The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1886-01-24
Industrial Education.

Industrial Education is not by any
means new thing 10 The world. The
only thing which can be claimed in the
way of novelty is in the application. 4
is long time since reform and penal in
situations have adopted it. The mere
confinement and restraint of Juvenile
criminals have been found ineffective.
Any person of sagacity could easily see
that 1t would be unwise and criminal IN
any community to deprive any boy or girl
OF his or her liberty and not furnish them
with the means OF obtaining a useful edu-
cation, both intellectual and manual.
Boys and girls sent TO reform school are
actually better educated than If sent TO
our common schools. In saying this, IT
must not be understood that harmful re-
Election is being cast upon our common
schools. They fill the bill as far as such
schools can do so. 1t Is the plan rather
than the management which is defective.
The advocates Of industria! education ask
that the plan should be revised and made
broader. Whether this is to be done in
connection with our regular schools say
our high schools-or outside and apart
from them, admits OF very serious discus
sion.
We admit, in the first place, that the
education which manual teaching" gives
is broader aud better. Literary education
is only a part of education. We put the
whole boy to school, not part OF him.
We should train him by the most inyigor-
ating and logical methods. Perhaps the
best model in this immediate neighbor-
hood for compact industrial school is
the well known Cooper institute. l am
alluding now, of course, to the industrial
features Of that Institution. Peter Cooper,
feeling k>enly the disadvantages under
which he labored, when youth, In OBJ
tanning education, long contemplated and
finally established the Cooper Union, in
which the poor as we'll as the prosperous
should have the amplest opportunity for
education without cost. In 1854 the
building was commenced. 1t has since
been enlarged by adding 70 its height 1t
was to be forever devoted to the union of
art and science in their application to the
useful purposes of life This remarka-
BILE institution now has over 1900 pupils
in the course of year. 1t has school of
art for women, with free instruction in all
branches of drawing, in painting, wood
engraving and photography. 1t mas also
free school of telegraphy for young
women. These schools in the day time
accommodate 200 or 800 pupils. In the
evening the free school of science and art
for young men and women give free in
slruction in mathematics, practical engi-
neering, aud practical chemistry, and free
lectures are given in natural philosophy
and the elements of chemistry In art
every branch of drawing and painting is
taught A large free reading room and
library, with about 300 periodicals aud
papers, foreign and domestic, is maintain
ed A library OF about 10, 600 volumes is
at the disposal of all corners. Every Sat-
urday evening during the Winter free
lectures are given in the large ball of the
Cooper Union, sometimes to over 1900
people. The running or annual expense
amounts to about 5000. This ipstitu-
ton has done an incalculable amount of
good TO the people of New York City. Ii
has enabled thousands of young people to
earn respectable livelihood and has
assisted to diversity industry by giving an
opportunity to reach the hitherto unayail-
able branches. There is no substantial
reason why any ordinary city like Jersey
City or Hobcken could not with advantage
maintain an institution similar to the
Cooper Union. No other money which
they spend would make half the return.
1t would be bread thrown upon the waters
which would return after many days. 1t
could be of the size needed.
The Stevens's Institute of Technology,
at Hoboken, supplies another form of in
dustrial education of very high merit 1t
is, however, more exclusive and harder 10
reach than the Cooper Union. Its range
is too high Tor the practical idea under
consideration, and which should be made
available for all. William Stevens, in his
will left the sum of 5000, 900, as well as
the block of land upon which it stands.
The income from all sources is about $36,
600 Its plan Is to fit young men Of ability
for leading positions in the department of
mechanical engineering and scientific pur-
suits. Theory and practice in the con-
struction of machines forms distinct de-
partment, under the charge of professor
of the highest order in the practical rela-
latious of that subject and who gives it his
entire attention. There is also included
an extended course of manual training in
the workshops. under the supervision Of
competent workmen. A mechanical labora-
tory has been instituted as an adjunct 10
this department, in which students e
permitted TO study materials of construct
ion during the process of testing, which is
at nearly all times in progress. and fire.
quently to participate in such work. They
are given opportunities 10 take part in
tests of steam engines, boilers, and other
mechanical operations carried on in the
laboratory, and witness and take part in
the construction of machinery and other
work done in the workshop. Mechanical
drawing forms a separate department.
Arrangements have been made TO give a
thorough practical course of instruction in
physics by means of physical laboratories
in which the student is guided in expert
mental researches bearing upon the sub
jects of his special study. The Institute
is richly furnished with the needful appIi-
ances and collections. Ithas an apparal us
for precise measurement-for the meas
urement of capacities, Weights and time;
for molecular physics, elementary
mechanics and acoustics; for the measure,
ment of specific and latent heat of solids,
liquids and gases; instruments of electri-
cal measurement of every kind required
for the most accurate and refined work
optical apparatus, and rich collections in
the departments of engineering, drawing
and chemistry. The library is furnished
with the best works III every department
of science. The Institute has also gym
nasium, which is accessible to all the stu
dents. In the report before me the insti.
tuition is said to have nine professors and
seventy-four students. Under the Presi-
dency Of Henry Morton, P. Fl D., the
Institute has attained world cele-
brity. [ have gone slightly out of my
way to give an idea of the place in the
educational economy which is held by the
Stevens Institute, and to show that an
education of this character should not be
contemplated in connection with what il
taking the name of trimming schools al
over the country. The aim of the lusti
tute is too high to have the element Of
popularity which is needed i'll training
schools. The Institute is very successful
in working out the coordination of tht
literary aud manuel ideas in education. 1
is object teaching of high order. WI
want the same, but not quite so high. Til,
| professors have always been willing to SAY
| that their experience shows that III,