Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-30
BENZ. FRANKLIN'S GIFT TO BOSTON
e. CURTIS


I q. CURTIS
r and the Chicago Record-Herald.
to the provisions Of the will for another
100 years.
Shortly after DR.. Pritchard's appoint
nent as a member Of the board Of ''vir-
tuous and benevolent citi-
Carnegie's Gems" he was made presi-
n... dent Of the Carnegie pen
@1"'ioA' sion fund for super
animated college professors. and in Cos
siping with Mr.. Carnegie related the
story Of the Franklin will. MIR. Carnegie
became very much interested and donat-
ed sum equal to the proceeds Of the
bequest as an endowment for the insti-
tuition. The Carnegie endowment now
amounts to $413.596.
The Franklin heirs contested the will.
but the court sustained 1t. and the
Franklin Institute of Philadelphia was
I believe. Is to be used for a new build
Ing. Tho trustees got the money in May.
1907; tho Boston building was completed
and the faculty organized so that the
Walter B. Russell. formerly of Pratt In
stitute. Brooklyn. who organised the New
York Central railway trade schools. is
the director, and the income, which
amounts to about $4,000 q year. is SUI
fident to furnish faculty Of thirty-two
instructors. nearly all Of them practical
men from the leading manufacturing in
dustries and technical schools. who are
specialists In the subjects they teach. The
methods Of instruction are extremely
, which have a direct application. although
individual instruction Is given tn special
cases.
The school is not for boys. but for
men. The average age Of tho students
last winter was 294 years. The IN
tees, but for mechanics, and nearly all
the students are full journeymen in the
various manufa, turing industries in Bos-
ton. Last year they came from 25O diff
eighty-three different trades. where they
were employed during the day, and 30
per cent Of them were machinists. me-
chanics, steam and electrical engineers
and craftsmen.
T. e Franklin Union is not a charitable
school. but every student pays q fee, the
maximum being $40 and the minimum IS
year. No instruction Is given in the
daytime except on Saturday afternoon.
when most Of the students have no
work. All the rest of the study is done
at night.
II Il
The largest number Of students take
courses in machine construction, electrical
engineering. chemistry. gas
Popular and gasoline engines. ar1th-
r. metic and computations for
ooso' architecture, heating and
ventilation and mechanical drawing.
The first year there were $50 students;
the second year there were 814: the
third. which was last year, 1898. Alto
gether 2198 students have been enrolled:
of these forty-three came on the
Opening day. apd are still taking e
courses and $50 have attended for two
years. Certificates for complete courses
end of the second year and to eighty
SIX men at the end Of the third year,
The Franklin Union Is only one of many
kindred institutions In Boston where the
and apprentices for securing a vocational
training and general education are bet
ter than anywhere else In the country.
and to them the state owes the intelligence
and skill Of its wage earners. The Boston
system resembles the vocational and con-
tinuation schools Of Germany, which are
more thoroughly developed than those Of
any other nation, and include q CONNER
cial as well as an Industrial training These
opportunities are generally recognized and
intended. While the great masses Of the
factory hands Of both sexes are indiffer-
emit to their own welfare and take no
thought for the morrow, the propo rtion
who realize that knowledge Is power is
larger than anywhere else.
The trade schools are a part OF the
public school system. although there are
several privately endowed like the Frank
lin Union. Schools Of design are especially
numerous and efficient. and from them
the important Industrial establishments
obtain their designers and skilled labor.
There are two state supervisors Of indus
trial education. one for women and one
for men, who keep close supervision
over their charges and have introduced
valuable Improvements.
Some Of these schools are intended to
reach the girls who leave tho public
schools at fourteen or
Younger fifteen years of age to
~. earn their living, and
1uPns' having no trade or train
ing, are compelled to accept wages Of $3
or "a q week. The free public trade
schools give such girls instruction in
stenography. typewriting. bookkeeping
millinery, dressmaking, embroidery.
straw hat making. machine operating and
train them In other ways so that they are
able to earn $12 and even SIS and $1s
week.
The spirit Of benevolence and the fac
u'ty called "contrivance." which Is one
of the most common and admirable char
acteristics OF the Yankee race, by CO.
operation have developed all kinds OF or
ganiza ions for the physical. moral: So
cial and intellectual Improvement OF the
human race. No other city has so many
societies for doing different things to con-
tribute to the health and hap ness a9 Of
found in other parts Of the country. They
comprehend every III. accident and all
ment that = workingman or a working
woman can possibly suffer. There are
societies for furnishing flowers for the
sick and afflicted; for putting boxes OF
plants in the windows OF tenement
houses: for providing trousseaux tor new
born babies among the poor. and for con-
Quoting the funerals Of the dead.
BY Joining q certain organization AND
paying an annual fee you can have your
hair cut as often as you like or your
boots blacked every morning at half the
ordinary rates. There are corn clubs