Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-04-17
AT BENCH AND FORGE.
MECHANICAL TRAINING IN THE
SCHOOLS OF NEW YORK CITY.

knowledge That win Prove Advantage
Gus to Young Men.
While there is an honest diversity of opinion
as to the benefits OF industrial training in
schools, it must be conceded that the labor
market caH-never be harmed by thoroughly
skilled workmen. 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 % pick up themselves
There are too many saw and Ratchet" men,
too many "shoemakers" and 'sblacksmithsn
II the industrial schools will turn out printers
who can print, and machinsts 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 THE COLLEGE WORKSHOP.
In the public schools of this city manual
training is now successfully carried on while
at the Gramercy Park Tool house, Work
ingmens school, New York Trade school and
the Hebrew Technical institute, full fedged
mechanics are turned out. The object of in
Producing this system into the public schools
and colleges, however is not 10 teach trades
manual accomplishment. For it is claimed
that by this system child need only COM
Inence to learn to read when or wears of
Hge. and that owing to this training he will
pass by one who may have learned reading
several years earlier, but who never had a
similar training.
As a 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, FORCES, Is
vises, Is anvils, 90 wood lathes, 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 to impress the visi-
tor at glance with the wisdom of those who
established the shop.
To the left, rs one enters, is the carpenter
shop, in which the first year BOYS are in
structed; 10 the right are seen the embrvo
blacksmiths 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 il hangs on to with a
persistency deserving of more euphonious re-
suits.
After general survey of the place the re-
porter sought out Mr.. Harvey Mitchell. the
director of the workshop, who is a graduate
of Stevens institute
I'VE are not trying to make artisans or
mechanics here, said Mr.. Mitchell I'VE 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 one
or 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 100
Of these voluntary workers, and 100 of those
who are taking the regular mechanical course
In the college, and hence are obliged to come
into the shop. The boys seem TO like 1t, 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 a foundation for educa-
tional training, the extension of the same
system to higher courses seems but logical.
THE BOYS AT WORK
"a a.
put them ut 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 filled with specimens. In
the second year the boys learn smelling. wise
work and soldering, while in the third wear
we give them instructions in metal and wood
turning and in the use of the engine lathe
Our plan has proved a success 1 think The
shop, although not established for the DUR
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
could handle were engaged in making yari-
GUS joints from drawings which were accom-
panied with written instructions. The max
ing of the different joints, such as mortiss.
tenor and dove tail, is one of the features of
the carpenter shop, and in this connection the
subject OF sharp tools is not lost sight Of
The students receive special instructions in
sharpening their saws, planes irons. etc
Each boy is furnished with locker in which
he keeps his tools, and for which he Is re-
sponsble- The tool drawers are kept In 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 and en-
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 the instructor with
blackboard illustrations The students, after
donning their aprons, light up their own
hres, and IN groups work at their assigned
tasks The mode of instructing the boys In
the metal department is similar to that in the
wood working department. The instructor
begins by drawing diagrams of the work ON
blackboard, and then explains to the boys
the why and the wherefore The lessons ex-
tend through various styles of welding and
include the fundamental principles Of work
In steel.
Thus it will be seen that the city of New
York affords to the sons of her citizens q
complete manual as well as mental training
free of all charge-Mail and Express
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