Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-01-31
STITCHING IN TIME,
That is What Busy Little Fin.
gers Are Doing-in the
Sewing School.
TIE OBSERVATIONS OF A VISITOR

Prscticei U.efaIness That Comes From
this Weekly Meeting 10 The Lincoln
school 1t liing-A Suggestion .. to the
Pablic School Curriculum Of the ru-
ture.
There ia no pleassnter privilege
than 70 make visit tc TIE sewing
class which meets each SATURDAY.
afternoon in the basement rooms Of
the Lincoln school. Nearly 100
young girls, ranging from s TO il
years Of age, were in attendance
there last Saturday, being divided
into classes Of from six to eight, ard
each class placed under the instruc-
aon OF q competent teacher. The
youngest pupils were learning the
use of needle, thread and thimble,
and were receiving instructions in
the simplest forms Of plain sewing.
Other classes were doing more adj.
vanced work. many sho wing quite q
degree OF skill in all forms OF plain
sewing The order was excellent,
The young girls were evidently
happy, and all evinced a keen inter-
est In the work in which they were
engaged Il could not but feel, -
said citizen who has visited the
sewing school. ",hst Mrs. Cleaveland
and her Efficient corps of assistants,
were doing kind of wfrk that will
be Cf incalculab!e benefit, t. those
young girls, who. in a few years,
will be called upon 10 assume the re.
sponsibili,ies Of the home There are
hundreds OF homes in the city where
girls are never taught to make new
garments or mend old ones; i. fact
they are not properly taught to Do
any OF those things which so largely
conspire to make the home pleasant,
its occupants comfortable, or its
maintenace economical. Sewing,
land cooking as weiD is just as essen i.
al to the happiness and general
welfare Of community. as is 3
knowledge Of music, drawing, geog-
raphy or grammar. Why, then,
should not the public schools pre-.
vide Instruction in these industrial
branches? Wig not prepare girls 70
solve the practical problems VI the
kitchen aud sewing room, as well as
those other problems found in
Euclid, or those which are encoan
tered in trying to diagram the frs:
sentences OF Bryant's Thsnato psis?"
Mission Of the Pablo schools.
The public schools, we are told,
are maintained for the purpose Of
Citing boys az, girls for those sta.
lions in life into which they mast ia.
evitably drift. That they are doing
much in this direction. and doing 1,
well, there can be no question: bat
they will, ] thiok, fall -hor. of do.
ing the:r wi ole duty till they pro.
Vide thorough and systematic in.
siruction In sewing aad Cooking.
There are too msny girls ia every
community who Can shine In society
discuss the latest novel. entertain
elegantly and chatter in poor French,
who could not. To save their lives,
bake 3 loaf If good bread or sew a
patch on little BROTHER trousers
Would rot the ! 800 girls in the Rock
Island schools De better fitted for the
duties Of life, IL. in addition to their
general education, they were edu.
Gated along those special lines of
work with which they will have 50
much 10 do when they take unon
themselves the res Onsibilities o. The
home?
cit is an encouraging fast thai
nearly all progressive cities are wax
ing up TO tae Importance Of giving il.
strUciion in the industrial branches.
Cooking. sewing and manual train
ing are finding places in the public
schools o, nearly all the larger cities,
and are being recognized as Of the
greatest importance for their disci.
piinary, as well as f.r Their practical
value. IL will be well for this com.
munity when the city, through its
public schools, shall do for all the
girls what the managers OF the sew
ing schoo! are doing for 3 few of
them.
The sewing tchool is a splendid
institution and is doing great
work. 1t is deserving of the moral
and financial support Of our people
until its scope can be enlarged and
IL be placed on = permanent. sub.
sianiial basis. as we hope to see it in
the near future