Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-08-19
THE VALUE OF HAND WORK.
Close Alliance of Mental and Manual
Workers.


Workers.
One token of advancing intelligence
in civilized nations, and especially in
our OWL, is the Increasing respect paid
to hand-work. The foolish contempt
in which it was once held has, to a
great extent, passed away, and the
skilled workman now receives degree
of honor and consideration that would
formerly have been absurd. Even now,
however, the division is strongly
marked between the hand worker and
the brain worker and, while both are
respected the latter is usually supposed
to occupy a higher level than the
former His efforts, it is assumed, are
directed to the higher life of man,
while those of the former arc conferred
chiefly in supplying his material wants
Thus they are not expected to make
many invasions on each others terri
tory, and the excessive division of labor
inten>ifes the distinction. The sepa-
ration, however, is perilous to the
interests of both. Mr.. Ruskin says:
'sWe want one man to always be think
ing, and another to be always working,
and we call one a gentleman and the
other an operative, whereas the
workman ought often to be
thinking and the thinker often
to be working, and both should
be gentlemen in the best sense.
1t is only by labor that thought can be
made healthy, and only by thought that
labor can be made happy; and the two
cannot be separated with impunity."
One half of this truth is becoming very
generally realized, hence the spread of
praiseworthy efforts to educate the
whole people, That hand-workers
should have their knowledge increased,
their thoughts aroused. their minds de-
veloped, is now admitted by all intelli-
gent persons, and the facilities for this
are constantly multiplying. But it is
not yet so manifest that those whose
ordinary occupations tax their brains
rather than their muscles require the
opposite kind of development. Yet
they do need it, even for the best sue
cess in their special employment DR..
Brown Sequard, an authority on the
brain, is said to have affirmed that ''the
left side of the brain, which co-operates
with the right hand is more fully de-
veloped than the right side Of the brain,
which corresponds with the left hand"
Evidently this is due to the greater
exercise which is given to the right
hand, and if it shows anything it is
that the use of the hand produces a di-
rect effect upon the development of the
brain. This is not strange when we
remember that manual dexterity in any
province requires the exercise of many
faculties. The observant eye, the en-
forced attention, the act. of comparing
and weighing and deciding, the habit
of perseverance, the unwearying repeti-
ton in order to attain excellence, are
all efforts of the brain, and yet no good
hand-work can be accomplished with
out them. The fact is that manual
work, and what we call mental work,
are far more closely allied in their op-
erations, and more inter-dependent,
than we are accustomed to consider
them; and we none of us know how
much thought itself, and all mental
work, are improved and strengthened
by the very efforts which are put forth
in the interests of manual employ
ments. Not only the brain, however,
but the moral sense, the heart and life
itself are all purified and strengthened
by the conscientious performance of
hand work. 1t is said that large pro-
portion of the inmates of our pris-
ons are ignorant of any handicraft,
and doubtless this ignorance has share
in leading them to the commission of
the crimes for which they are confined.
Industry drives away a multitude of
evil suggestions that find an easy lodg-
ment where there are idle hands.
Doubtless the knowledge of a trade,
bringing with it self-respecting habits,
has saved many youth from tempta-
ton and influences which would have
been his ruin. Apart from this, how
ever, the happiness, the contentment,
the independence that results from
some knowledge of hand-work are III
valuable to every one. If it be the
daily occupation, intelligently pursued
and well performed, it is foundation
on which the promotion of the worker
is only limited by his industry and
talents. Many of the most eminent
and useful men have begun their lives
in this way, and all their prosperity
and value can be traced back to the
thorough knowledge and skillful pur-
suit of some branch of manual work
If, however, the life-work lies in quite
different direction, the possession of
some manual ability will still be of in
calculable value. Deft and skillful
fingers are a blessing to any man or to
any woman Philadelphia Ledger.