The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-06-13

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to them, as giving evidence of capabilities
which they had not believed,
One side of the gallery is occupied by
the Women's Departments OF the various
states. To attempt to describe the exhibit
with anything like completeness would be
useless and to praise or extol 1t would be
" To gild refined gold, to paint the N.Y.
Womans own domain, of course, that OF
artistic work with needle and pencil and
brush, claim the greater part OF the exhibit
and the thousands of artistic and beautiful
objects shown here, attest fully her re-
fined and artistic skill.
Hundreds of of volumes show what She
has done in the way of literature, and
many an invention, scattered here and there
show that some of her sisters are eminent
ly practical
The remainder of the gallery is taken up
by the Educational Exhibit This consists
mostly of exhibits made by three or tour
schools in a state, apparently without state
aid or encouragement. In some cases IT Is
the state which makes the display and in
these cases the exhibit is, of course, larger
and more representative.
Most of the exhibits consist of collections
Of written work and examination papers,
and without spending great deal OF time,
! it is impossible for the visitor to determine
anything in regard TO the quality. The
largest and most varied exhibits are made
by Minnesota, Iowa, Tennessee, New Jer'
sey, Ohio, Indiana and Louisiana.
A large amount Of space Is occupied by
France in "A most complete and creditable
exposition of French methods of instruc-
ton and the means employed therein.
France is the only foreign nation except
Japan, that makes an educational exhibit
of any importance, and the government
has devoted its energies chiefly to this.
There is shown "A system of education
here that is eminently practical and common
sense, that is calculated to teach the pupils
not only 10 kno,r, but to think and to do-to
cyeate. Graphic methods are largely fol
lowed and special attention is paid to man
ual training, a thing in which most Amer.
lean schools are sadly deficient. Every pu-
pill in the public schools of France must
now 90 through thorough course OF man
ual training.
Since so large portion of life's work Is
dependent for its success on the skillfuiness
of the hand and that the advancement of
the world has not been made by those in
whom
"The genius is thing apart,
A pillared hermit of the brain,
Hoarding with incommunicable art
Its intellectual gain"
but by those who, understanding the rela-
lions between mind and matter, have
known how to execute what the brain has
conceived, 1t seems that the child should
be instructed in this particular part OF life
when the hand is even more susceptible to
mechanical teachings than the brain is to
intellectual ones.
The metaphysician and philosopher have
wrought great benefits to the world, but we
need more practical men; men like Watt
and Stephenson and Morse. The world Is
afflicted with many mediocre lawyer,
doctor and preacher who under different
course of training would have developed
into first rate mechanic, inventor or bust.
ness man.
America does not need more education
so much as more practical education.
Something, indeed, is being done in this
line in many of our schools, ranging all the
way from Kindergarten to College. Tu.
land University of New Orleans has me,
chanical course the student of which comes
to the exposition for an hour each day and
all day Saturday, and In we'll appointed
shop, under competent instructors, learns
practical mechanics and the elements of
mechanical engineering.
To properly estimate the vulue of the
Exposition which has just closed would be
a task of no little magnitude. To both
North and South 1t has shown that the en-
nifty which was supposed to exist between
the parts of our country was enmity only
In name and lived only In the speech of the
politician and the sensational diatribes OF
the bloody shirt organs To both 1t has
brought new business openings. The south
particularly will be stimulated into a more
vigorous business activity by contact with
the keener and more active business mind
of the north Trade with foreign nations
will doubtless receive new impulse, and
no observing and receptive mind, whether
from North or South or from what country
soever, could fail to profit by the lessons
learned at this greatest of expeditions.
1t is greatly to be hoped that the effort
to continue the exposition another year
will meet with success and that state and
government will lend It that support and
aid 1t needs and so justly deserves.
OBSERVER.