Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-12-30

do not doubt our ability to legislate for
the good of the State in general. Maine
ought to demand more from it's teachers
and ought to give them more. Maine
ought to lead in giving its country boys
and girls the same school advantages
which the city Offers-a good work which
our State superintendent has so well be-
gun.
We teachers are here to show that we
are teachers not simply because that is
our way of getting living but that we
are anxious to do good work. We are
here because we believe there Is some-
thing to be learned about teaching. We
are organized into this society because We
believe that teachers should stand by and
help one another, that they should en-
deavor to mould public opinion, to make
our schools what they ought to be. the
best in the land. We have the prime
requisite, the best material ever put into
the hands of teachers, Maine boys and
girls.
We hope our discussions while interest
ing and helpful to ourselves may not be
without profit to the citizens Of Augusta
The first general subject upon thu,
programme was Manual Training -
It's consideration was opened in d
thoughtful paper by J: S. Locke Of
Saco, q member Of the executive COM
mittee. Mr.. Locke said:
phla twenty-one years ago awakened
many new thoughts. new enterprises and
new industries in this and other cOu,,-
tries The bringing together Of different
nations for the interchange of tilo'i%lt.
the measuring of the one with the 9th ,r
gave each a chance to see in the other
what was defective and what was COM
mendable. Up to that time. no exhibition
so extensive or important had been
known. and probably no event has been
more far-reaching and beneficial in it's
results. The impetus given to industrial
enterprise. is especially noted in the rec
ords of the various countries, but in
nothing. did the centennial more broaden
and elevate. than upon educational SUBJ
jects. Its effect upon our own country is
To us of most interest.
At that time there was not in America
Il technical. trade. industrial or manual
training school. as we now use the term
supported by the public. and the very few
private institutions that We're nominally
technical had not fully discovered the
deep and subtle educational value, un-
DERIVING technical work.
The countries of Europe so far eX-
Cceded America in design. execution and
decoration OF their manufactured articles
that our country was awakened to IL con-
edge and skilled execution. The educa-
tional exhibits from several European
countries. their school systems school
houses. school appliances and students
work, in the true educational spirit far
exceeded anything America could offer:
ana from that time educators have been
asking how American art and industrial
conditions can be improved. Nothing
that | SAW Curing month study at the
exposition. =" deeply impressed me at
the time. and is 80 vivid still in my
memoEy, a. the manual training exhibits
from European schools. especially from
Sweden. Ever since, | have been inter
esled in every effort which has been
made in this country to establish hand
framing as ii part of school work. ! have
read and heard many dis, ussiOns for ana
against and / am convinced. that when
and V mere the subject is fully understood
ttitti properly taught. there is no argu-
ment against it. The first time that the
subject appeared for discussion on an
educational programme was in 1857 al the
meeting of the National Educational
Association in Chicago. 1t was strongly
advocated by some of the greatest edu-
Gators of the country and as bitterly Op-
posed by others. 1t is especially inter
estinE to now read those discussions and
to mark the advancement that has been
made since that time. Then there was
bGt one city tSt. Louis which mad estab-
llShed manual training as part of its
school course. Now it exists in some
form. in all the large cities. and several
states legislatures have made it compul-
sorry. In Massachusetts more than twen-
ty cities support manual training high
schools and in the grammar schools of
many of the smaller cities it is regularly
taught. Special buildings with every con-
venience and appliance for manual train
ing. costing hundreds of thousands. are
now being built in different states and
normal schools for the especial fitting of
instructors are already > ,ablished.
Though We credit E.. j.. with having
set us worthy eXampi. Ii this system
of education, and with giving us valuable
suggestions in regard to applying it i'm
our common schools. yet we are now only
revivins what was once taught in every
thrifty New England home.
Boys and girls were once taught head
work and hand work, the one strength
ening the other. Though their schools
gave them less instruction than now. yet
the homes gave them more and l am in
clined to believe tperhapS I'm IL back
NJ mber' that they went out into the
world. as we'll (shall l say BETTER? fitted
to wrestle with life's perplexing prob
lens than they do now.
Hand discipline in the necessity of
home industries. gave not only vigor of
body but strength of mind.
During the colonial period and for fifty
or seventy-five years after. our New
England ancestors were working with
heart. head and hand. and developing
of mind and strength of body.
while they were developing the re-
sources of the new country.
Household and home necessities made
it essential for every man to know at
least the elementary principles of all
handy crafts and trades Farming inn
plements and many of the articles of
use We're of domestic con-
made by father and sons in
the leisure of rainy days and winter eve
nings. They all became mechanics and
artists. Yes. artists, | mean what | say
According to my
definition an artist is one who can see or
in form or color.
He who can carve an OK yoke with ak
ana adj from a tough elm log giving it
correct proportions and symmetrical an
sleS and curves. lisa sculptor as much so as
the ancient Greek who wrought with
,hse and marble To hew a symmetrical
hopping tray from Il block of birch or
'orm a bevelled or curved AK handle from
,ak. or a slender. tapering OK goard from |
hickory. requires a trained eye and |
skilled hand comparable to that of the |
picture producing artist. The men and |
Boys of New England used to do all |
hese things with only rude knife |
orged from an old file in the home shop |
,r by the village blacksmith. In those |
lays when men and boys were working /
It useful handcrafts. mothers and |
daughters were not idle. Nearly all fab |
les We're home productions. Then wo-
nen spun, not as they spin now on I
bicycle, but like Solomon's ideal wife I
They sought wool and nax and worked |