The age-herald., 1897-08-15
q ANNIE L HENLEY Aug IA, 1897.
Industrial Training Schools

| Industrial Training Schools
 What is Birmingha ms greatest need? Birmingham has 80 much which is good to bsgin with it is not easy to say. IA few
 weeks or months ago ona might have said
 "a steel plant, a great cot on mill, an auditorium, a walter connection with the
 gulf" but now the steel plant is making Iuhe finest grade of steel ths cot on mil
 is being steadily built the auditorium
 looms up large to the actual eye ins cad of the clouds, and famous engineers will soon be among us to blaze the way for the VanHoose canal which will join the hands of the Magic and Gulf cities. , Abundant capital must come to build the factories which cluster about such a cheap iron and steel center as ours. Bir- mingha-m has water unsurpa sed, good streets. good pavements, handsome churches, good schools, lovely homes and people IS good as any under the sun.
 In fact. even higher Shan all the bless ings of mineral and climate should be ranked the high Christian spirit of the people. the clean, pure, wholesome tone of socieiay. where there is not any scan- dal. where the dear women are sensible enough to look hard times sQuarely in lJhe face, sell carriage and horses, keep few servants, wear the simplest gowns and help husbands. fathers and brothers pay off mortgages on lots improved with bor- rowed capital; where the girls are not willing that friend and swee theart should live above his salary in the absurd effort alt display which has resulted in the downfall of so many weak young men, less faporaby influenced. In fact, where nearly everything and everybody is wholesome and honest and good. But one thing we do need, and that is an indus trial training school for both white ard colored servants. and where neat sewing should be taught. The raw ma terial VIC have, but, ohl very, very raw. In any industrial cenker how many workmen there are who have homes where the work Is done by wife and daugh CTS knowing nothing of system and order, nothing of neat sewing, nothing of judi cious economies, of wholesome food and good cooking.
 Would not a school which would train thess women and girls do more even than a new industry for the real prosperity of our city?
 There are training schools for nurses of the sick. Why should not there be train- ing schools for keeping people we'll by t,s2ching them what to eat and how to cook it? What an array we have of pitt ably Incompetent women-anxIous to work, but not knowing how to do any thing well. How comfortable are they who have been we'll trained for domestic service. Whether In homes of their own or earning wages. what an infinite ad- ay,r ofi,a should there be an aversion to a position which places poor girl in a home of refined people with better surroundings and gre ater comforts than she has among her own people? If we'll trained. the work does mel seem hard-and a compe- tept servant is such a joy forever she can command a good home and kind treatmen, anywhere Then what an in- finite blessing to the housekeeper to be able to go to a school where she could secure girl who had been taughs to be neoo and systematic and how to prepare properly at leas: the simple, wholesome food which the average household needs every day. Let us have this school will take one share of stock in the "Bir- mlng'ham Industrial Training School" Who'n take the next?
 ANNIE SWN1MS PULLMAN.
 Club Rooms for Birmingham Women
 The wom=n of today have realized in their club work that the greatest strength lies in union The progress and success of federations has shown the results of united efforts. The women's clubs of Birmingham have kept abreast of this movement and the organization of the local federation has been inspired with an enthusiasm that at once assured its suc- cess. The meetings of the fedsra ton have been notable events and .his or ganization stands side by side with the leading clubs in the south. The clubs in many of th+ larger cities however have their club rooms, but as matters now stand the clubs in Birmingham meet with their respective members, while ths federation assemblies two or three times year in a temporary club room.
 The progressive clubs of Birmingham need today common place of meeting rather than the old rou'.ine of assem- bling in private drawing rooms. Under the present regime. the individual clubs devote one afternoon every week to club work and th se ne ,fings in private homes seem to neceseitat. the expense of a luncheon on the rart of the hostess and if the membership is large, which is the case in many of the clubs here. the as- semblies frequently tax the capacity of any drawing room.
 The Nineteenth Century club will be the first of the women's clubs of Birming- ham to begin the winters work under tha new regime to some extent. This club has arranged to hold two assemblies