Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-09-10

knowledge That VIII Prove Advantage
While there is an honest diversityof opinion
as to tbs benefits Of industrial training in
schools, it must be conceded that the labor
market can never be harmed by thoroughly
skilled worlmen The apprenticeship system
is almost thing Of the past. Boys do not
learn trades, but learn branches, and even
their limited knowledge Of these branches
they are compelled to pick up themselves
There are too many ''saw and Ratchet" men,
too many ''shoenakers" and ''blacksniths :"
If the industrial schools will turn out printers
who can print. and machinists instead Of
machine tenders, If they viii give us builders
who can build house from foundation to
turret, and deal likewise with ether trades,
they will be doing something which is not
taught the modern apprentice, and to that
extent viii be q blessing.
INSIDE TIE COLLEGE WORKSHOP.
In the public schools OF this city manual
training is now successfully carried On, while
at the Gramercy Park Tool house, Work
ingmen's school, New York Trade school and
the Hebrew Technical institute, full fledged
mechanics are turned out. The object Of in
Producing this system into the public schools
and 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
mence to learn to read when or years Of
age, and that owing to this training he will
pass by one who may have learned reading
several years earlier, but who never had
similar training.
As visitor enters the College Of the City
of New York he is surprised, for he hears the
music of the anvil, the hum Of the lathe, the
grunt of the bellows, and the hiss of the saw.
Here manual and technical training is firmly
established, and the education of the hand
keeps pace with the development Of the brain.
The workshop is by no means an amateur
one 1t contains an engine, 6 FORCES, Is
vises, Is anvils, 26 wood lathes, 4 engine
lathes and Is carpenters tables, with a COM
plete outfit of tools.
There are in this course Of the college $50
boys, all Of whom are enlisted for three
years. 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-
to-. at glance with the wisdom Of those who
established the shop.
To the left, as one enters, is the carpenter
shop, in which the first year boys are in
structed; TO the right are seen the embryo
blacksrniths 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 to the grind
stones where the boys sharpen their tools
some Of which they have themselves fashioned
at the forge. The SIX Buffalo 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 o
persistency deserving Of moro euphonious re-
suits.
After a general survey of the place, the re-
porter sought out Mr.. Harvey Mitchell, the
director of the workshop, who is graduate
of Stevens institute
ave are not trying to make artisans or
mechanics here" said Mr. Mitchell. 1--WE aim
simply to give practical idea Of the 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 ono
OF the college courses in which this work is
not required, yet Of their own choice they
take upon themselves the additional work of
this department. There are in the shop 12O
of these voluntary workers, and 1906 those
who are taking the regular mechanical course
liz the college, and hence are obliged 90 come
into the shop The boys seem to like it, and
their 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
being established as foundation for educa-
tional training, the extension of the same
system to higher courses seems but logical
THE BOYS AT WORK.
'The first thing we do with the bows is to
put them at plain carpentering. They are
taught the use of all ordinary tools EN-
ployed in plain work and at the same time
construct many little things, Of which we
have several cases filed with specimens In
the second year tho boys learn smelling, wise
work and soldering, while in the third year
we give them instructions in metal and wood
turning and in the use of the engine lathe.
Our plan has proved a success, think. The
shop, although not established for the pur-
pose Of teaching trades, has already turned
out several sldllful mechanics. Five of our
graduates ere teaching this system in the
public schools. Our classes are increasing
and quite frequently we receive re-
quests from other schools TO send them some
Of our graduates who are capable of giving
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 younc carpenters, some Of
them so small that their big saws and pieces
Of timber seemed almost more than they
could handle were engaged in making vari-
GUS joints from drawings which were accom-
panied with written Instructions The max
ing Of the different joints, such as nortise,
tanon anu dove tail, is one OF the features OF
the carpenter shop and III this connection the
subject of sharp tools is not lost sight Of
The students receive special instructions in
their saws, planes, irons, etc.
Each boy is furnished with q locker il which
he keeps his tools, and for which he is re-
sponsibe. The tool Or. TeTs are kept IN re-
neat condition, and tie care with
which the benches were cleaned, when the
time to quit work arrived, would have car
RED joy 70 the heart OF the most fastidiou5
boss carpenter,
In the blacksmith shop the speed end en-
CINE lathes, which aroused for metal turning,
ere constantly in use The treatment Of
iron begins with forging, the general princi-
pies of which are given By the instructor With
blackboard Illustrations. The stade1ts, after
looming their aprons, light up their OH
ares, and il groups work AZ their assigned
tasSs. Tie mode Of inst-ucting the boys II
the metal department is similar 10 that N the