The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-10-02

Ileved&that Stne1E SeVeIa15stylt SIePiSssAl
important advances in the direction OF
scientific and techndeals educatfon.,,, ),
This matter .0f scientif e. training for
youth makes but conservative, quiet
claim, though yet sas:suhstantia1s sone. He
might have pointed to some of the results
|soi these .believeds TO- be important adj
yances.,, American technical school grad
yates have come to besthes bridge builders
OF the world There are no steel makers,
no tool makers I'D Europe equal to the
cool, keen Syoung sscientists In American
shops and mills Nor has tie Continent
and England such a, race Of railway con-
struction engineers. Only this summer the
Massachusetts = inst titute OF Technology
held examinat tionssin Londonfor theyoung
EngNshmen Of scientific tastes, who, to
learn what they wanted to fit them for
the scientific world, found their only re-
course an American sch And IN the
field of medicine, four distinguished physi-
clans and surgeons OF this country are
now touring the world at the request OF
foreign doctors who are anxious tosslearn
accurately OF. he2adYance OF this branch
OF the science In the NeW.;Worl
- Out Of many significant instances these
have been picked; The number might be
greatly added deto. WI tn only the advantage
OF emphasizing the point: That which has
the most pronounced sis;s however, the turn
ing Of the tide. Thirty years ago, and nd. even
well Onto very recent years; the American
studentsof any Kind Of science found it a
part of his education TO go to the schools
abroad for as long q period as his pocket
book could stand Hss education was not
thought compile I'LL then. and it was
not. for scientific training In this country
was not. formed Nov the student has no
need to go. AS he takes his degree he is
far beyond what the schools OF Europe
teach. And year following year, in in
ereasing numbers, young Europeans are
coming over here to grasp, the training
that our universities are giving and to
absorb the technique and the thorough
practicalness that are making American
scientists masters of men.
Adapted was the word Prof Menden-.
hall used in speaking Of European meth
DDS and the American universities, rather
than adopted. But 1T has been very much
more than that. Brushing traditions aside
these institutions OF learning went long
ago to the root OF the matter. ear by
year they have been building up their
equipment strengthening their courses.
#o,estions of finance and whether it would
all pay they have politely laughed at.
Money was needed FOR this and for that.
We'll, the chiefs would see that IL was OBJ
tanned. Machinery was necessary. At
once the great manufacturers were laid
under contribution, and they seut as gifts
machines worth thousands.
The technical school presidents knew
how to arouse the sympathetic under
standing Of men Of means and fore.
thought. Benefactors for this and for that
crowded In, their gifts were chronicled in
the news Of the day, commented upon as
vast, the figures added up and admired.
But no one saw the significance
Year after year students came out OF
courses Of engineering, Of medicine and
surgery, of chemistry, of electricity, of
marine engineertng, OF agriculture and
forestry and went into workaday life
Hitherto the scientific college man had
not been held in very high regard. Manu-
facturers had wanted men who had grown
up in shops. practical they called them,
no 4.book learning fellows, who were all.
theory and clean clothes and hands. But
even the most old fashioned soon came to
appreciate that these fellows, too, came
from shops shops" in the colleges that
had wider variety of machinery IN act
ual use than could ever be found in a
single factory. They grew to see that the
new theory man was broader, Of more
intelligence willing to learn about case
in point and able to grasp it more quickly.
They devised economies and improvement
whenever they were given chance. They
could make one man do the work Of two.
The old time foreman was child before
them.
Then. one after another, the far seeing
manufacturers chuckled. They had
bridged the gulf between capital and labor
and found real master workmen. They
gave these men more swing and power
and kept on the lookout for more youths
from the technical schools. They came to
see that the product from these institu-
t;.acE- o. -ea