The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-15
LEARNING CARPENTERS TRADE.

work that would interest them and aid
them in their future school work. The
idea received the sanction of the city
authorities to considerable extent, and
the use of the Walnut street building.
WHICH is the public manual training
school, and tools were given the club.
Before the close of the school term,
teachers in the seventh ana eighth
grades of the city were asked to ascer-
tain the number of boys who wished to
take the five weeks course, giving the
preference to boys whose mothers were
unable to be at home during the day or
TO members of extra large families,
where the mother would have hard
work caring for all the children in the
summer. A list of 100 was submitted.
put this number was almost twice as
large as could be accommodated. The
boys were asked to report at the school
last week, and it then devolved upon
Prof. Stanley H. Rood and E. c. Cope
land, instructors in the school, to select
SO of the most deserving cases. The boys
We're impressed with the fact that the
school meant business and they would
be held accountable for attendance as
in their regular school work. The SO who
We're selected were divided into four
classes, and hours for attendance
named. The first class meets at $50 and
Works until 1915 o'clock. The second
class assemblies at 10 30 and works until
12.l5. Glass No. 8 begins work at /
o'clock and continues until 2.45 o'clock.
and the last class works from until
4,45, O'clock. Every bench is occupied
during the school hours, and there are
SO many more who would like to take
up the work that it is likely the city
Will have to assume charge of the work
within Short time
This has been found to be necessary
in nearly every other city where sum
mer manual training schools have been
established. In New York Brooklyn,
chicago and Philadelphia, the work was
nrst started by private enterprise and
supported by subscription but the city
authorities eventually had to take
charge to permit a share in the bene-
f1ts by the greatest number of people.
The only other city in which the work
has been tried is Cambridge, and it is
still maintained by private subscrip-
ton.
At-ethe Worcester school, the Civic
club pays for all the stock used by
the pupils. 1t is taken from the city's
stock and paid for at so much per 1000
board feet The tools used are the
ones the manual training students use,
and one set is used for the four classes.
1t is hoped in short time to pr divide
separate sets of edge tools for each
class. In such a case, each boy would
be responsible for his own tools, and
they would not become dull without
his knowledge. AS it is now, the boy in
one class may dull the tools so that his
successor al the bench in the next class
may suffer in his work
The matter of discipline has not been
mentioned to the boys, and up 20 the
present, there has been no occasion
All are Interested in their work. and
each has A pride in the results of his
work The more so because each boy
is allowed to keep all models he makes
and he Is anxious on this account to
get the best results to show to admir-
ing parents and friends. The first ex-
ercise given the boys is in planning.
The model is foot ruler, and IN the
exercise the boys have to have care
especially in the bevelling. The seo-
ond exercise is in chiseling, in the man.
ufacture OF flower stick, and the third
exercise is in boring. After the boys
have mastered the tools necessary in
these exercises. they are passed tc
model work and advanced then as fas,
as they finish a model. This is the spe.
cially interesting part of the work tC
the boys and cribbage boards, Oh ecker
boards and other inlaid work will be
taken home as result of their sea.
sons work.
The Spy man visited the schoo. yes.
terday afternoon, and found a class
of boys hard at work in the planinF
exercise. The class was in charge Of
Mr. Copeland, and he appeared TO have
an easy time, SO far as discipline wat
concerned. The boys were study. al
of them are sons Of women who are
compelled to be away from home much
of the Gay. The boys have taken hold
Of the work, and are assxious for in.
strnction. so much so that most OF
them are at their benches before the
session opens. Many Of them never
handled a tool before, but they are ali
apt students, and are given work that
keeps them interested most Of the day