Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1916-10-12
INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL
AT EAU CLAIRE
BARABOO TEACHER WRITES OF
THE WORK BEING DONE IN
STATE INSTITUTION

Miss Della A Payne, daughter of
Mr.. and Mrs. ]. G. Payne, Baraboo,
writes from 670 Wisconsin street, Eau
Claire, Wis, under date of October 2,
as follows:
| To Editors of The News: I thought
! perhaps some of our citizens might be
interested in the kind of work that is
being done in the Industrial Schools
of our state and especially so because
Baraboo had an appropriation Of ST.
900 set aside by the state for work of
, this kind.
Many get wrong impression, think
| ing it a school where only the way
ward, disobedient boy or girl may go.
Some boys and girls have gone into
industry at an early age to help main
tain the family. Now the law re-
, quires these children to attend school.
Their associates have been promoted,
and it is difficult to get them back
into the grades. We often find girls
who dislike some academic subject,
boys who detest grammar Now if
these same pupils can be given hand
work, often they would make rapid
progress. The object of industrial
education is to teach the essentials
which lead to promotion in any in
dustry. The girls should have in
struction in housekeeping, cooking,
sewing and business essentials, and
that is our aim.
The industrial school at Eau Claire
has a force of eight teachers, each
room a regular workshop. I have a
large southwest kitchen, splendidly
equipped for all kinds of work. For
two weeks we have been canning, pre-
serving, picking and making jelly.
Our shelves are loaded with all kinds
of good things to draw from this win
, ter. I teach cooking, household man
agement and laundrying. Later I
shall add a class in home nursing.
Our laundry work consists of our
table linen, dish towels, and when l
see a girl with soiled apron, she is
asked to wash, starch and iron it at
school. Many of our girls have lit
tie chance except at school, and they
tell us their pleasantest hours are
here.
Last Tuesday night, Warren Hicks,
assistant superintendent of industrial
education, of Madison, was present
at our teachers conference. I had
the girls do all the cooking for sup
per that was served at o'clock. I
thrust the entire responsibility of set
ting table and waiting on table, sit
ting down myself, instead of super
vising to see how we'll they could
handle it, There were some mis-
takes, of course, but they did remark
ably we'll
October these same casses are to
cook and serve for banquet to be
given the industrial board of educa-
| ton, the superintendent of the manu-
featuring concerns, and women who
are interested in industrial education
in Eau Claire. We are planning on
! forty guests Our dishes are plain
and our service simple, but we hope
the food will be appetizing.
i The night schools are all organ
lied. I have large class of adults,
many who are married and do not
know how to cook There are two
sewing classes each week, with two
! teachers each night These women
are very eager to learn to make their
own clothing and thus save a dress
making bill.
! Last Thursday the secretary of the
Associated Charities called and asked
! me to assist her in making out budg-
cts for certain workingmen's homes.
Will give one specific case. A COM
mon laborer is getting $175 per day.
He has a wife and seven childrenvyto
support. He pays $1,000 per month
rent. The question I am asked to
solve is: How can I distribute that
money for fuel, light, clothing, Incl
dentals and food so that all members
of this family will get the food re-
quirements necessary to maintain
daily life? This will require much
thought with the present prices of
food products and the cold weather
so rapidly approaching us.
My Friday evening class is CONNER.
cial work. I teach business, English,
commercial arithmetic, typewriting,
bookkeeping and penmanship.
DELLA A PAYNE.