Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1905-12-14
SALEM wOOLEN WILL STORE

arms. and especially the left In the
schools Of manual training tho pupils
are taught to use the saw, plane ana
hammer with either hand.
white the useful training is gaining
ground In Germany, Il Is only on the
point Of being adopted in Austria. Dr.
A. Kupferschmid for several years has
advocate its introduction In many OK
his writings. In ono Of his books
tical.Practical Help for Oh
tanning and Developing Skill Of Fling
ers and Hands" Tor instance, he treats
Of the subject Of the development Of
the hands and fingers, especially tho
left. by means Of systematic exercise
based on physiological principles. In
pamphlet written by him he takes up
the subject Of the left hand more In
detail and cndcavors to show that there
arc pedagogical. anatomical and hygi'
enlc reasons for training the left hand.
Among other things he points out how
tho typewriter may be used as a means
OF educating both hands, since In tho
operation Of that machine both hands
are employed. In this respect tho typo
writer Il most valuable aid.
In tho closing paragraph Of DR.. Kup'
fcrschmid'a pamphlet he saysi "skill
OF fingers and hands can only bo OBJ
talned Though a special system of
gymnastics for those members"
II Il comparatively an easy matter
20 learn 10 write with tho left hand.
by writing each letter Of tho alphabet
Eve times every day FOR a month tho
use Of the left hand VIII heeome quite
natural. The same thing Is truo OF
sewing and other things. Adolf Won
Menzel paints equally well with either
hand. The left he uses when painting
In oils and the right when painting In
water eolora Queen Victoria wrote
equally well with both hands The
English novelist Charles Reade, who
was himself proficient In tho use Of
either hand, 20 years ago published a
book called "rhe Coming Man" In
which he recommended the children ba
taught 10 use both hands.
The systematic development Of both
hands is worthy Of much greater at.
tentiOn than il Is receiving. How un.
reasonable 10 circumseribe the already
limited usefulness Of the left handl On
tho contrary, children should be made
20 cultivate ambidexterity from their
earliest years In as many things as
possible. II they naturally use one
hand 20 the exclusion Of the other they
should be urged, both at home and at
school, TO use both hands. II this were
done every profession and craft would
gain by Il.
Furthermore in the mechanical oeeu.
pations most Of the work now done ev.
elusively by the right hand can be
done just as well with the left with
little practice. There Is another ad
vantage in this arrangement In the
worker not tiring 50 easily, because he
can change on, Enforced leisure be.
cause Of the loss Of a hand also would
be obviated.
As a matter Of fact, left handed per.
sons are really more ambidexterous
than right handed. Their improper
training--namely' the attempt Of par
ents and teachers to break them OF the
"bad habit''-has resulted IN the
right hand receiving some attention.
while In the right handed persons the
left has been entirely neglected. II is
to be hoped that soon a rational system
OF education for both hands win be
adopted, as such a plan assuredly Is
based on the best pedagogical prin.
eiples