The Portland daily press., 1900-02-17

mon school subjects are taught In such .
war that the children can read under
sta ndineiy, spell the words they have to
use In written form, and perform the
processes In arithmetic undsrstandinsly
and make the computations rapidly and
accurately. They have been taught TO
beautify their yards and school rooms,
making use OF the material at hand, and
all these things through
their own efforts, under the direction OF
the teacher. Music and drawing have
been taught 10 an extent and with thor
oughnsss that 10 ss surprising ~ 10 10
crafty ing. In the matter Of manual
these schools have shown q
quality Of work and Q proficiency hardly
less than astonishing. These children
have constructed In miaiat IRE nearly all
the implements and utensils used on the
farm or found In the home. Thess were
with the simple tools
found In these rural homes Some chill.
dren have progress ssd 90 far that they have
been able TO make carriages complete In
every detail, including the woodwork,
painting. stripping and uphoi-
STEERING. AL the paraphsrnalia necessary
to the manufacture Of cloth was made
by one child, including the small spin
ming wheel, the large spinning wheel, the
swifts, the loom, the warp, and che shut
tie, and q section Of cloth was woven
some three feet In length and hftesn
inches In width. Another furnished q
com plste outfit for a blacksmith shop. In
gliding all the tools aud appliances found
In an industry Of this kind.
The experiment was tried In these
schools for several reasons. All the school
conditions were unfAvorabie. The most
ofEthe local conditions did net promise
success. The teaching force had no spec
ial traiuing or opportunities or doing this
work.
The results have attracted attention not
only in this country, but have been com.
msnted upon In other lands. IL 10 be-
lisved that 1t 10 the first and only success
full attempt to introduce manual train
ing into rural schools.
EVIDENCES OF IMPROVEMENT.
To ascertain with some dennitsness the
work done along some OF the lines In
which the schools are supposed to be In
terested, questions were ssns to the sup
erintendents In September, asking them
to give detailed information upon the
matters enumerated below. The record lie
made to cover the years 1897. sand y.
From these returns IL Is learned that
there have been four hundred and TWEEN
ty.three school grounds enlarged, and
that six hundred and forty-nine were
graded during the past three years. With
In this time the fences Of five hundr cd
and forty -one school lots have bsen re-
moved or rebuilt 10 appears that two
thousand one hundred and eighty live
trees have been planted. and that In seven
hundred and seventy mine school yards
the setting out Of plants and shrubs has
added TO the attract iveness OF the
grounds. 1t is also learned that In eight
hundred and fcrty-two school grounds
other Improvements have been made
which have rendered them more slightly.
1t IL gratifying to learn that two hun
dred and seventy six buildings have bsen
erected or rebuilt. at an aggregate cost OF
$isS, 24S and this excellent record has
been made during period Of exceptional
financial strinRenoy and unusual indus
trial depression. II this pace is main
tanned for twelve years all the school
buildings In the state will be rebuilt. Or
replaced by new structures. 1t is pleasing
to be informed that sixty-nins school
buildings have been removed further from
the highway, and that eight hundred
and ffty-four buildings have been
painted. i've hundred and seventy-thres
have hesn shinglsd, and that modern
desks have bsen provided for eight hun
dred and fifty seven. That the school
rooms have not been neglected 10 evident
from the fact that eight hundred and
fourteen have been papered or painted,
{ hat new floors have bee n laid In eight
hundred and twenty ON Q, and that addi-
tional improvements have been made In
1911.
Whila all these changes and additions
have been made, providing bsttsr ply sioal
for the ohildren, IL IL clear
at the children themselves have not
ben overlooked. Superintendsnts have
appreciated the necessity Of having In the
sohoolroom something besides text books
for the pupils to read, and have therefore
furnished them with SO. 7ss volumes of
standard literature. That the teachers
may do their work better than 1t was
possible for them otherwise to do IL,
school officials have purchased for them
1891 volumes relating to school work,
methods, devices, and books Of standard
literature.
It appears that the schools have been
provided with 5i7 charts. lisl maps. 1872
globes, 1884 pictures and $50 casts- Eight
schools have besn supplied with isbora-
tories. fourteen with pianos, twenty -four
with organs, and one hundred and forty
eight with libraries. In one hundred
and ninety six schools encyclopedias have
been added to their books Of reference,
and one hundred and forty-four schools
have purchased Gags. Other material
and supplies have been provided. all Of
which have been useful In carrying for