The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-08-24
IN A MANUAL TRAINING SCHOOL.
A Place Where Young Hands and Brains
Are Well Developed simultaneously.
PHILADELPHIA Press

A Place Where Young Hands and Brains |
Are Well Developed simultaneously.
Philadelphia Press.I
The building is three stories high, and |
on the second and third floor glass par
titions are so placed that the floor may
be one large room or divided into three
class rooms at will. On the third floor
are the rooms for mechanical drawing,
the laboratories and the luncheon, and
on the next the rooms for English liter
allure, mathematics and physical geog-
raphy. The first floor is devoted to
wood and metal working departments,
principals Office and lavatories. There
are two flights of stairs, one used by
ascending and the other by descending
classes as they move from floor to floor.
The 1872 boys are divided into three
classes, A, B and @, and these again
into divisions called A 1-2, B 1-2, @ 1-2,
SO that in each division there are twenty
two boys. In moving from room to
room, the boys fall into line in places
assigned them, and, instead of the
usual noise of moving class, there is
no sound save the measured tread of q
disciplined column of two The time is
so arranged that each boy has two houTs
a dayin each mechanical department..
A visitor to the school, as be enters
the metal working room on the first
floor, may well imagine himself in some
ideal workshop. Placed at convenient
distances and supplied with proper tools
are the work benches, each occupied by
a bright-looking lad, busily engaged
Last week the boys were learning cut
ting and fitting to line.
Ali the instruction is by measure
ment. Each pupil has to learn to work
by line, A blue print pattern of the
piece of work to be made is hung in
front of each boys bench, and the work
finished must be exactly like the pat
tern. First the boy is taught how to
stand at his bench. Then he is shown
Just how the tool required for any piece
of work is to be held. He is shown how,
In any mechanical undertaking, an easy,
free use of the hands, arms and body is
possible, and constant oversight ensures
his carrying out the instructions given.
Not word is spoken in the workrooms.
save what the teacher says as he moves
from one boy to another, with the
necessary explanation. On the day
which the writer called, the lads were
cutting and filing piece OF cast iron,
about four inches by four and two
inches thick, down to certain size. 1t
was particularly noticeable how well
each boy managed his tools, and the
easy attitude in which he stood.
In the wood working department, the
division Just then at WORK were being
instructed in planning and saving. Here
the same order, the same interest and
the same close oversight were noticea-
BILE. One lad was being taught how to
hold his plane when he adjusted the
blade, while another was carefully fol-
lowing out the most approved method of
saving. The benches here, as in the
metal room, are models of convenience
and compactness. When a division is
through work in either room, each mem
Der must not only return mis- tools to
their places, but must put away the
piece of material he has been at work
upon in cupboard arranged for the
purpose.
On the second floor a class was re-
viewing the arithmetic in one room, 60
ing through course of English classics
in another, and in third mastering
physical geography. On the third floor
were found the drawing-room and
laboratory. In the latter is a large
trough, from each end of which run
tables. Within the trough is the par
ticular animal or part Of animal under
dissection. The teacher stands behind
the trough and deals out to the boys
standing around the tables such por-
tons of lung, liver or limb as he desires
them to inquire into. After awhile the
inner, workings of a giblet will be
matter of no mystery to any Of the 1872
boys. They will all be able to pass
very creditable examination as physiolo-
gists, and, aided by their knowledge Of
the saw, may be able to turn theiI
hands to bit of simple surgery.
The entrance examination is of the
standard of the high school, but any
visitor will be struck with the bright,
intelligent faces Of almost every boy in
the school house When graduation is
accomplished the recipient of diploma
will be on his way towards being COM
pletely trained carpenter, machinist or
metal worker. He will have learned IN
der the most careful guidance lesson that
the apprentices of the past, and even of
the present generation, have worked early
and late for years to acquire in crowded
shops. He will have much play with
his work, instead of going through the
usual long hours of the embryo me-
chanic. He will, probably, be as COM
petent after three years, under the sys-
tenn of the training school, as he would
be after six of workshop discipline. He
will, at the same time, take in good
literary education that is denied the
ordinary apprentice, unless the latter
attend the night class of some school
and labor diligently therein.