The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-22
MANUAL ARTS IN : PUBLIC SCHOOLS System is Appreciated By Bir-
 mingham Patrons HIGH SCHOOL EQUIPMENT Idea Originated Twenty Years Ago By St. Louis Professor Is Sweeping
 the Country-HeIps to
 Develop Mind.
HIGH SCHOOL EQUIPMENT I
BY WALTER HARPER.

mind to the hand, is the modern lded ol education and though the idea is new one in the United States. it's adoption in the public schools of the country few years ago has brought results that are almost miraculous.
 The manual arts department of the public and high schools of Birmingham are very efficient and are being developed along broad lines Expert supervisors are in charge and up-to-date equipment is being provided in every department, especially at the high school where the most thorough work is demanded.
 Though this department has only been in operation in the Birmingham schools for about four years it is already show ing good results and the attendance IS increasing at rapid rate. The opening of the present term shows most grat- flying increase in attendance and inter est. The people are just now beginning to appreciate this work as they should.
 The Originator
 The idea of technical manual arts in the common and public schools was put into operation as an experiment about twenty years ago by Prof. C. M. Wood ward, the head of a private school in St. Louis, engaged in preparing students Tor the Washington University.
 The experiment proved of great value and from that small beginning has spread to nearly all the large city school sys- tems of the country. The first city 10 adopt the idea in the public schools was Kansas City and much money has been spent by that municipality In equipping the departments and erecting special buildings.
 Millions of dollars are being spent in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chi cago and in fact, most all the large cities In this part of public school work According to this new idea of education the hand Is trained to demonstrate the problems laid down in the text books and evolved in the mind It has been de- monstrated that in this way mathemat- icaI or other fact is more thoroughly inn bedded in the mind by practical demon stration and the manual training not only makes education practical but the varl- ous exercises brighten and quicken the mind and fit it for better mental work.
 In Primary Class.
 It is begun in the primary classes of the public schools in cutting figures from paper, then wood and the weaving of fig ures and utensils with grass and basket material. Drawing Is also taught in con nection with all this work Carving and turning are taught In the higher grades.
 In the high school the pupil is carried through a thorough course of drawing, wood and iron working. In the Birming- ham high school the equipment for these various studies Is very fine and Is being constantly improved by the addition Of machinery and other necessary facilities.
 A visit to the joining and turning rooms of the high school building which are all ready completed and in operation is of great interest and gives an idea Of the thoroughness of the equipment and work.
 The machinery that is in use is the best and most improved and is arranged for the greatest convenience and economy of operation.
 In the joinery room there is 5-horse power electric motor which runs mod ern saw table a band saw and a motor grindstone In this room there is also | turning lathe run by an individual motor l for demonstration purposes This room | is provided with necessary tables Tor work bench purposes and storage room | for finished work.
 Individual Motors. Adjoining this room is the turning room with fourteen individual turning lathes and benches where the student work inde- pendently of each other No machine is connected with any other. An individual one-half horse power motor operates each machine which reduces the power ex- pense considerably, and is also safer than the shaft beting method.
 ha dra rtu floor of the building, and is in charge Of an expert draftsman. The students are required to draw their own models and work them out in the machinery rooms.
 The school board has voted an appro- pration for a forge and Iron holding de- partment, which will be installed at once, and will be ready for use when the class in the present term is ready for work in that department about February 1. In the Paul Hayne school there is a shop for work in venetian iron and also a shop for primary work In wood carv- ing and turning. There are wood working shops in the Powell and Martin schools.
 Dr. Phillips Work. ] Dr. J. H. Phillips, superintendent of the ! Birmingham public schools. has taken great interest in the manual arts depart ments of the schols, and it is mainly due to his untiring efforts that the work has attained it's high standard and gives i promise of still greater efficiency. 1 Prof. R. L. Dimmitt is directly in charge | of the work, and is thoroughly enamors of the duties of his position. He is a | young man of wide experience and fine training, and his great love for the work | is bringing good results in Birmingham. | He has been in charge of this depart ! ment in the Birmingham schools for four I years or since it was adopted here. i He is ably assisted by Miss Bessie Brace in the elementary schools. Miss Alice | Stafford in free hand drawing in the High school and R. F. Jarvis, assistant in the shops of the High school.
 A department in the High school for the girls that corresponds with the manual | training for the boys is that of domestic science under the direction of Miss May Hansis. In this department the girls nre ! taught to cook and sew along with other l domestic duties that are very valuable to | the student.
 Not Fully Appreciated 1 When the work of manual training in | the primary departments was first intro duced in the schools of Birmingham It was looked upon with some little disfavor