Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-05-19
MANUAL TRAINING SCHOOL.
What II Is Doing 1t Present Time and How
the Boys Work.


very interesting place to visit is the
school of manual training on State street,
upper end. If you have never been there
since the school was started you would be
wen paid for visiting it.
A JOURNAL reporter was in that vicinity
Yesterday and went in to see the little fell
lows at their work, under charge of Mr.. C.
II. Cakes, who is a graduate of the Balti-
more Manual Training school and has had
comfortable experience in the line in
which he is engaged.
The boys take great interest in their
work and have already acquired
some skill in handling the tools.
The object of this school of
manual training, started and supported by
the Partisan "Ys," is the training of
the mechanical faculties a. well a. the
mental, moral and physical development Of
the little workers. A great gain from man
usl training is the increased luickness and
added interest in other branches of educa-
ton.
This school has been running about
one month and the boys have
developed the faculty to construct the OBJ
ject, first in thought then draw it on pa
per and afterward carve it f,om wood. To
acquire all these points means application
and time, as many little difficulties must be
overcome. The boys are first taught the
use of the tools, which means great deal in
accomplishing the work desired. OF course
many of these little fellows did not know
the names of but few of the tools when
they began, to say nothing of their various
uses All these various points of detail had
to be taught. Now they know the names
of the various implements and can, in an
instant, place their hand upon the necessary
one needed to work out certain design.
Upon entering the room the first
impression you will get is
that you are in an amateur carpenters shop.
both as regards workmen, tools, room,
benches, nevertheless, all well serves to
gain the desired results. There is double
row of desks down the center of the room,
and each row is a little workshop in itself,
being furnished with saw, hammers, plane,
chi,el, gauge, squares, measures, knife,
pencil compass, wise, and other little uten-
sils. Each boy has desk of his own, and
each has a set of tools. The benches are
made so that the boy can sit on the saw
horse back of each desk, or can stand up
and work, just as he chooses.
The first exercise for them is the draw
ing Of an object, which each copies
from the design Mr.. Cakes
draws upon the blackboard and
explains as he progresses, the boys make
ing it at the same time. All objects are
Of practical designs and from the drawings
they are carved into the wood. All the
drawings on the paper must be measured
and done very carefully to avoid difficulty
when the carving is in operation. All the
wood designs are made by the boys from
the rough material, and all they have for a
guide is the drawing on paper. To explain
all the minute details would take some time
and fill large amount of space.
Each boy marks his drawings and also
the wood designs, writing his name and also
his class letter, each class having different
one. These are laid away and
at the end of the term, which
will be in two weeks, they will
be given to the boys. From the rough
wood the boys have made picture frames,
match boxes, knives, and have some very
attractive designs. The classes are held
from 80 to s 30 in the morning and from
ll30 to u 30 in the forenoon, and in the
afternoon from to o'clock, and two
classes are held from $50 to $50. The
average age of the boys attending the morn
ing class is about ID years, the noon class
about IL, and the afternoon from to 10.
About 80 are attending and have made ex-
celient progress in the work. Mr.. Cakes
ns young man and enjoys teaching the
amateur architects, and has an easy way of
interesting them in their work.