Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-31
VIRTUE OF MANUAL TRAINING
Education Of Hand Essential Part Of Best
School Systems.
ADDRESS or PROF. WILLIAM wleMAN
Omaha High school Man Declare. No
Ffrst Glass Curriculum Can
Afford TO Exclude This
Braneh

Manuel training az an essential part OF
the best school systems was advocated at
the recent state teachers convention AT
Lincoln by Prof John f. wigman, head
OF the manual training department OF the
Omaha High school. In a lengthy address
which left deep impression. A fun text
or Prof. wigmans address is here pre-
scented:
The Increase OF hand work, popularity
termed manual training In the schools OF
INC United States, during comparatively re-
INT years has been little short OF
phenomenal. No school system making any
pretentton OF completeness can now ignore
me claims OF manual training being part
So wide spread has the recognition of
these claims become, that many of the
largest school systems in the country have
not only introduced hand work. as part
OF the class work in all of their elemen-
tary Institution. of the lower grades. but
extensive and specially equipped buildings
have been erected for manual training OF
boys and girls in high schools.
.a nne ehlet aim OF manual training is
education. We must make be able to
make practical application OF what we
have learned theoretically. The training of
the hand and the eye cannot fail to develop
and stimulate those faculties upon whose
activities much Of the success in life de-
ponds. The cultivated taste, the trained
eye. and the skilled hand. cannot fail to
bring forth fruit in the home in the work
the child as citizen may occupy.
To do good work in manual training the
pupil must learn TO concentrate his mind
on what he Is doing. 1t does not take long
and the pupil readily sees that the more
attention he gives to his work the better
u viii be. Thus is aroused a new spirit
and ambition. Without ambition none sue
coed In life. With ambition the boy will
succeed not only in school work. but in
after life. a burning ambition must lead
to success and 1t rarely fails to do so.
Philosophy of the system.
Let me quote an article on the philosophy
OF manual training from Appleton.s
ford Henderson, who is director OF the
hign school department of Pratt institute.
Brooklyn, n Y. lie has this to say:
The session of the High school ends
% between 2 and o'clock. In those schools
where the spirit Of the complete life most
prevails, where that spirit of radiancy is
dominant you will find boys and masters
still at WORK. at 4, at and even at o'clock.
And " is not uncommon for ii to be nee
essary TO make rule when the boys must
leave the building, in order to give tho
Janitors a chance to make things clean and
tidy for the next day. In the morning the
boys come at o'clock, and they would
come earlier If they were allowed
This voluntary devotion to the school is
not, to me, without a deep significance. 1t
shows that boys are happy at their work,
that they are alive and Interested. 1t indi-
Gates measure OF self-realization. My
contention is that there is nothing which
contributes so much to the boys spirit
the o.. Cper attention gwen TO manual train
President Woodrow Wilson of Princeton
says: Il rejoice to see manual training
recognized as part Of the liberal educa-
ton. No one can doubt that It has played
a prominent part in placing this country in
It's present position, and America cannot
afford to over-emphasize any one feature of
its education. 1t cannot attain its Industrial
supremacy unless it's lads are taught skill
in handicraft, as we'll as in letters. 'AmeIi-
cans must not have the narrowness, the
provincialsm OF being able to do only one
thing. They must be able to turn their
hand to anything that comes into their
natural workshop
strong Argument and Advocate.
Could there be stronger argument for
the development of manual training, or
could there be stronger advocate? The
words of DIR. Wilson surely deserve our
most careful consideration. for he is not
also the head of one of Americas greatest
educational institutions.
When President Eliot of Harvard lee
tured III the Congregational church In
Omaha few years ago, he said: "Educa-
ton changes each year and becomes richer.
In former years We had but three profess
siors, that of the doctor-the lawyer-and
the minister, but now we have many pro-
LESSONS OF high standing, and to all OF
these professions manual training is es-
sential." The doctors in early days did
not have manual training, therefore their
fingers were not educated. When a doctor
of the old school was called upon to re-
duce fractured limb. he never sure
Of the results, for his uneducated fingers
'Oulu Always pItptIlN pidCt DOHtH
in their correct positions. Therefore
have many cripples solely from poor,
awkward work in reducing fractures. The
only recourse of the patient n to have
the limb rebroken and then properly set or
resort TO the courts for damages
The young man who wants TO be doc
tor In the twentieth century should take
manual training in the high school. After
wards let him so to the medical school to
get hts diploma. then to country town,
where he hangs out his single, while
waiting for patient: Finally he gets
a call. from place six miles from town.
man has fallen through the floor of the
haw NOW and broken his leg. The doctor
examines the leg, goes out TO the woodpile
and splits few splints. dresses them up
with n Jack-knife and goes In to the pa
tlent. He then places the patient on a
table, Strengthens out the leg very care
fully to get a good joint. puts on Fthe
splints. and does good mechanical job.
Two months later we ind the patient walk
ing into the doctors Office. The job is
well done. and the doctor pulls his leg
once more. All this helps his reputation.
Mind Must he Concentrated.
As was said before, TO do good work in
manual training the pupil must learn to
concentrate his mind on the work he is
doing. IL does not take long and the pupil