Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-16
THE QUEST OF BEAUTY
Carpentry is Useful for Ply
steal Training.
WHAT WOMEN MAY DO
PLANNING, CHIsELINo, SAVING
AND HAMMERIEo.
Will Make Pretty Things for Your
self or to Give
Away.
WHAT WOMEN MAY DO


Now that girls are taking UP carpentry
in various polytechnic schools all over the
country, it has been discovered that the
work is worth while as gymnastic course
alone. even II there were no brackets and
book racks and tabourettes to boot at the
end OF the course. The girls who have
learned to WELD the plane, saw and chisei
have developed muscles In a way that
make them the envy OF their fiat-chested
sisters.
young woman who graduated In this
course at a large school. where her class
mates were boys. is now teaching what
she learned to a normal class of girls. She
shows her biceps and her full, strong chest
with immense pride. and tells her hearers
that nothing except the carpenter tools
ever could have developed her to the fine,
sturdy American type that she is.
The plane alone Is worth years course
IN any gymnasium ever saw" she says.
1T Is whole turn hall in itself. wouldn t
be without it for anything in the world.
even II l burned every pretty bit Of
woodwork turn out as soon as it
| Is done. don't want any pulley
weights to bangle against my wall,
climb. any rings to swing in, any rope to
twist. or any rowing machine to pull in,
while have my bench and plane. They
can keep my circulation up, my skin clear,
my whole body 1.-THE and active. The car
penter work ought to be given to all girls,
whether they intend to use the art of car
pentry or not. It's a wonderful mental
training in accuracy and judgment and
nfceness and it is physical training, as
we'll, for the whole body
rms, 1t seems, is not whim of the young
womans own. There are plenty to agree
with her; in fact all who study manual
training say that she Is right So why not
take course in carpentry instead of regu-
lar gymnasium work, if the opportunity Of
fers, and have the fruits of your labor for
the adornment of your own home in addi-
ton to the healthful exercise that the prac-
tice gives?
Home Practice.
If you cannot attend regular class in
the trade, you might practice it a bit in
your own home. You probably will not turn
out any very useful articles, but you may
put together a box stool or brace a shelf
against the wall; and while his is being
achieved you will gain chest and biceps
The head of carpentry department says
that women can do good work as any
man in the light part of carpentry.
Strength is not required to such an extent
as to prevent the weaker sex holding its
own.
It's matter of head. not muscle. in
light carpentering," he says. IF woman
will concentrate and make her brain and
L
great secret of this work is that the whole
body must be used The body is a big ham
mer. directed by the brain. The fault of
the amateur is that she tries to make her
arm do all the work that her body should
be performing. When the body learns that
1t is responsible for the force given to the
tools. then it comes to be benefited by the
effort"
In handling the plane don't attempt to
work with your arm alone. Unless you have
had lessons. you will find that you are
standing still beside the bench and reach
ing forward with the arm only while you
follow the surface of the board This is
bad for the work and bad for its physical
benefit.
Good for Muscles.
Planning, says the instructor, IL the best
of all carpentry exercises for the muscles.
1t Is a whole calisthenic course In itself.
So it behooves you to make the most of it,
to get all the muscle building out of 1t that
it offers.
Begin with a very light plane. There
should be no effort to handle heavy tool
This is according to the law that regulates
dumbells and Indian clubs. The benefit to
the beginner should come entirely from the
use of her own muscles in the motions. not
from the lifting of a heavy weight. A large
plane will be more difficult to manipulate
and you will be more concerned with what
1t is doing than with what you are doing
Grasping the plane with the right hand
and guarding it with the left bring it back
on the board to position on a line with
your waist. Then begin a slow forward
movement You will find at first that you
are keeping your body still and letting your
arms do the moving. This is wrong.
What the Force Is.
Bear in mind that your body is the ham
mer that it gives the force to your arm.
You want to bring to bear plenty of force
If you are to smooth that board. If you
pump your arms back and forth, they will
soon grow tired and you will find yourself
painting while no good to yourself or the
board is accomplished.
Now try again, forcing the body to pro-
pei Make it do the pumping forward. You
will find that the knees instinctively begin
to follow in the forward motion. Let them.
Planning Is as good for the legs the arms.
You must not be conscious of continuing
skirts while you are doing work like this.
There is need of boomers for it, unless
you wear all kinds of pullbacks, that pre-
vent your legs from having free movement.
If you wear sensibly loose skirts they will
allow you all the freedom necessary. Take
advantage of It,
Women never move enough in their
clothes, and the clothes are by no means
all to blame, although men are in the habit
of thinking that they are. How much
more men use their whole bodies than wo-
men do! Partly because their dress en-
cOuraSeS THIS, ana party because Woihch
have formed generations of habits of being
rigid Years ago it was considered lady
like" to keep the hands folded in the lap
as much as possible, to place the feet ex-
actly together when sitting. and in gen.
erel to be gentle" There are all sorts of
ways of interpreting gentle 1t is doubt
full IL the kind of gentleness that prevented
women from breathing heartily, from NOV
ing easily and in timber way, ever was a
proof of good breeding. AT any rate, 1t Is
not consistent with carpentry.
A Knee Movement
You will soon see for yourself that plan
| ing is a first rate knee bending exercise,
| an arm movement and a shoulder exercise.
Besides these, 1t brings into play the mus
cles of the trunk, as the rhythmic bending
forward and Strengthening back goes on.
| Done rapidly, as II should be after practice
| has made perfect, it sets the blood to flow
| ing brislxly, the cheeks grow pink and the
| breathing becomes full and strong. Breathe
all the way through the trunk while you
are at work, as at all other times. Let the
heaving go on all the way from the top Of
| the chest to the abdomen
L nc RI chfsaifu1-that belongs almost en-