The weekly Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1911-1922, 1911-02-09

Education associations and thu
county association was not needed
Some, who have attended these meet
ings from duty rather than from
pleasure will feel relieved at its dis
continuance but many who have
loved the Association for long years
will see its dissolution with deep
regret:
Visiting teachers and those parents
who attended the exercises at the.
Webster school Friday afternoon were
pleased to find the manual training
classes in actual process. Many, who
had never seen this kind of work in
an up-to-date school were great
ly surprised at the proficiency OF
boys and girls so young.
Principal McKesson directs the
work of the seventh and eighth grade
boys, in a large well lighted room
on the second floor of the Webster
school house. Here are carpenter
benches over which the nine youthful
handicraftsmen bend with eager zeal
Some of the boys are in their second
years manual training and have
learned to use with skill the hammer,
saw, file, vice, unch plane, square
and level.
- bout the room and en- the tables
were exhibits showing what the boys
can do. Among these were calendar
pads, necktie holders, whisk broom
holders, picture frames ard key-racks
Besides these fancy articles some of
the boys have constructed molding
boards, razor strops and other
practical" things which are used
in their homes.
To get full appreciation of this
carpentry one must see the rude
boards as they come into the room
all unplaned. These the lads must
make smooth and even, taking pains
not to gouge too deeply, nor scratch
nor chip them. Next they must draw
the design Of what they are TO con-
struct. Most of these designs are
original and they are very artistic,
too. One was decorated with bas-
ket of flowers, another had a poinset.
tia spray and others some convention
al pattern or ivy or acanthus leaf.
The key-rack is one of the simplest
looking articles but when the board
is planed, it is no small trick to
make all the measurements exactly
symetrical so that lone of the cor
ners are askew. The background of
this model is made of white pine
and on this a piece of dark cedar
must be glued with such care that it
shall be In the exact center equidist-
ant from all the corners and shall
lie perfectly even and fiat. It's corners
too, must all be true About each
key hook are little oblique squares
whose angles demand the most care
full attention of the artist to make
them correct This piece is decorat-
ed by border and filling Of tiny,
checked dots made with punch and
hammer. If any boy, with that
clumsiness supposed to belong to
his age should drive the punch with
too heavy or a poorly directed stroke.
the work requiring so much care
might be spoiled at the last. After
noting all this one can easily believe
that manual training teaches self
control and shows the awkward lad
"what to do with his hands" just
at the time when he needs this knowl-
edge most.
|, Across the hall were equally indus.
, trious young ladies, most of them in
!, their early teens, putting the neatest
and tiniest of stitches into various
daily fabrics. Miss Miller had been
their teacher, but in her absence Miss
, Southwick has them in charge. The
girls from the sixth grade on ar,
taught to sew and the product of
their needlecraft is most gratifying.
Those who have been 1amenting the
! decay of the "good old domestic
J arts" in the maidenhood Of today
J should be led about the sewing room
, and shown the various exhibits on
, the walls, all the work Of Plymouth
: school girls. Gay slipper bags, thirty
bingham aprons, dainty white pima
fores, muslin lingerie, and doll gar
ments are all made by hand with
seam after seam and hem after hem
so fawless as to demand the praise
/ of the most exacting.
Many were pleased to see also in
! this room the art and construction
models mounted in the various books
kept by each room for that purpose,
! in order that the Superintendent may
known exactly what each is doing.
Here were calendars, decorated pro-
grams, Christmas stockings free hand
cuttings, water colors, ink sketches,
physiology diagrams, relief maps
Dutch shoes and Indian wigwams,
each connected with other Lessons or
oprropriafa IN Season and fo1lino