The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-08-05
Qhe Sntfltqenter.
Nos. rs and ~ fourteenth Street
4 MANU- MANUEL TRAINING SCHOOL

An Interesting and Instructive Letter from
W. II. ssamon What wheeling should
Do.
MISSOURI School or MINES,
RoLIA, Mo, July 81, 1899.
10 ne Editor oftss Register,
sR;-It Is with great satisfaction Isee
the editorial columns of the Register III.
voring the introduction Of the system Of
industrial Education in the city Of
Wheeling; for Rs / have had opportuni-
ties from a connection Of six years with
an institution in which the system pre-
yailed) for observing the practical work.
inRs and some Of the grand results Of
the system, / am deeply interested in
seeing It's extension thIoughoutth land.
In addition to my interest in It's extern
sion, l am particularly interested In
Whatever will contribute TO the growth,
advancement and prosperity Of my ma
tive city, aud / therefore trust that afew
words from me will not Be considered
out OF place, but will serve To throw
some light on the subject, and aid your
praiseworthy efforts.
The Industrial system, or "New Edu.
cation" does not propose TO displace the
sold Education" at all, II includes the
old, with the addition Of practical in
strnCtion in the use OF tools, drawing,
and the sciences, There il no better
method OF developing and strengthening
the memory and the reasoning powers
than the old methods, but there they
stop, The New Education" by employ.
ing the best features Of the old, accom-,
plishes the same results, and in addition
thereto, teaches the student 10 closely
observe the operations OF naturei gives
him the reasons for the changes he daily
sees; explains the scientific principles
on which the principal manufacturing
operations oil the day are toundedi leads
him TO adapt the forces OF nature to the
demands Of advancing civilization; and
finally, by It's methods gives him the
manual powerto execute and 10 develop
the conceptions OF his own brain. The
most salient features ofthe new educa-
ton" is the workshop, or place for in
struction in the common tools used In
the working OF wood and metals, but the
drawing hall and the chemical laboratory
are equally Us much a part Of the system
Us the former. II remains To be seen
whether the Industrial School will sup
ply all the wants OF our civilization. So
far, however, 1t has been such an adj
vance on old methods as to lead US to
the belief that II contains nearly all the
elements Of the education required for
making a well educated man, II is a
common event to find men, well edu-
Gated according to the old theories, who
have in their minds the rude Concep-
tons OF ideas which become worthless
because they lack the power TO convert
them into tangible forms by drawings or
models. Had they been trained by the
"NeW Education" how different would
be their history. Seemingly blessed
above their fellows they fail where, per-
haps, q comparatively Ignorant man, ed.
ucated, however, to use his hands and
make good use Of whatever knowledge
he has contriyed to pick up, would do.
velop the Idea and receive the honors
and rewards which would have been
due the other.
There Is something more in the "new
education than simply book-learning
and yet again ID Is not 'the teaching of
trade.h Through misapprehension on
this point has come the only real oppo-
sition 10 It's introduction in some places,
aud that opposition came from those
classes who would be most benefited
by il. ~
| have spoken Of the system as the
"New Education" From this II might
be inferred that u Is untried. Such Is
not the case. While the limits Of this
paper will not permit It's history to be
gone over, l desire 10 say that 1t was
discussed and practiCed In the '50's TO
a slight extent, and was introduced in
tho city Of st. Louis in the year ~.
The city Of Wheeling, unlike every
other city Of any size In the country,
possesses no high school. This makes
Il an easy matter TO cngraft the system
OF industrial training ON its educational
system without injury, but with great
advantage to It's present established in.
stitutions. All that Is needed is to pre-
pare a building in the most accessible
portion OF the city and equip It with the
workshops, laboratories and apparatus
neediul. The cost Of the building may
be made any reasonable sum, and that
OF the apparatus may vary greatly. Six
teen thousand dollars would represent
the cost Of all the apparatus and ma.
Chinery required for the instruction Of
200 or $50 pupils. It should not be less
than that sum, and need not exceed II.
These schools cannot be organized
without money, and they cannot be car
rtni nm WitlIonE uEnnfniH outlaVR