The herald., 1897-02-21
A BOY AT THE SLOYD BENCH

the boys in these grades, but not for the
girls, for, unfortunately, there is YET
but limited room for work, and the pref
erence has been given the boys where
both sexes cannot be accommodated
The Sloyd rooms have been fitted up in
but four buildings in the city. These
buildings are Spring. Ann and Sentous
street schools, and the high school.
The board is now arranging for a
Sloyd room at Second street also.
The boys go from other schools to
these buildings, but this is not consid-
cred best for the girls, who therefore
only take lessons in Ann and Sentous
street schools. Out of the fifteen hun
dred children now enrolled in the Sloyd
department, only seventy-fiv; are girls.
Lessons are given each day in the four
buildings named, from 8 am until 4
pm. Each class works for one hour
and half, twice or thrice during the
week.
e.-s tt1e THE TOOLS
The rooms are fitted up with twenty
five work benches each, and belonging
to each bench is its outfit of tools, which
each child must keep sharp and in order,
as he is considered responsible for each
alticle-such as a rule, pencil, ,try-square.
splitting saw. bucksaw. smoothing
plane, block plane, compass, center bit,
bevel, fiat file, spoke shave, veiner, mall
let, mortise gauge, etc. Besides the
tools belonging to each bench, a large
number of tools are kept in allegiance,
to be used as new exercises require.
The Sloyd course is one of four years.
duration, and involves drawing and
woodwork. The drawing consists Of ge-
ometrical construction, principles of rep
resentation, isometric and photographic
perspective and linear blue printing.
The woodwork consists of making a
given number Of models. involving about
eighty definite exercises.
THE METHOD.
There is methodical progression in the
exercises as well as variety of form and
general adaptability and exactness of
execution.
No exercise is meaningless-eaoh has
its result in a finished article. The ar
ticles made by the pupils in Los Angeles
are accommodating In great numbers and
are stored away when carefully finished.
In June, when the schools close, a
public exhibition will be made Of these
things, after which they will become
the property of the pupils and will be
taken home.
The articles made are all useful, and
include labels, key-tags, table mats,
brackets. picture frames, scoops. trays,
cutting boards, thread winders, towel
rollers, etc.
Drawing is the important factor of
the Sloyd work. With it the manual ex-
ercise and creative instinct, a most har-
monious development, is accomplished,
fitting the pupil for later work. In all
this work simple beauty of proportion
is shown, harmony in every part of
every exercise, while grace Of outline and
elements of beauty are evolved. Much
Importance Is attached to free-hand
drawing and modelling in wood.
THE AIMS.
1t must not be understood that the aim
Is special technical training, but broad
and general development, which is the
laying Of foundation for future indus
trial growth. Sloyd gives mental and
growth, and it inculcates those
qualities that best fit for real life-the
qualities of exactness, patience, order,
perseverance, dexterity, individuality
Besides the constructive and inventive
faculties are cultivated, with love for
bodily labor.
The great value of Sloyd is that 1t
begins so early in life to train and edu-
to think, and his acts are due to con-
scious and definite Judgment.
Sloyd is an Anglisized word from the
Swedish slojd. which means dexterity.
The system of Sloyd came from Finland,
but was perfected in Sweden some fif-
teen years ago. The institute of Mas
has sent out the Sloyd teachers which
today are scattered all over Europe and
America. The aim Of Sloyd is not to
teach a trade, but to awaken, develop
and cultivate the powers of the mind,
through both mental and physical de-
velonment. In 1888 Gpstave LARSON