Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-05-12
TRAINING THE YOUNG.
How the Pupils I'm the Public Scho<
are Taught % Use Their IAaaas.


The work that has been done In washington in
the line OF manual training for pupils In the public
schools has now nearly completed its third year,
and Is attracting the attention, not only OF edu-
Gators but of scientists all the country. The
humble beginning OF the experiment" as It was
then called. in 1855, its careful development its
present well-established success and Its acknowi-
egded position among the branches OF popular edu-
cation, have brought forth the praise Of thinking
people on all sides. The word experiment" Is
now abandoned and the plan OF training the
hands as well as the brain has found a permane7
place In the curriculum Of our schools
Inc present Held Of operations includes thirteen
schools nine for the white and four for the coored
In the art and practice Of needlework are given.
IN announcer, turning, moulding and forging are
taught. In two. lessons are given in cooking, and
of the colored schools are devoted to cooking and
Two 10 carpentry. There are now 8, 143 white and
schools, the total cost OF which-compriang mere
" the cost OF the plants 600 divided, accord
ing 70 the number Of pupils, into $3.50 for the
are thirteen teachers employed, nine for the white
and four for the colored schools, the former re-
The Suanss and sss sss
eostins and noS HsS1e''s School, IS rsnssd a.
the Peabody annex, used by the Capitol Hill
s sen carpentry and cooking is saso while
nhS SUMS are PAID Tor the Miller build1ng ana
Thus the total cost OF the instruction In manual
training IN the District amounts this year to
=, 76O for rents, and 81, 800 for salaries
SUPERINTENDENT P0wRIL's VIEWS.
Perhaps no one is more actively interested in
the growth and welfare OF these schools than Su-
perintendent Powell, whose aim it has been to
bring them from the field Of experiment into that
81 have asked for $40. 600 from Congress- to push
this work next year." he said to The STAR re-
porter, "and believe that have been cut down
sumo, that we people always ask for more than
we need. The work that has been done certainly
While have endeavored to give to each section Of
the city equal advantages, Ihave thought IL wiser
TO make sort OF experiment by concentrating on
capitol Hill all OF the kinds OF instruction This
has proved successful and at present all OF the
Hill girls in seventh and eighth grades are being
Instructed ed, In cooking all those in The fourth
sewing, and all the boys OF the seventh and
eighth grades are doing work in the shop or car
have this true Of the entire six divisions under my
charge: The instruction in this line is extremely
valuable he continued. for It teaches first OF all,
Of the students to real LIFE to the practical rather
than the theoretical. We start With the little girl
In the fourth grade and teach her to sew. do
not believe that the pupils OF grade below the
fourth are old or strong enough to be taught. We
follow that little girl with the needle for three
grade, we show her now TO cook. She is taught
now TO be neat and tidy, the use of utensils, The
SaH q and then she is shown how 70
through the eighth grade, the course developing
all the time. BY the time the girl has reached the
cook the finer and more delicate dishes, how TO
plan, how to buy, and finally she will be taught
the chemistry OF food.
HOW THE BOYS ARE TAUGHT.
1--WE begin with the seventh grade boy and show
han6ln nd hou md no
other elementary tools of carpentry. He is devel-
oped In his instruction, just as the girl Is until he
reaches the High School, when he Will go on with
lathe work, moulding, and forging. Something is
now Deihg done by Mr.. Sawyer, the teacher at the
Jefferson school, In the way OF architectural draw
Ing, with view OF ENGRAVING 1t upon the manual
Training. As time progresses and there are more
means other branches can be added.
"Of course this plan have sketched is, in .
sense, future one; that Is, 1t will take several
years for 1t to grow downward and reach the low
est notch. The system was begun in the High
School-the highest class--and has been extended
70 lower classes by degrees. the seventh and
as the nrst-year High-SchOol boy, and SO it Will
TAKE three or four years for the foundations to
Stea Each Pupil within the Of
or one two-hour lesson each week. / shall not en-
deavor TO extend this time, but shall aim at the
spread Of the work over more surface / do not
think that more Time could be profitably occupied.
Inc time Is taken from the midst Of the school.
day without interfering with the regular studies,
scene 10 the student, who Is apt to get tired"
GLIMPSE OF MANUAL TRAINNG-scHooL.
Twenty-four boys In double column came
marching down the south side OF o street the
other day, across 7th, past the solid building that
looks proud OF the name of the High School, and
matted at the sharp command OF their leader, op-
poslte modest two-stOry structure on the south
side. They stood chatting in their places in line
for couple OF minutes, until with whoOp a tor
rent OF young humanity poured out OF the build
ing and quickly formed In line Then, when the
way was clear, the new arrivals from the west
marched the doorway and assembled the
landing all order was lost and the line melted
IKE snow, each boy pulling on his hat
As quickly as possible they scampered into the Sd-
Joining room, where shavings tools, benches ana
aproned forms gave evidence OF the art carpen-
terfal. Each boy fastened to his place behind one
OF the cabinet work benches Some hauled from
mysterious hiding places their work OF the last
lesson Others eaped 10 the top Of the benches and
sought for their blocks and boards among pile of
mixed booking lumber on broad shelves above their
heads. AS soon as each boy had found his working
attention, and briefly Instructed the class as to its
work for the lesson. Some began to make backing
boxes from individual plans others who had not
block inches by with a bevel edge and three
holes bored through Some sharpened their planes
and others moved about asking advice OF the
teachers The whole presented scene or business
like activity, and each boy bent to work with
look OF determination and an air Of interest. q
AN EMBRYO MECHANIC.
''To which school do you belongY" asked the re-
porter OF one little fellow whose head came Just on
level with the back Of the bench.
"To the Franklin, " is the reply.
show do you like this work."
"Oh, ali right-trst class" answer the boy
jumping sideways on the bench and swinging his
1eeJ underneath.
show often do you come over for these Iessons?n
''rwice q week-on Tuesdays and Thursdaya"
"DO many OF the boys try TO get out OF the les
son-try to cut?'" Queried the reporter.
"No, indeedV was the reply with an injured look
Shave you learned enough to DO odd Jobs around
homer"
~ suppose 50, but haven't full set of tools yet
at home. I'm going to get one, though"
BEGINNING WITH sHAvNGs.
BY this time the noise Of hammertng and saving
was becoming general and the reporter turned
from the boy on the bench TO one OF the teachera
Mr.. McNabb who took him into o room In the
front OF the building where, on long table, were
1--WE start the pupils with the making of shaw
ings and sawdust," explained the teacher; "nOt for
the sake Of those articles however but TO give the
boys practice in the use OF the plane and saw
They are given rough board and told to saw IL
with square corners and plane 1t TO square edges.
well we give them block OF wood an inch
thick, about 8 inches long, and wide
and tell them TO work 1t down to planned block
by 4, with bevelled edges. and then to bore three
holes In It. "Here is one Of these blocks picking
up piece Of wood about by inches. 'This
boy kept making mistakes and cutting away at
his block until he had passed by his measure
ments. The next time he came nearer the mark
We kept them on these blocks, which gave prac.
tice with the saw, plane chisel and brace and BIT