Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-07-16
FATE OF A BUTCHER BOY.
His Father Means to Make a GentiemnE
Salesman of Him.

Salesman of Him.
A man came in to see Superintendent
Lane the other day with request to
have his son excused from manual train
ing.
Il am butcher" said this sapient
parent, 'and my boy can do all the
carving and cutting he needs in my
shop. l don't want him to waste his
time on it at school,"
"Of course" said Superintendent
Lane, suavely. HE is hardened against
| surprise at the idiosyncrasies of parents
"a butchers shop well conducted
offers excellent educational opportu-
mites. a boy is undoubtedly develop
| ing some good traits il he works con-
scientiously at saving and cutting up
meat, weighing it and making change.
But there are some advantages in our
| system of manual training not to be
| obtained in the best shop"
well, l don't care about EN-" said
the butcher. James 6. Blaine was a
good enough man for Inc, and L guess
the editication he got II have to do for
my boy. l don't care to have him beat
James G. Blaine"
The superintendent tried to show
him some of the advantages of manual
training, how it developed all the mus
cles of the body and counteracted
the bad nervous effects of too much
desk work with growing children, but
the father interrupted him with:
"And Abraham Lincoln, sir! My
boys no call to go higher than Abraham
Lincoln. Abe hadn't any of your fancy
manual training, but he did pretty
WE'LL"
Excuse mel" said the superintend-
ent, 'Mr. Lincoln had much manual
training in his boyhood, and of the
best sort, the manual training of the
woods and the farm. It's effect upon
his character was undoubtedly great"
my boy can pick up all he needs, too,
] guess" said the other. HE don't need
no regular training more'n Abe did"
But the conditions of city life are
SO different from the conditions which
surrounded Mr.. Lincoln's boyhood,"
objected the superintendent. Here we
have to give artificially what these
boys got naturally. Here the boys
spend their leisure time playing the
sharp, shrewd gaines of the street,
which are mentally demoralizing, and
have few safe outlets for their natural
energy. Manual training is doing won
ders for our boys. 1t is fitting them
for other trades and occupations than
those of the store and office and giving
| them a wholesome respect for labor"
my boy amt goin' to be no carpen-
teri tell you that now. He amt goin'
to have no trade. 1 look higher for
him. He's goin' to be cashier or a
booltkeeper, or a salesman, if he amt
nothin' better. My boy won't work
with his hands if I can help it. And
want his mind dedicated"
"But, my dear sir, manual training is
one of the most powerful agencies for
| developing brain power. AS the hands
| and muscles are used, the nerve centers
in the brain which control those mus
| cles grow, too, and the whole brain is
invigorated-"
"My boy don't need no better brain
than Reed, of Maine. He's got enough
brain power to suit me, and he never
went to none of your new-fangled
schools. I'd like that excuse"
Crushed beneath this weight of learn
ing and argument, the superintendent
meellly made out the required papers
and handed them over.-Chicago Trib-
unP.