Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-15
HAVE SPECIAL INTERE
MANUAL TRAINING SCHOOLS AND
STARS ART CONTEST.
Buildings New and Without Decora-
tions-Opinion of DR.. Evans
of Armstrong.

Mckinley and Armstrong Manual
Training Schools have an interest In The
Stars School Art Competition. Visiting
these institutions yesterday, the director
for The Star found neither OF the build
ings decorated In any adequate manner.
Both are new buildings, claiming as much
need In the way of decoration as the new
Business High School.
Mckinley School has a particularly fine
exhibit of manual training work done in
the French schools, which part of the
French educational exhibit at the st. Louis
fair 1t was purchased from the French
government by DIR. William Harris, COM
missioner of education, and placed In the
Mckinley school as an example of what
is done in foreign secondary schools. Wood
work, iron-work, forging and machine
products, tissues, fabrics, wood carving.
copper and brass designs in relief, all In
dicate the degree of skill to which the
pupils of the high school grade attain in
technical institutions abroad
Many of the products are very beautiful,
and have 1t Is said, been a great inspira-
ton to the Mckinley School students:
Beyond the French industrial exhibit, the
usual athletic pictures and the equipment
of the drawing room the building has moth
ing else, however, which can stimulate
love of the beautiful or impress with
sense of good design The teachers say
as many of the activities or the schooi are
directed along art lines.
At the Armstrong the same general con-
dition preyails A most interesting exhibit
of the p1pils' work in dressnaking, pre-
serving and picking. wood trimming anu
forging Is displayed in cases In the main
corridor. In the assembly hall is the ofi1
cast, life-size bust of Douglass.
Dr. Evans, the principal. took the direc-
tor over the whole building. and with much
pride showed the many activities or the
school and deplored that greater tacliltles
for school room decoration are not proVldeo.
Inestimable Advantage.
1.-THE Star competition is an inestmable
advantage to the schools, he said. fhe
drawing teachers felt that Armstrong has
little chance in competition with the large
high schools, but said they welcomed the
good influence which the contest is bound
to bear An application of art and Gu
riosity about the great masterpieces and
the artists who have made them has been
started, they said, by the contest that Will
not die out"
Armstrong is particularly interested In
making things. All of its activities are d.
rected along constructionaI lines. and DR..
Evans invites the closest inspection OF the
mechanical well as the academic work,
in order that they visitor may see how each
pupil feels that everything he is making
has some definite use and value
Along the line of the various influences
which the contest has awakened the fol-
lowing paragraph: a little composition on
How We Count Our Votes was found at
the Polk School,
'It is interesting to know how the various
schools count their votes, but, however In
teresting the Polk School method is the
surest and the simplest. The pupil bringing
in the greatest number of votes in his row
keeps the record for the day, recording The
number OF votes cast IN the row in which he
sits. This method is worked in the eighth
grade
1.-THE secretary of the school, who is ap-
pointed by Miss Bond, the teacher, keeps a
by each grade. The number of votes listed
must correspond to the number Of votes to
be sent or investigation follows. This
method insures a fair election and stirs up
competition, for each grade fights for the
honor of being the largest voter In the
school.