Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-06-16
TRAINING IN CITY SCHOOLS.
Mechanics Taught to Boys-sewtng and
Cooking for Girls-Lectures.

hnOEl space Ol llnhe biat iiao tidpotd hihSo
it was introduced in New York. The
first trial was made in February, and in
four months fourteen different schools
the primary, girls OF boys departments,
in the same building or same district,
counted as separate schools-were work
ing out the principles established for this
industrial work. The idea originated in
Russia, and some Of The features of it
came from the kindergarten methods of
Germany. The committee who first took
up this new feature of education studied
well the work as it was carried on in
technical schools in this and other cities.
They have striven to leave out all the
weak points as they were discovered and
produce a system that was superior If
possible to any other in existence.
Whether they have accomplished this
remains e be seen. They are free 10
admit that they are still far from having
a complete knowledge themselves, and
experience is teaching them important
things every day. The schools are nearly
all private where manual training is
taught outside of New York, but as the
benefits derived are felt il will undoubt-
edly come into the common possession OF
all the institutions OF learning, One
great fear entertained has been that in
establishing it, time would have 10 be
taken from other studies. Anything so
unsatisfactory has not been the result.
Instead Of impeding progress in other
studies, il helps them by changing the
order Of training for the better in every
department. Drawing is the funda-
mental study in industrial training; il is
the corner stone Of the entire structure
Of manual work as taught in the common
schools. 1t enters largely into the boys
department Of carpentry, and the girls
classes Of sewing and cooking.
The girls. IL they do not know how 10
draw straight lines, will hardly be able
to sew straight seams, or make proper
hens, and in cooking will not he able 10
know the value of measurement. Draw
ing has already been taught for some
years. so the three new features added
in the schools are the workshop for boys
and sewing and cooking departments for
girls, and there is promotion IN these
just as in all the other studies.
Naturally a great variety of tools and
materials are needed, and even now the
supplies are not all furnished. The list
for the cooking class is as complete ms for
a family setting up housekeeping. Tie
great difficulty is in finding the proper
teachers for this sort Of training. or
course, it is easy enough to procure a
good carpenter, or a good cook, or good
seamstress to show how 10 work in these
departments, but the thing is 10 find
some one who a teach these different
branches-a carpenter, for instance, who
not only knows how 10 saw q board, but
can explain the reason for saving il. tell
what kind OF wood he Is using, and
where il comes from, besides many other
practical points connected with it.
And SO in each Of the other depart
ments. But means will undoubtedly be
found TO meet each want rs time goes on.
The children take a great interest in
manual training, and this is a great in
centiye to teachers. The girls are allowed
to have a small repast made of the things
that they have cooked Dr. helped to cook,
and this increases their interest in the
performance 10 a vast degree. Then,
too, they are inspired 10 try experiments
at home, which is, Of course, exactly
what is desired by the founders Of the
work.
The principal Of one Of the best public
schools for girls has made reading aloud
a feature Of her school-not elocution,
but reading in a simple and intelligent
manner. She herself as q reward Of
merit reads 10 the girls once n week on
Friday nfternoons-not Sunday school
stories or set pieces from school books,
but standard works. In that way she
hopes to interest the scholars in literature,
a study 10 which little time is given in
the public schools.
II has bcen felt for some time that the
teachers where this new manual has been
adopted ought Il have some training,
TOO. They were assembled by the board
Of education in the hall Of the building
belonging 10 this body TO hear n lecture
| ~ Allf TAblffAE y HiNbllu ll4AfAAAh WIS
presided over by DR.. Paul Hoffman, the
assistant superintendent, who has the
manual training in charge. That gentle.
man has been a physician, an Arctic ex-
plorer, and is pronounced a man Of
genius-thc right man in the right place.
lie gained the confidence of the teachers
at once by liz earncstuess in stating that
he knew something more about the sub
ject than they did. but not much lie
was thoroughly interested IN il. and
would work day and night If need be, IN
order to gain knowledge Oh the subject,
On them is well rs himself depended
the success Of the work. lie thought TIC
way TO teach manual training was to be,
gin in the most primitive manner and
demonstrate everything in the most
practical way. lie wished a chnd &c
know that a CEbe was q cube, not ''be
lieye' that Il was because he was told 20
In teaching, the sense Of feeling could b.
called largely into play, and the child
must be taught how 10 see, not what 4
see. lie must feel Of a cube, lis edge
and It's points, and find out why it was
cube.
"Childrcn," he said, ''grc great Uni
tators and believe what you tell them. /
you take a block of wood in your han.
and say, DO you sec this lump Of iron
each child will answer Yes, when IL
as plain us possible that the lump of iro.
Is a block OF wood"
We would have the children taught {