The Dickinson press., 1889-05-04
At BENCH AND FORGE.
MECHANICAL TRAINING IN THE
SCHOOLS OF NEW YORK CITY.

So'iese-.Ah OrtlOnnl Course OF Study.
knowledge That Will Prove Advantage.
GUS to YOun: Men.
While there is an honest diversity of opinion
rs to the benefits of industrial training in
schools, it must DO conceded that the labor
market can never DO harmed by thoroughly
skilled workmen. The apprenticeship system
Is almost Il thing of tho past. Boys do not
learn trades, but learn branches. and oven
their limited knowledge of these branches
they arc compelled to pick up themselves.
There are too many saw and Ratchet" men,
too many ''shoemakers" and "~blacksmiths. y
If the industrial schools will turn out printers
who can print, and machinists instead of
machine tenders, if they will give us builders
who can build a house from foundation to
turret, and deal likewise with other trades.
they will be doing something which is not
taught the modern apprentice, and to that
extent will be a blessing.
INSIDE n WORKSHOP.
In the public schools of this city manual
training is now successfully carried on, while
at tho Gramercy Park Tool house, Work.
lnSmen's school, New York Trade school and
the Hebrew Technical institute, full flcdged
mechanics are turned out. The object of in
Producing this system into tho public schools
anu colleges, however, is not to teach trades,
but to train the faculties Of observation and
manual accomplishment. For it is claimed
that by this system a child need only com.
tnencc to learn to read when 2 or 8 years Of
age. and that owing to this training he will
pass by one who may nav learned reading
several years earlier, but who never had n
similar training.
As visitor enters tho College of the City
of New York he is surprised. for he hears the
music OF the anvil, the hum Of the lathe, the
Srlint of the bellows, and the hiss of the saw
Here manual and technical training is firmly
established. and the education of tho hand
N"rl'> pace with the development of the brain.
Tir workshop is by no means an amateur
one 1t contains an engine, 6 forges. Is
vis'S. Is anvils. 26 wood lathcs, 4 engine
la,aes and Is carpenters tables, with a com.
plete outfit of tools.
There are in this course of the college $50
boys. all of whom arc enlisted for three
wears The boys range in age from II to 20,
and work in groups of fifty They wear
striped aprons and manifest such an intent
interest in their tasks as to impress the visi
tor at n glance with tho wisdom Of those who
established the shop.
10 the left, as one enters, is the carpenter
shop. in which the first year boys are in.
structcd, to the right are seen the embryo
olacksmiths of the second year, while immedi-
ately in front are the lathes of the third year
wood and metal turner's. Shafting and belt
ing extend in all directions, even t othe grind.
stones where the boys sharpen their tools.
some of which they have themselves fashioned
at the forge. The six Buffcso FORCES in the
smithy are aglow with ruddy light. The
charm OF the wheezy grunt of the old
fashioned bellows is lacking, while the new
fashioned one which has taken its place has a
tune of its own which it hangs on to with a
persistency deserving of more euphonious re.
suits.
After a general survey of tho place, the re-
porter sought out Mr.. Harvey Mitchell, the
director of the workshop, who is u graduate
of Stevens institute.
ave are not trying to make artisans or
mechanics here, said Mr.. Mitchell. 1--WE aim
simply to give n practical idea Of tho value
OF teaching the hands as well as the brain,
Some of our boys, indeed nearly half of them,
come in voluntarily They are pursuing one
of the college courses in which this work is
not required. yet of their own choice they
take upon I'll themselves the additional work of
this department. There are in the shop l2O
of these voluntary workers, and $50 of those
who n.e taking the regular mechanical course
in tie college, and hence are Obliged to cosle
into the shop The boys seem to like it, and
tt.eir work here is certainly of assistance to
them in many of their studies, which aim
simply to develop mind power The method
we have adopted here is the kindergarten
method of Frobel, the main object of which
is to train the faculties of observation by
means of object lessons. The object system
beng established as a foundation for educa-
tional training. the extension of tho same
system to higher courses seems but logical.
THE BOYS AT WORK.
1.-THE first thing we do with the bows is to
put them at plain carpentering. They arc
taught tho use of all ordinary tools en-
ployed in plain work, and at tho Same timo
construct many little things, of which we
have several cases filled with specimens. In
the second year the boys learn smelling, wise
work and soldering, while in tho third year
we give them instructions in metal and wood
turning and in the use Of the engine lathe.
Our plan has proved u success, | think. The
shop, although not established for the pul-
pose of teaching trades. has already turned
out several skillful mechanics. Five of our
graduates are teaching this system in the
public schools. Our classes are increasing
annually. and quite frequently we receive re
quests from other schools to send them some
OF our graduates who are capable of giving
elementary industrial instruction. Now, look
about you and you can determine for your.
self the character of our work"
The reporter wandered from bench to
bench where the young carpenters, some of
them so small that their big saws and pieces
of timber seemed almost more than they
pOI1l1 bapIla wara pproro1 ~, ,,,I-;,r ,,,,;
Gus joints from drawings which were accom-
panied with written Instructions. The max
ing of the different joints. such as mortise,
tenon and dove tail, is one of the features of
the carpenter shop, and in this connection tho
subject of sharp tools is not lost sight of.
Tn students receive special Instructions in
sharpening their saws, planes, irons. etc.
Each boy is furnished with a locker in which
he keeps his tools, and for which he is re-
sponsible. The tool drawers are kept i'll n re-
markably neat condition, and the care with
which the benches were cleaned, when the
time to quit work arrived, would have car
ried joy to the heart of the most fastidious
boss carpenter.
In the blacksmith shop the speed aud Gu
CINE lathes, which are used for metal turning,
are constantly in use. The treatment of
iron begins with forging, the general princi-
pies of which are given by tho instructor with
blackboard illustrations. The students. after
looming their aprons, light up their own
fires, and in groups work at their assigned
tasks. The nod of %instructing the boys in
the metal department is similar to that in tho
wood working department. The instructor
begins by drawing diagrams of the work on
a blackboard, and then explains to the boya
the why and the wherefore. The lessons ex-
tend through various styles of welding and
include tho fundamental principles of wors
in steel.
Thus it will be seen that the city of New
York affords to the sons of her citizens E.
complete manual as well as mental training:
free Of all charge.-Mail and Express.
Night in Vienna.
While driving through the streets of Wen
no between 10 and II o'clock at night one
might imagine himself to be in somo little
village, as far as silence and solitude are con-
$500 I'LL "