for few
hours with his heels on desk and spend the
major portion OF his time regretting the fact
that he Is ashamed to beg and afraid "a
/ pilfer.n