Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-08-30


stand on equal chance with hod car
rier in earning his subsistence. A cur
ious example of the impotency Of ed
ucation was shown in the east but a
short while ago. A graduate of sever
al Of the most eminent European col
leges arrived in this country bringing
a complete outfit of scientific instrn-
ments and a splendid library. This
master of every European language,
after pawning his instruments and Ii
brary, little by little, was at last fore
ed to apply to the board of charities
for assistance to ward off actual star
walton. A tutorship was at last found
for him in a well to do family. Had
this man been taught to use a plane
and saw, or chisel and mallet, it is
not probable that he would have Jared
so badly.
We have college population in this
country of more than $4,000, who
probably never expect to shed an hon
est drop of sweat nor do a days work
In their lives. They will flock to the
professions that are now overcrowded
to suffocation.
we nave a common school popula
tion OF more than 100000. The vast
majority of these must work Whethe,
they will it or not, and many are so
surrounded by stringent circumstances
that to force them to attend schools
that promise so little as the present.
Is but trife less than crime. Were
the schools to give them an honest re-
turn for the hours that they exact of
their time-hours that often mean to
the head of the family longer toll and
much privation, compulsory education
might even be justified.
With the mCnotonous tedium of the
present ancient way of teaching, con-
trast the following-a glimpse at a
summer school in Boston where the
children ARE taught to model in clay,
crochet work and embroidery. They also
learn to make candy The boys learn
to manipulate the fret saw. The boys
work on leather, brass, cane-seated
chairs, basket making, joining and car
penter work, and all forms of drawing,
designing and painting" The writer
says: "a visitor at one of these schools
will at once be struck with the eager
attention of these pupils. No listless
wondering eyes, but alert minds and
ready hands are the rule The cause of
this extraordinary condition may be
easily found. In regular school work
we are still at our old tricks of trying
eternally to inform, rather than to ed
ucate."
Some months ago the prominent
successful business men of New York
were interviewed on the subject of
''The College Man in Business" and
the opinion was unanimous that he was
a useless nuisance. This is where the
curse of education manifests itself. The
experiences of these business men were
that the college man was perfectly will
ing to assum general management of
house that had taken years to estab-
fish, but he was always unwilling to
take a place where his ignorance Of
business and inexperience indicated that
he should CO. Some of these unfortu-
nate fellows have been known to sup
press. their education and take places
as walters in restaurants. How much
better now, instead of filing up with
theoretical stuff, if they had been taught
how to serve at table properly :?
Henry Clews, the great author on
finance, was especially severe upon
college-bred men and maintained that
man had no business to give a son
a college education unless ne had
enough money to provide for his con-
tinual support; he then had "a six-foot
son at college, who, perhaps, would
never earn a dollar"
What the fifteen millions of school
children need, is an education that will
assist them as bread winners-not as
ornaments. The great men and good
men of any eountry-we may name
merchants, bankers, statesmen, jour-
nalists, presidents, etc., are those who
commenced life in an industrial sphere,
with no empty diploma to embarrass
their honest efforts. The artisan to-
day is the useful mantle man that Is
needed. Industrial occupations are as
noble to-day as when Roman princes
followed the pillow, or when Jesus Of
Nazareth worked at the bench. Many
think they see in the present system
of education a way to dodge work
They see all manners of rose-tinted
visions ahead-some aspire to a SUI
preme judgeship only to dwindle down
to the common stature of barrator or
pettyfogger. But the vast majority are
not troubled with such dreams-they
fool bupo-ru of times and an honest