Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-09
BY GEORGE HI. DACY.

~ ISTRICT schoolboys of all
ages and sizes design and
make enough furniture. must
cal instruments, boats, auto
mobile bodies, sporting goods,
radio sets. chess tables, monographs.
candlesticks. floor lamps, skis and
sleds to stock a retail shop and keep
1t supplied throughout the year.
The younger generation enjoys more
amusements. diversions. social advan-
Wages and privileges than when grand
father was a boy, but let's give it
credit for it's capitalization of oppor-
tunities and its development of re-
narkable skill in many of the modern
arts, sciences and crafts.
There are plenty of the frivolous
scholastic sheiks and 16-year society
uueens-but there are also many
earnest, energetic and experienced
youths, who are studious and scholar
ly and who show more remarka BILE
achievements than have any of their
predecessors The majority of the
boys in Washington grade schools
and high schools are catalogued in
this latter classification.
In the local schools, if you will but
visit some of these institutions, you
will find modern juvenile knights of
and chisel, saw and square. molding
and shaping wood and metal into ar
ticles Of utility and value. Boys but
knee high to an elephants leg are
modern soldiers of ancient arts. In
some cases. the tools with which they
work are larger than the ambitious
workmen. Notwithstanding such dis
crepancies, these youngsters complete
creditable tasks of handicraft. They
enjoy junior carpentry and cabinet
making with the same avidity that
they devote to base ball, bicycles and
basket ball.
In the grade schools, these youthful
Johns, Josephs and Jameses master
the fundamentals of hand tools and
their uses. They learn the "a. 3, Cs''
Aof the woodworking art. They make
TOYS, playthings. book ends. glove
hoxes, doll furniture and other similar
articles. This training is a stepping
stone TO the advanced tasks which
thew will attempt--and complete sue
cessfully-in the high school drafting
rooms and shops.
Visit any of the Washington high
schools which feature woodworking
courses as parts of their curriculum
and YOU will be amazed at the excel
Ience and variety of the juvenile ac-
complishments. The song of the
saw. the rhythmic thud of hammers,
the purr Of power machinery. the
screech of sandpaper rubbed vigorous
~ over hard wood. the smell of paints
and pigments momentarily transport
vou from the schoolroom to a profess
sional workshop. Were it not for
the understood stature and. imma-
turity of many of the workers, you
rso,lld believe yourself in the busting
seduction shops of a successful
roan,Ifa cturing establishment.
The schoolboys at Central, McKin
lev and Eastern evidence skill in
tandling tools which many Washing
.on carpenters and builders do not
.oossess. These youngsters not only
iearn the alpha TO omega of carpen'
80 Straight work" but they also
hacome proficient in fancy wood
...orking." They can do practically
e,,ervthing with modern hand and
Hsnch tools except make them talk
Eyen IL the tools were endowed with
neech. they could tell no more inter
estine tales than the silent stories
~ capitalized skill which are repre-
.+ad by the products Of these
ebo1a site work benches and shops.
Utterly we spent one half day
Central High School. where we re
ds.~,,ad in detail the activities of l21
80. ranging from 10 to II years
IHyhat we saw at Central may also oe
seen in duplicated form at any o.