Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-15
1 TECHNICAL SCHOOL
~ NEW YORK CITY EXCLUSIVELY
FOR TRAINING GIRLS

The Modern Movement by Whtah WemsN
Have Entered so Many Departments oe
industry-sahjccts Taught in the School
Some Suggestions.
We imagine that it will surprise most $50
pie TO learn that there Is technical school in
New York, exclusively for girls, which hes
been in existence fourteen years, and gradu-
eted this year . class OF 92A members, or moro
than the united members o; the graduating
classes of boys in all the technical schools in
.he western hemisphere. It is trlc that the
sciences taught in the school are not Of = /,
very aosrruse character, but they are Of tho
sort best adapted ct present to help girls to
earn an honest living, and many q woman
must bless the thoughtful charity By which
she was put in the way Of Independence.
There is stall something strange to an Ameri.
can in the modern movement by sAich wo-
men have entered into nearly all the depart-
raents of industry .nd trede which were oacs
uonopolized BY men
1t is not many years since a young girls
face was a rather rare sight on Wall or State
street, aud those that were seen generally be-
lonced to persons who were shyly hurrying
by on their way 20 a ferry or rsilway sta
ton. Now nearly every brokers' or lawyer's
Office and merchants counting room has in.
gentle. industrious bookkeepers and type-
writers, and in many cases these modest and
faithful assistants are intruSted with very
great responsibility. All the girls who wish
TO oe employed, however, cannot find places
as tvpewriters or hookkeepers, and it is .
matter of much importance 70 the welfare OF
the sex to increase the number of occupa-
tions in which it can be OF service. This sors
of work is Just what technical school can
do. and those who would like 70 see the weak
sr class Of their fellow citizens placed in .
position where they need not be dependents
for support upon the uncertain mercies Of
their male relatives viii do well TO keep the
New York example in mind.
Among the subjects taught in the school
are stenography and bookkeeping, mechani-
cal and freq hand drawing. sewing both by
hand and machine, cutting and fitting,
music, designing as applied 20 textile fabrics,
wall papers and tiles and modelling. All tho
instruction given is free, and the salaries OF
the twslve teachers employed, as well As rent
and other expenses, are paid by subscription
under the care of the Young Women's Chris
tan Association So far as the public ars
concerned the education Of women in all
these, as well as other kindred subjects, is an
unmixed advantage. Not only are thou
sands of intelligent persons changed from
idle and often very poor consumers 10 in
dustrious and comparatively afliuent pro-
duccrs, but the introduction of SO much
trained skill into the pg1ctice of the dornesf
tic arts must before loas show Itself in the
development OF those arts.
The manufacture Of wall paper in this
country certainly owes to q few clever
women q great part of tie extraordinary
artistic success which il has achieved: and
to take another example, the decorative emu
broidery of the associated artists, and of
Mrs. Holmes before them. give promise for
the future of American art which is hardly
to be found in the painting or sculpture OF
the country. IL we could suggest anything
which might with advantage be added 10 tho
curriculum OF this or similar schools, is
would certainly be the DEVELOPMENT of tho
actual practice OF artptic industry in other
ways besides embroidery There is no
reason, for instance, why women here should
not be as successful in decorative painting az
the Misses Garrett and their rivals arc in
England. 4.
Most women are somewhat sensitive To
color, but are 10 persuaded of their natural
gift in this direction that they scorn TO learn
anything about the subject, and make, In
laborious attempts at decora-
lion which, to everybody but themselves, APP {
pear painfully ignoran: aud bald II the
game women would get rid Of the noeipn
that heaven has already taught them a busi-
- ID
learning, and would, like men, make them1
selves acquainted with the observations Of
such masters as OyYcn Jones, Dr. DRESSER
and William Morris, and compare the worA
81 different ages and countries, the beautifully
forms of the antique and the "reminiscences.
the brilIiancy OF the Japanese and the iDef-
liable colcring OF the Chimes, they could,
more easily than most men, acquire re-
iource and certainty which would make
hem the best and most rapid Of decorators.
The same sort Of training would At them
or other artistic professions We cannot
ay that we think the system OF making de-
igns for tiles and similar things, fer indif-.
erent workInen 10 carry out, IL calculated to-
develop the highest artistic capacity or pro-
luce tho most beautiful art Tho highesso
,oauty can only he added by the artist own.
lands, without the I.teTvout.ou 81 ueciian-u
cs, and there is just nOw n wide field for the
se of works OK decoration which shall 10 las
much autographs Of tie designer q. an easel
licture could u. To take single example.
great deal Of mosaic for the a1ornment Of
is nov made in Venice by an 1850
iation Of girls 81 good family, who drawA
nd color the designs. pick cut the bits 81
lass or stone, and send them % bs put in
osition Although mosaic is now . rare
1xury with us, IL might be popuiArized In
bis way 10 the geusral advantage
an AresiSeGs