The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1900-02-22
EDUCATION.
Some Thoughts Of a Practical charae
ter for Plain People.
From an Eastern Paper.


dition to this, the teaching of trades and
industries in our institutions Of learning
where the different trades, machines and
manufactures may be made object Les
sons to the pupils, so that by the time
they are ready or are forced to leave
school they will know something Of
what the different kinds Of work consist
of aud whether they can adopt it as
their life work or as means Of main.
tenance while preparing for other
things.
supposing, for instance, that in the
school o! the future there shall be mi
chimes, tools for carpentering; all sorts
Of work in wood, iron, steel or the finer
metals going on as class work before
their eyes. Not every boy can or wants
to be q bookkeeper, a merchant COM
mercial man, yet there are hundreds Of
young men who are taking courses in
bookkeeping or commercial law, TO one
who is learning to work with tools, to
operate a steam engine, an electric
motor or to manufacture textile fabrics,
foot wear, harnesses, make machines,
build houses, vessels and railways, and
put to practical test the result of their
years Of book study in geometry, physics
and natural sciences.
How many young women, do you sup
pose, are thinking Of being stenograph-
ers, typewriters, music teachers or
sileswomen in stores, and how many
are learning the art of cooking, plain
needle work and the system Of house
keepingP
These latter requirements are sup
posed tn beon TO the feminine nature
fly instinct, just as the boy is expected
To know intuitively the uses Of hammer,
saw and chisel, to make garden or TO
run farm.
When our children leave school, as a
general thing they are all at sea. Do
not know how to do ANYTHING but study
and during their ten, twelve or fifteen
years Of school life they have never had
time or opportunity TO think Of what
they should do when school days are
past.
Ask your high school boys and girls
today what they intend to do when they
leave school and the greater part II
them will say: II don't know" OF the
others who have some idea OF what they
would like to do you will find that very
small percentage have any idea Of the
work they would like 10 take up further
than that some that he knows is
making money by it Years OF promis
cuous work, few months here and a
week or two there, is often consumed
before the right chord Is struck and the
young person Is settled down into his
groove. II he is wise he will take few
looks into things during his vacations
and try TO work up to the position he
feels lac can do the best.
10 an intelligent, thinking, reasoning
man no reputable work IL menial. While
shoeing horses he is learning the anat'
omy and characteristic Of the animal.
In digging or paving streets he finds out
many things which he may put TO good
profitable use some day. II boy like .
to work with tools, TO build doghous g
and hencoops, let him learn carpenter
ing, building, nrchi,ecturei a trade which
when perfected is one Of the highrst
arts. II he is fond Of flowers and plants
and OF digging the ground, planting and
watching the sred as il grows, what ID
the use Of making bookkeeper or mer'
chant OF him, shutting him up within
four walls when he would be glad 70 fol-
low the plow or harvest the crops, for
the sake oi being out In the open air and
Of being lord OF himself.
Ifa girl is fond OF cooking and OF
keeping house In order, why should
she learn stenography and earn half ~
much as she would TO engage with
some good family and work at more
congenial employment
That is another thing that We would
be glad TO see, the democratic sciences
brought up TO the level Of Office work
teaching and work requiring special
talent like singing, elocution, painting
etc. Why should not II be? II is one
Of the essential things OF life. You
know:
"We may live without pictures
music and art, ETC., but to live with
out cooks is one Of the impossihilities oI
our civilization. II a young man or 4
young woman had TO study as bard tC
learn cookery or housekeeping as he oI
she would 10 DO fitted TO become 4
sten 1grapher, a telegTapher or a book
keeper, the work would not then be- con
sidered material, because IL would re-
qnire brain work as we'll. II u Tho
hap'hazard, goas-you-please system
or want OF IL, in hired help which dc
grades Il. II domestic servants wei'
trained as hospital nurses are, and VI
were treated (when they deserved il
! with the same consideration in fam
lilies, there would be- a change in th
status Of the "hired girl" and one O
which the green Irish or Swedish gin
just landed from the emigrant shiI
! would find TO her surprise, that sh
could not hope 10 reach without brain
, as an accompaniment 10 Drawn an
years Of patient study and effort mus
be spent TO ft her 10 be taken into th