The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-02-17
A POPULAR INSTITUTION.

u POPULAR lNSJfvOttON
The Chicago Mansal Training School and
lts Growing Popularity.
Z Manual training has laid hold upon
the imagination Of the American people,
Tho register Of the Chicago Manual
Training School contains the names OF
visitors from an parts Of this country,
from Canada, and from England. On
last commenoement-day seven hundred
persons visited the school, passing
through the several lahoratories and
witnessing the exercises. Il Is true,
many Of those visitors were relations
and personal friends Of students; but re-
lations and personal friends OF students OF
schools of the old regime visit them very
frequentlys Mary OF the visitors OF
manual training schools are women.
They ara enthusiasts on the subject OF
the new education. Their comprehen-
sion Of it il clearer than. that OF men.
This is doubtless because they are
possessed Of higher degree of intui
ton, are more imaginative, more I'M
selfish and less ambitious, and have
less aversion TO labor. Froebel found
women better adapted to the work OF
teaching than men. The kindergarten
and manual training are identical in
principal; but the kindergarten has
struggled long, and as yet unsuccess
fully, except in few instances, for adj
mission to the schocls, while manual
training, . thing of yesterday in
its educational aspect, has con-
quered. all the educational out
posts, and now waits only the formal
surrender of the garrison OF the citadel
1t possesses the fascination Of the con-
crete as opposed to the dr0wsy effect
Of abstract speculation. The Manual
Training School building itself power
fully attracts the healthy active boy.
Smoke issues from the tail chimney that
rises high above the roof, and the hum
ID machinery is heard, and the heavy
thud of the sledge resounding on the
anvil makes music in the ear. '
The interior is more attractive still.
The rhythmic motion of the polished
Corliss engine responds to the now
thrcbbing heart of the expected lad.
The shafting in the wood-turning labora-
tory speaks of mystery. 1t is laby-
rinth of belts, large and small, of
wheels, big and little, of pulleys and
lathes. A student moves lever few
inches, and the breath of life Is breathed
into the complicated mass of machinery.
From the engine far away come the cur
rents of its power. The whir of steam
driven machines salutes the ear, and
the class of twenty-four students take
their places at the lathes. So in the
laboratory Of forging the furnace fires
give back an answering glow to the
gov of the visiting lad 8 flushed cheeks.
All this is in very sharp contrast to the
n1onotOny Of the recitation-rO0m Of the
old regime. The superiority Of the new
over the old education consists largely
in the fact. that it alternates the purely
mental with the mental and manual ex-
ercise combined.
During the pauscs of labor in the
laboratories Of the Manual Training
School the well equipped instructor de-
kvers series of brief lectures ON sub
iects growing logically out Of the exer-
cises. In the drawing-room he sketches
In bold outline the biographies o. the
great masters Of the graphic art In
the laboratory Of carpentry he disuses
the natural history Of certain trees, and
considers the qualities of woods, their
adaptability and various uses. In the
wood-turning laboratory the subject Of
the history Of turnery is found to be
not less delightful than exhaustible, and
the manipulations Of the iron and steel
laboratories are closely allied to all the
great events Of the world history. The
moulding and casting laboratory is
richly suggestive of subjects for discus-
CN0~les Fl. Ham Nv Hdkpsr'S Moo.
NEvsR despair Of success. Rven the
drowning man will reach land at last. II he
keeps on sinking.