Evening star., 1902-03-08
Comparative Exhibit by Bust
ness High School Pupils.
LESSON IN GEOGRAPHY
NOTABLE ADVANCE OVER FOR
MER METHODS OF TEACHING.
Cotton, Ramie, Silk, Flax, Hemp and
Jute Shown in Many Different
Forms.

tons graded schools, geography was taught
by means Of an atlas and globe. Ships
100 miles long were shown on the oceans in
those old books. and crabs and fish swan
about the harbors of countries as far north
as the tropic of cancer and as far south
as Terra del Fuego. Geography was then a
science Of "rote'-a study of states and
their capitals, with occasional references to
their forms Of government.
But today all that Is changed. High
school pupils enter their first year with
their heads full Of products and peoples.
School rooms are decorated with photo
graphs Of great cities and their principal
buildings. There are units Of measure"
which indicate that Texas is three times as
large France, and SO on. The world has
grown smaller to the student of geography
and his knowledge today Is many times
over more exact than it could ever have
been fifty years ago. AS though to illus
trate this advance in teaching geography,
Principal Allan 0. Davis and his assistants
Of the Business High School have prepared
an exhibit Of fibers used commercially and
have hung 1t on the walls Of the school
library. Before 1t is taken down 1t Is very
likely the students at the commercial school
will have a much more accurate knowledge
Of linen, hemp, cotton and silk than most
Of their elders.
Cotton on the Stalk.
King Cotton stands at the head Of the
exhibit and occupies more wall space than
any other display. There are charts which
show cotton bowls on the branch. cotton
unginned and ginned. refined cotton, baled
cotton and all the various grades of cotton
from the yellow product of Okla homa to
the pure white of Sea Island. Nearby are
hung groups of pictures indicating the ac-
tivity and hustle of cotton levees in the
ha n Sfarfl w nla ct arr,ar a,,1 tp1
shipment of cotton in bales on ocean steam
ers. Some of these We're taken on the spot
by Mr.. Davis. Some are clipped from gov
ernment documents. But the pupils linger
most over some which have been clipped
from the magazines of the early '7U's
Nearly every one has an idea that an
enormous quantity Of cotton Is exported by
United States shippers. Very few know,
however, the exact amount in pounds or the
relation of cotton shipments with the ex-
ports Of iron, for example. To indicate
these facts accurately the school has had
Its pupils prepare a series of original ta-
bles, carefully compiled from government
reports. and these tables form an integral
part OF the cotton exposition
To show the uses of cotton there are sew
eral charts covered with various grades Of
cotton print goods. A graduate of the
school has sent series of views to illus
trate the use Of water power In South
Carolina. Various students have con-
tributed old hand-woven fabrics with
pictures of colonial housewives at their
spinning wheels. One pupil sent a shawl
seventy years old, another a coverlet one
hundred years old.
Silk and Similar Fibers.
"Ramie" is new fiber developed in this
country by the Agricultural Department
and Mr.. 8. H Slaught. The latter has sup
piled the school with comprehensive ex-
hibit of ramie from the field to the finished
mr. oil ha
strange. silk-like substance and the great
dyed. An Interesting feature of this ramie
display is that some OF the stalks shown
were grown In the District of Columbia
The Agricultural Department has lent the
school case showing the development Of
silk from the silkworm to the loom. Half
dozen worms are curled up In bottles of
alcohol. Next are several pictures of
worms weaving cocoons Then come
OF all are silk threads of many different
shades. Supplementary to this case are
two charts Of silk products which show
every variety of silk goods, from old fash
ioned gros grain and grenadine TO modern
crepe de chine. The silk exhibit ends with
chart Of many different coors Of floss
Wool Is shown. practically from the back
of the sheep. There are wool on the sheep's
skin, raw wool Of several different kinds,
bleached wool and wooden knitted goods,
all on one chart. In knitted goods the ex-
h1b1t manfreStS the dlHerence between ma
chine and handwork by placing gloves of
the two makes side by side The display
Of wooden products Is extensive. Woolen
carpets lead the list most of them being OF
American make and fine quality. There are
also samples Of Bedford cord and mems
woolen suitings. which Indicate the man.
ufactures OF all the world. One of the
pupils contributed a pair OF sheep shears,
another some fine Leicester wool and a
third several pictures Of woodworking ma
chinery.
The Making Of Linen.
Flax. hemp. Jute and several fbers not
yet in wide use complete the exhibit. A
local merchant lent the school a portion of
the max display. It traces the material
from the seed to the raw fiber. to the raw
thread. to the rough linen product and the
various grades of fine linens. This is ex-
tended by the school exhibit, which in
cludes fax stalks, raw fax seeds and sew
eral kinds of linen. A Chinese iaundryman
was interested sufficiently to lend two sam