The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1919-04-05
MANUAL TRAINING IN NEGRO
: HIGH SCHOOL OF DALLAS.
Three PreceptOrs Make Record
Prof. Ode Furry, Prof. Jerry w.
Towns, and Prof. Il. II. BrittOn.
The Hand a Lever in Civilization.
~ N. W. HARLLEE.


Prior to the great Civil War. OIL
the war between the states, schoo
children plodded their way to schoo
to learn only for the most part tbs
Three RS. This was the biggesl
thing, the biggest asset for the chiit
in his requirement The training o.
the hand the great lever of power In
the triumph of industrial development
u schools, was left out Of the currie-
Nlum. 1t took some effort to chssngt
long standing custom so as to in.
troduce what is now so popular II
every school of any note. that is the
manual training. In every section
of the union this craft is now con
sidered great unit in the curriculGpl
OF the schools Formerly the head
and the heart, but not the hand, but
now ii is the Three RS and the Three
HIS as well that is. the head. heart
and hand.
Much effort was to be used when
the race which was born in day,
was told that the hand should be
trained in the schools as we'll as the
mint It's was resented even by the
leaders as being means to eliminate
or TO introduce q substitute TOT the
real academic training. A mighty
protest went up against the intro
duction, the animated claiming that
child could not do both the aca-
demic and the manual training at ghe
same time or at least in the same
school course. Many of the Colcred
people, protested, saying that they
had been working for two hundred
years, they wanted their children
to attend school to learn what was in
the books, and further more, the
parents were emphatic in the then
trite expression, they wanted their
children to go to college so that they
might not have to work as they, TIER
parents did, meaning that edNcation
meant to find soft places in the shade,
and further more to be at ease like
many white people before the Civil
War. This was delusive imitation
But fortunate. the sage Of Tuskegeo,
the immortal Booker I. Washington
came on the scene as champion
in favor of hand training, and another
professor in the city of st. Louis.
was the mighty champion in the
same cause for white people, and so
the prevailing opinion Of the two
champions Of the hand, the lever of
civilization, met and the resultant is
now known and appreciated in our
schools for both the boys and girls,
IN the schools of the south and of
the Nation. We have lived,and have
learned that king Labor must be
dignified and that they who serve
I. him, and his service is universal,
must serve him with skilled mind
and with trained hands as well, His
position is an honorable one, his
kingdom - ne royalty Of kingdoms,
anc The most honorable
thin ow of and at the
samA st degrading thing,
IL we how to labor with
skilled and trained hands.
All labN honorable and enobling.
All Labor > kingly in its service, we
can not draw line, and he who
does not labor should not eat, this
as the divine writer saw would end
the trouble of the lazy man, If not
eating. then there would be no living.
In a great city like Dallas how
many boys and girls do you find
learning trade or taking the time to
serve as apprentices? Is this not a sad
Nommentation, when we consider the
gravity in the case of not learning
some useful trade, or calling that
requires brain and skill? It SENS that
ready cash Is the only consideration
in the mind of the parent as we'll as
the child, An investment in trade
is Ike depositing money in the bank
that will accrise the converted COM
pound interest whether you will it'll
or not.
Manual art has at last come to
stay and to be taught in our schools
not as an adjunct, but as one Of the
salient branches. 1t was through
the writer's efforts tliat this inval-
liable art of the hand was intro
duced into our high school with Prof.
Furry as director, and ORGANIZER, the
work being carried forward for three
or four years Nlder the direction of
Mr.. Furry, and his having severed
his connection with the de- artment
to direct the work in South Carolina,
he vas succeeded by Prof. Jerry w.
Town. Mr.. Town came highly rec
CONNER ded from Prairie View, where
he had taught for several terms as
bench instructor. Mr. Towns spec
ialized in manual training fin the
Atlantis University, college Of high
grade. He was connected with the de-
partment of Manual training in The
Colored High school as director for
efRvCn years. He left college in his
j14ior year; desiring to complete his
course and to receive his A. B. de-
gree, the Board of Education granted
him leave Of absence in order that
he might finish his COLLEGE course
and cor1ply with the regulation of
the Board, and upon his completing
the course and receiving his degree,
was elected Dean of the English de-
partment in the Colored High School
While in the University, he was adj |
junct Professor in Manual training.
Mr.. Towns rose from the rank and
Giles Of his associates. and found
Nom at the top as manual training
instructor and man of letters in
the thought that it pays to be pro-
gressive.
Prof 7. H. Britain, an instructor
of ability, succeeded Mr. Towns in |
the Manual training department Of
the High Sclool. Prof. Britain is a
Tuskegee school man, having finished |
the course AMI graduating with hon i
ors in the Manual Of desterity. Hell
was employed as an instructor Of |
N&nual training in the Prairie View
State Normal institute. where he |
taught for thirteen years with much |
success. his workmanship taking
high rank as exhibited at our state 1
fair for several years and winning !
premiums OF value. After leaving the |
Tlsskegee Normal Industrial Insti-