Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-15


Pittsburg, which Is the home of industry,
is also to become the home Of industrial
school education. The committee, consist
ing of Messrs. Thomas b. Phelps, William
Yagle and Thomas D.. Kellsr, appointed
Tuesday night by the Central Board OF
Education to investigate the feasibility and
propriety Of introducing the Sloyd or
Swedish system of industrial education, and
than whom none are better qualified for the
purpose, will undoubtedly report IN favor Of
the adoption of that system, giving plans
whereby it will best be introduced.
The: question: Of industrial education has
attracted attention all over the country for
years. There are schools in Chicago,
Philadelphia. Baltimore, Toledo and
Washington, but their establishment cost
thousands of dollars, which were furnished
by wealthy citizens. In Pittsburg no such
offer was made, and the beauty Of the system
that is intended to be introduced, is that it
will be practically inexpensive, costing the city
nothing but the employment of such teachers
as may be chosen. This system will be In opera
tlon September i. at least. though only on scale
sufficient to determine its success. Eventually
the system will be extended TO all the schools
the same as the other regular branches. AZ
first one room will be chosen in the central part
OIL the GUY. IL Is not yet Known now wv .
grade of pupils will be first taken. In other
cities IL is the more advanced pupils who are
given the benefits of industrial education,
whereas Superintendent Luckey believes that
such a plan keeps from being benefited the
very children that ought to get its advantages.
Superintendent Luckey said yesterday when
explaining the Sloyd system, that 1t Is nothing
more than the training Of the hand and eye to
do that which has already been grasped by the
mind. The children are just taught to draw
the object The SYSTEM has been in operation
in Sweden for a century. and the scholars, IN
stead of having an i~ntermission go to the 6encn
and use tools for a change. Miss Esselis, OF
Sweden, now In charge of the Sloyd system at
the California Normal school, has sent to sup
eriptendent Luckey a box of articles made by
the pupils under her charge. They are minia-
ture pieces Of carpenter work, a sled, palette,
key board, etc. The different pieces OF
" aoI n1op 9eym ana the Value Of the system. For
the Pittsburg schools the idea is that after q
time all the teachers will be instructors OF the
system, in addition to their usual duties. Ii
the initiatory plan be q success several ex-
perieneed teachers will be brought from out
side the city to tram the Pittsburg teachers for
the work. When it was intlmated to Superin-
tendent Luckey that the teachers might not
take kindly to such An idea, he laughed and
said: eThe same objections were made when
the teaching Of music was introduced into the
schools, but yet how soon and how well they
Now that there are no Councilmen to elect
next Tuesday, the great issue of the day will
be over the election of School Directors. OF
course, the primaries of last night settled the
majority of the contests. but there are two
fights which will shine out prominently Tues
day. One OF them is in the Thirteenth ward,
which viii determine whether Mr.. Nc
MILAN will return to the Central Board.
The drift of opinion is that Nc
will win. The other hight is in the Springfield
district, where representation in the Central
Board Is also the question at issue. The candi-
dates for such representation are DIR. Nc
Cready and Mr.. Henderson, and both are also
candidates tor positions on the Local Board,
which will choose the Central Board represent
alive. 1t is said that Or. Sterret is not salts
fed with the result of the recent primaries, and
viii run as an independent candidate.
A curious discovery was made by the Execu-
tive Committee Of the State Teachers Asso-
citation when in convention at Harrisburg on
the 9th and 7th inst. Last July the Committee
on the Higbee Memorial Fund waited on the
Committee on Public Grounds and asked per-
mission to erect q monument to Superintend-
emit Higbee's memory on tho State Capitol
grounds. The gentlemen at Harrisburg said it
was impossible to grant their request,
for, If it did SO, similar ones would
be made, and in consequence the Capt.
toll groudns would resemble q cemetery.
An investigation showed that an act had been
passed in 1872 setting aside for educational
purposes a portion Of the Capitol grounds. so it
has been decided to have placed thereon a
monument to the late State Superintendent to
which will be added busts of Thad. Stevens,
Thomas II. Burrows. General Wolf, and after
the death of any prominent educational man, q
tablet to his memory. Inc time Ior closing
till July, 1881.
The burning question in the Thirty-frst ward
which the citizens will vote on next Tuesday, is
as to whether the ward should have q new
school building. Il is charged that the present
buildings are so badly ventilated as to breed
disease and cause a falling of of 10 per cent in
attendance at certain seasons of the year, and
they who are in favor of q new building say
that snch a NOV is the only way TO remedy the
difficulty.
Miss Fran Z has been added to the corps Of
teachers e 1 the Humboldt school, owing to the
increased school attendance. All the rooms in
this bull ding are occupied. and the Board OF
Direc. . n are on the lookout to find . suitable
room school purposes.
Garfield Post 2l5 will, next Thursday, pre-
sent to the pupils of Thad Stevens School the
beautiful silk flag which the school recently
won at the Grand Army fair. ]. 8. Lambie
will present the Gag. while Mayor Gourley will
receive it on behalf of the school. Superin-
tendent Luckey is down on the programme for
one Of his usual happy oratorical efforts
The West Newton Teachers' Institute con-
yenes shortly. parents and the Public School
SYSTEM is the subject to be discussed upon
by superintendent Luckey.
Mrs. Van aggoner will likely assume charge
of drawing in the Pittsburg schools the begin
ming Of the coming school month.
Arrangements are being made to hold .
Teachers General Institute early in March.
Vice President Il. ". Fisher, OF the Teachers
At At