The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-11-23
What the Santa Fe Does for Dull
Boy as an Apprentice.
Rubs Up Against Other Boys
and Soon Grows Brighter.
BROTHERLY FEELING.
f. w. Thomas, Apprentice Sup
ervisOr, Tells OF the Work.
Other Items of General Interest
in Traffic World.

Said F. w Thomas, supervisor of ap
prentices of the Santa F'e, the other
day:
For the bright, active, Industrious
boy, each of you has admiration. He
| offers no serious problem for you to
solve. He will take care of himself. 1t
| only remains for us to act as governors,
to apply the brakes occasionally to his
progress. 1t is for the slower, duller
boy, the plodding boy. This boy
| watches the advancement of the bright
er and smarter fellows with feeling
of envy. He broods over his slowness;
he thinks he hasn't an even chance; he
watches with selfishness the rapid pro-
gress of the others and soon begins to
| think he is a misfit; he loses interest in
| his work and drops out of service IN
stead of swimming against the current
with his power.
1.-The world has use for this boy.
There is a function in the economic
realms of nature that he must perform.
| 1t is in the handling of these boys that
| the real power ability and value of
| cur instructors are manifested. Here 1t
| is that tact and patience must be freely
| exercised. You must talk without
| scolding; reason without broWbeat1ng;
| smile, and not frown.
| 'It requires a greater artist and a
| greater genius to cut and shape living
| statue from rough block of marble
| than it does to simply chisel the name
| or date on the finished piece of sculp-
ture and then place it on it's pedestal.
| These are the boys whose molding,
| securing and polishing will reflect the
| success of the instructor Be patient
with the dull boy. be tndulgent, be
companionable be helpful. Above all,
be extremely slow and sure of your
| ground before you send him in for dis
missal. We are building up, not pull
| ing down; we are trying to create rath-
| er than destroy. We are building,
shaping. molding precious cast, HUI
man life, an immortal soul Put your
trade mark on the cast.
| AT present the apprentice instruc-
tors at all points examine each appli-
cant and make a report to the chief
mechanical official 1t was decided that
before making his recommendation he
should ascertain If the applicant is
physically fitted for the trade, should
| examine him as to his schooling, should
ascertain as much as possible about his
home life and associates, and above
everything else endeavor to ascertain
If he possesses any talent or natural
fitness for the trade for which he is
making application, and If he IS spe-
cially DESTROYS of learning this particu-
lar trade, aiming at all times to place
the standard Just as high as 1t can pos
| SANNAAN~A
trade at that particular point; If neces-
sary, a weeks time should be taken for
this examination and investigation.
'It is absolutely necessary for the
shop and school instructors to cooper
ate not only in letter but also in spirit
that between the two there should exist
q brotherly feeling, a feeling of warm
| friendship and of dependence. Each
| should feel perfectly free to go to the
other for assistance Or help and they
| should meet together as often as their
duties and business permit. The super
visor~Of apprentices stated that he con :
sidered both positions of equal impor-
lance. that they were equally RESPONSE
Bile for the training and welfare of the
bows, and that credit or discredit would
alike fall upon both for the success OF
failure of any apprentice.
| 1.-The discussion of the question :1f
practical value of the classroom work
brought out the fact that the lessons
learned in school made the boys more
accurate in their shop work. that the
boys who were quick. active and ac-
curate in their school work had proved
to be the best bows in the shop. this be-
ing evidenced in a more pronounced
manner where they had to work from
blue prints. and especially in the boiler
shop in laying out work"