The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1889-04-18
THE PRICE OF LEARNING.

A large school Of teachers has
grown up within recent years whose
main purpose isto popularize science.
Each individual effort is commenda-
bic i'll its way, and yet the combin-
ed result is to multiply the studies
presented to the young, who ccnse-
quently receive superficial education
that is far from being scientific.
Tyndall, Rusllin, Proctor and lesser
lights write excusatory indrodue-
tions to popular textbooks Of science,
explaining that while they cannot
hope to teach much by translating
the facts of nature into a pleasant
story or dialogue, they hope to
awaken an interest in the partic-
ular subject Of the book which shall
lead the reader to enter upon more
serious study.
All this would be very we'll if
only one such book should be pre-
scented; but the time for serious
study never comes for the majority
of students. As soon as they get
through with one book of popular
science they have their interest
awakened in another, and pass their
time as idly as the butterfly slipping
the sweets of hundred flowers. It
needs much self-restraint on the part
of students, parents and teachers in
these days of multiplied appliances
for instruction to avoid superfcialty
and get anything like solid learning
upon any subject.
The temtation TO skim over a
hundred departments of knowledge,
examining the tables Of contents
rather than reading the books, grows
greater every day, and is increased
by those who, with the best Of pur-
poses, have been engaged in attempts
to popularize science. \ material
example Of a similar kind is furnish
ed in workshops where labor-saving,
automatic tools have been largely
introduced. It is difficult to train
a skilled workman in such establish
ments. The learner is from the be-
ginning furnished with such admir~
able tools with which TO do exact
work tina, he gets little hand~prac-
tice and is seldom thrown on his
resources. He may learn and learn
qu 'ckly, bow to set his work and
get a product beyond the capacity of
skilled mechanic without such aids,
but he is ultimately dependant upon
the latter. and never develops into
the finished workman.
From first to last he is a mere
tender Of machines. The absence
of facilities for doing work is so far
recognized as being of advantage in
the training of workmen that in
choosing mechanics the foremen of
large shops give preference, other
things being equal, to those who
have learned their trades in small
repair shops or in the country over
those who have been trained in big
establishments we'll supplied with
machine tools. Applying the anal
ogy, it would appear that there are
some disadvantages in having ed
ucation in book studies made
easy. 1t is well known that very
many of the learned men of the
world acquired their learning under
apparent disadvantages comparable
to those under which the mechanic
labors who learns his trade in a
shop Unsupported with machine
tools or other labor-saving devices.
They had few books, at least in the
beginning of their studies, and in
the qualification of their thirst for
knowledge were obliged to drink
frequently at the same we'll. Their
studies may not have covered wide
range, but for this reason were
made more thorough, md the ed
ucational value of S. h thorough
ness becomes manifest when, in the
maturity of their powers, they take
up other subjects. The skilled me-
chanic trained to the use of hand
tools, taught to rely upon himself
rather than upon the labor-saving
Observation-Disclosures of others, is pre-
pared to take full advantage of the
latter when the occasion comes for
him to use them. He can pass read
lily from one branch to another of
his trade, and not merely use but
make the automatic tools that ex-
pedite or simplify his labors.
But he who begins with the ma
chine tools and labor-saving devices
is very likely to end with them.