Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-13
FATE OF A BUTCHER BOY.
His Father Means to Make n Gentle.
man Salesman of Him,

His Father Means to Make a Gentle
man Salesman of Him,
From the Chicago Tribune.
A man came in to see Superintendent
Lane the other day with request to have
his son excused from manual training.
Il am a butcher said this sapient par
ent. land my boy can do all the carving
and cutting he needs in my shop | don't
want him to waste his time on it in
school,"
"Of course" said Superintendent Lane
suavely-he is hardened against surprise at
the idosyncrasies of parents-'a butcher
shop well conducted offers excellent educa-
tional opportunities. A boy is undoubt edlv
developing some good traits if he works
conscientiouSiy at saving and cutting up
meat weighing it and making change.
But there are some advantages in our sys-
tenn of manual training not TO be obtained
in the best SHOP
well. l don't care about EN-" said the
butcher. James G. Blaine was a good
enough man for me, and | guess the e,ldi-
cation he got II have to do for my bow
don't care to have him beat James c.
Blaine
The superintendent tried to show him
some of the advantages of manual training.
how it developed all the muscles of the
BODY ana countcracted the bad nervous
effects of too much desk work with grow
ing 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 me-. said the Superintendent
Mr.. Lincoln had much manual training
IN his boyhood, and of the best sort. the
manual training of the woods and the
farm. Its 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 moren Abe did,
But the conditions of CITY life arc ca
Inherent from the conditions which sur
rounded Mr.. Lincon's boyhood," objected
the superintendent. Here we have to give
aruficlally what there boys got naturally
Here the boys spend their leisure time
playing the sharp, shrewd games of the
street, which are mentally demoralizinc
ana nave few safe outlets for their natural
energy Manual training Is doing wonders
for our boys. 1t is fitting them for other
trades and occupations than those of the
store and office and giving them a whole
some respect for labor
My boy amt gon' to be no carpenter
j tell you that now. He amt goin' to have
no trade. i look higher for him. He's GO
in to be cashier or a bookkeeper. or a
salesman. if he amt nothin' better. My
work won't work with his hands if l can
help II. And | want his mind eddicated.
But, my dear sir, manual training is one
of the most powerful agencies for develop
ing brain power. AS the hands and mus
cles are used. the nerve centers in the
brain which controls those muscles 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
rome of your new fangled schools. I'd like
that excuse.
Crushed beneath this weight of learning
and argument, the superintendent meekly
made out the required papers and handed
them over.