Omaha daily bee., 1889-07-28

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for larger humanity. The trade or
vocation in life is but small part
Of the total functions OF any one life.
The trade must be associated with
something else, and that is a system OF
universal education, not in industry but
in the ideas and thoughts that MAKE up
the conventional view OF the world.
such ideas and opinions as one learns
in studying geography and history, and
especially literature. While the re-
port did not show much sympathy with
the manual training school as an educa-
tional factor, the care and elaboration
with which the subject was considered
showed that the committee fully appre-
ciated its Importance.
In the current number of The Popular
Science Monthly there is n comprehen-
sive discussion OF the spirit of manual
training by g. Hanford Henderson, ,
professor of physics and chemistry in
the Philadelphia manual training
| school. Regarding the school, in a
general sense, as simply tool, and a
very plastic one at that, not too sacred
W bc SilhT ptllcu ulboIcu,
| by so doing it can be made to accom-
| plish better work, Professor Henderson
observes that the great question con
cerning the schools is the very
simple one: What effect has the
institution upon Its pupilsp What. sort
of men and women does it make out OF
them? The whole force Of the school
| Sb,,,lI ha JnyntaJ fp tho a
issue--the boy himself. ''lf, while
you are making man, you can also
make scholar, it will be we'll, but look
to the man first" The end Of education
being discipline, the subjects chosen
for study are less important than the
spirit in which the study is pursued.
"On some unaccountable theory of cul-
ture," says Professor Henderson, "years
are devoted to languages that
one will never use, and pre-.
cious moments suuandered on
the geography of places one will never
see or hear of. And so one might fol-
low the entire list of studies,undertaKen
in the majority of schools. They seem
hopelessly inadequate"
| SlillU VI luahudi VI ds
| Professor Henderson defines it, is the
attainment of results that will influence
the conduct of life. The manual train
ing school has purpose much more
| profound than that OF merely training
the hand. 1t has come in recognition
of the growing demand for COM
plete man. The specific purpose
1 f,f 10 In ntfn
an education that includes as fal
favorite maxim is, "Put the whole boy
to school," Its mode of carrying out
this purpose is the very practical one OF
occupying the time in any way, formal
or informal, that will best lead to the
end proposed. Professor Henderson
observes that the time is critical one
for the manual training school, now in
its formative period. Two rival theories
contend for the mastery of its future.
The one regards manual training as an
end in itself, and subordinates educa-
tion to technical skill. The other
theory is that the aim of the
school is to prepare for completeness
of life, that the school is a purely edu
cational institution, and is industrla
only in making use of the tools of in
dustry to accomplish its chosen purpose
The manual work, like the work il
science and literature, is simply mean
of development. Those who hold tt
the latter theory, among them evi
IDENTIFY Professor Henderson, believ,
that the object OF manual training i:
the production OF oughtful, self-re-
liant honest men.
Professor Henderson deplores the
fact that at the several manual train
ing schools established in Americ;
the artisan spirit is more preva
lent than the educational. This means
he says, that unless the advocates o.
The higher position are alert and vigil
ant the fine opportunity for broader
culture offered by manual training will
be lost in new teachings. The man
element will go under and the world o
things will again rule. The discussion
of this very interesting and importan
subject by Professor Henderson is cleai
and candid, fairly representing botf
the beauty of the system and its danger
In conclusion he says: ''The spirit O
manual training represents rather al
ideal, which in moments of extrem
hopefulness we are tempted to believ
that we have partially realized, and il
moments of discouragement we still
hold to be worthy of our effort"