The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-12-27


mines than by publishing mining
Journal He did not give up the jour
nal; he started the Correspondence
School of Mines and advertised 1t in
his journal in the fall of 1891. He tells
mat his first pupil, Thomas Coates, OF
Peckvillc, Pa, who, when he undertook
the course Of instruction, was earning
sl.95 day, Is now the superintendent
OF a mine at Yatesville. Pa, and Is
earning more every day than he used
to earn In three days Following the
constantly increasing demand for such
instruction, a course In mine mechanics
was added to the elementary coal min
ing course with which he had started.
An opportunity was also given for stu
dents to learn something of mechanical
drawing. 1t was at once necessary for
Mr.. Foster to hire assistance. Before
long he made up his mind to broaden
his opportunities by the use of more
capital and formed stock company,
of which his nephew, Rufus j. Foster,
is president but of which he is him
self the real head.
The system of instruction now fol-
lowed in the schools is wonderfully
| simple when the compleXity of the
work that must be done under 1t is
taken into consideration. Each school,
such for instance as the School Of
Plumbing, Heating and Ventilation, or
the School of Mechanical Engineering,
the School of Electricity, has a prin-
cipal who has full control over the
work of his own department. The
character of the men and their fitting
for the work they have to do may be
shown by taking up the records of one
or two of them. The. principal of the
School of Mechanical Engineering Is
graduate of Lehigh university. He was
| engaged for three years in the testing
| department of the Cambria Iron works
of Johnstown, Pa, on general con-
struction work and on mill designs.
| He was for one year with the Stearns
| Manufacturing company of Erie, Pa,
designing steam engines and boilers.
| He returned to Lehigh and did some
| graduate work with Prof. Klein of that
| university, and has besides had expert
| ence with the Lorraine, Ohio, Steel
works, the Carnegie Steel company and
the Edgar Thomson company of Pitts
burg, Pa.
A CORNELL MAN.
The principal of the School of Elec-
| triclty was graduated from Cornell
with the degree of mechanical en-
! gineer after taking a special course in
| electrical engineering. He has been
| chief draughtsman for the Canadian
| General Electric company and an in
| structor in electrical engineering at Lee
| high. The same general equipment of
| ness is to be found in every man who
| fills an important position in teaching
| work.
Under these men are squads and
| companies and regiments of 'instruc-
| tors" as they are called in the school
| prospectus. They are not of the same
| grade of fitness as their principals. nor
do they come anywhere near approach
| Ing them. Most of them are girls who
| are graduates of normal and high
| schools. They correct the papers which
| are sent in by the students. 1t might
| seem, at first, that this would be a
very superficial way of giving corre-
| spondence instruction, but it is said by
| teachers and students to work very
well. The textbooks of the school are
| series of papers prepared by special
| writers in conjunction with the prin-
! cipals of the schools and Mr.. Foster.
| They are made just as simple as tech
| nical text books can be. The girls who
| act as instructors are trained to under
| stand thoroughly the particular ques-
| tions which are sent out on the ques-
| tior papers. Each girl has just one
paper to correct. She never does any
| thing else. She knows all there is to
| be known about that paper. The great
| est mathematician and engineer in the
| world could not detect a mistake OF
| explain why it was mistake so far as
| that one paper is concerned Detter tnan
that girl can. She does not know the
! things, perhaps, that the pupil himself
has learned in some of the elementary
branches of the school, but that does
not affect her efficiency as to that one
paper. If by any chance a student who
has been stumped by a question asks
something that is out of the range OF
her equipment the instructor takes il
to the principal of the school. who die
tates letter covering the information
| asked for.