Here a lady was in charge superintending a number of boys busy at shirts, others mending, knitting, and attending the two sewing-machines used— rather pleased to have their work examined and evidently not finding it irksome. The new warehouse nearly finished had the first floor already occupied as a store, very conveniently fitted up with drawers and shelves made by the boys. This store is conducted by a storekeeper and boy assistants on strict business principles, and not only furnishes supplies to the "Home" and its inmates but also to the neighborhood. It was well stocked with goods usually found in a good country store. In the basement most excellent storage arrangements and the second floor used for a like purpose, but so constructed that it could easily be cleared and made to serve as a hall for entertainments. The school-house, a fine building to accommodate 200 pupils at a time, was the gift of friends in Bradford, and in their honor called Bradford School. Boys under ten years of age attend six hours and all older ones three hours daily, and the balance of time exclusive of recreation and sleep being devoted to work on the farm or in their respective shops, not continuously, however, as the working boys are divided into two gangs and daily relieve each other at stated periods. I found two male and two female teachers giving instruction and also a Kindergarten department. The rooms were so arranged that two could readily be thrown into one. Maps, charts, anatomical illustrations, specimens of natural history, and philosophical instruments, etc,, seemed abundantly supplied. The singing was excellent. Towards the further end of the premises the farm is located, where about a dozen boys are constantly employed. Horses, cows, and pigs are tended with persistent care,—and the little farm-yard kept in most commendable order. Vegetables and small fruits cultivated and most other work usually done on farms attended to. Apart from the main cluster of buildings stands a neat cottage called the Infirmary in charge of a Matron—who with her single patient confined by a slight abscess-seemed rather lonely but nevertheless cheerful. The Chapel occupies a prominent site, is of Gothic architecture, and I should judge would seat some 500 persons, contains a large, fine-toned reed organ, and on Sundays, I am told, is frequented by many persons residing in the neighborhood. One of the most interesting features of the institution is the " Family" plan adopted in lodging and boarding the inmates. There are ten twostory so-called cottages, each an architectural gem in its way, and named after their donors, or in honor of some devoted friend. A charitable lady gave one-after whom it is named. Another was erected as a memorial to her deceased husband by a devoted wife and named after him, whilst a third is the gift of a London congregation which named it Quiet Resting-Place,” a fourth is the gift of the children of England and fitly called "The Children's Cottage "-and so on, gradually one after another has been added and likely will continue to be as the good work near a feeder like London has virtually only begun. 66 Each cottage accommodates 30 boys and is in charge of a so-called father and mother—usually an elderly married couple-who live with their somewhat large charge in every respect en famille, take meals with the children, read and pray with them just as parents would-the father at the same time being at the head and in charge of one of the industrial departments. On the first floor of these cottages one finds a cosy sitting and reception-room with bay-window-supplied with various evidences of culture and refinement. Adjoining there is a tidy-looking dining-room and attached a neat kitchen furnished with range and other conveniences. A play-room for the boys, a bath- and wash-room, pantry and closets, complete the apartments on the first floor. On the second floor one finds the father and mother's chamber, the clothes closets, and three dormitories each containing 10 of the "institution bedsteads with endless sacking bottom so arranged as to enable pillows to be dispensed with. A Savings-Bank has been established for some time-less however it would seem to encourage hoarding than to teach the use of money. Occasionally excursions are arranged but the boys must contribute their shilling or more as the case may be. Thus the habit of "self-help" is inculcated which in institutional life is so apt to suffer, and boys learn to realize that recreation costs money as well as time. Therefore the ability to earn money is provided for when the boys reach the age of thirteen and have attained to the so-called fifth standard in school. They are then placed at work all day and attend school at night, or rather after working hours— the period of labor thus being much the same as when they shall have left the institution. They are then allowed about six cents a week for pocket money provided reports from workshop, school, and home as to conduct are satisfactory. Thus these boys are practically taught to earn, save, and spend money, on the right doing of which will in a great measure depend their future happiness and success in life. Just as I was about leaving the boys came marching along in sections from their several cottage homes on their way to work or school. Unattended save by a monitor who led off, they filed by, politely saluting. Their happy faces there and then, their attractive surroundings led me to think what they might be had the Home in Kent not opened its doors to them and I wondered if they had sisters and what had become of them. After thus being shown what has been done elsewhere for the enforced youthful associates of misery, wretchedness, and crime, I ask is the limited support extended to the "Industrial Home School of the District the most we can do at the National Capital in this direction, or do not the words of the poet apply also here? "Those others, lean and small, This closed the discussion, and on motion the chairman appointed the following committee on nomination for officers, to report the following day: Prof. ALEX. HOGG, of Texas, E. A. SPRING, of New Jersey, and FRANK ABORN, of Cleveland, Ohio. Second Day's Proceedings. WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 1879. At the second afternoon session of this Department, EDWARD A. SPRING, sculptor, of Perth Amboy, N. J., addressed a large audience on Industrial Education, illustrating his remarks by modelling in clay while he talked. He had a kit of soft clay of a drab color, with scratchers and all the necessary apparatus for doing his work, from the modelling of a woman's head to making a prairie dog. After the work got under way the room rapidly filled, until there was barely standing room, and Mr. SPRING SO monopolized the interest of his audience that they would not let him stop, but kept him at the work all the afternoon. Sometimes questions would be put to him, which he always answered. He manipulated the clay and kept up a running lecture all the while. His demonstrations mainly applied to industrial education as the basis of all knowledge of form in its relations to matter. There was hardly anything known but was related in some way to form; hence the use of a plastic substance was the true way to demonstrate the elementary principles of the subject. He first gave illustrations in solid geometry, then described the nature of clay and the practical points of its use. He demonstrated some principles of life and growth by modelling several animal forms, and then varied the exercises by reading the following brief paper: "In beginning clay work in our present schools, it would be well to start with very small quantities, each scholar having the same form, and at once give habits of neatness and precision of touch. Many interesting and instructive exercises in geometry can be done by a few careful touches of the fingers to shapes of clay not much larger than beans. By this means the nature of the material and certain properties of matter generally can become a part of each one's knowledge, and by this means some of the dullest pages of our text-books will become illuminated with pleasant associations. One of my pupils, after fifteen minutes on a certain exercise, exclaimed: "Well, I never could understand cube root before, though I have been several times over that part of the arithmetic.” There is more than one bridge, the keystone of which might be easily made of clay. The enthusiasm and delight that are very common, and the intense application to the work in almost every case, even by the babies, are natural indications of the hold it takes upon the mind, and of the wisdom of using such strong instinctive tendencies in education." Then taking up a piece of clay, with a few turns of the hand he shaped something on a block. Holding it up the audience readily recognized several small prairie dogs, standing erect, as they may be seen in the Zoological Garden any day. A few more turns of the hand shaped something else which the audience did not recognize so easily. They were two owls, more diminutive than the dogs. Beyond them was another object more readily recognized. It was a serpent. Holding the block up before the audience, with these living forms represented thereon, Mr. SPRING informed his hearers that they were a group familiar to all whohad travelled over the Union Pacific Railroad-prairie "gophers," with their good friends, the burrowing owls, and a rattlesnake beyond. Venerable Scientist-Does the rattlesnake gopher the prairie dog? Out of respect for the ladies present, the venerable scientist was not put out, and the sculptor, turning his face to the blackboard for a moment, dropped the subject of prairie dogs and began to model a woman's head. This was particularly interesting. Taking up a large mass of clay he flung it against the blackboard, repeating the operation several times, until he had quite a little mound of earth there. Previously he had drawn the outline of a human face on the board with chalk. The clay was thrown against the centre of this. With his hands he then began to reduce the shapeless mass of clay to a human face. In this the audience watched him with breathless interest. When his work had progressed far enough to make it a pretty good specimen of a human face, without, however, any definite signs, as to the sex, the sculptor humorously suspended work and, turning to the audience, asked them which they would have, a man's head or a woman's head. There was a breathless and embarrassing silence. Sculptor—All in favor of making it a man's head, raise their hands. The venerable scientist, raised his hand just about an inch, looked at a seat full of other venerable scientists beside him, whose hands were planted rigidly in their laps, then in some haste dropped his hand again and looked straight at the floor. Not a hand went up. “All in favor of making it a woman's head, raise their hands," said the sculptor. Every hand in the room went up, women's included. laughed and turned to the blackboard. The sculptor Then he began to trim down the chin, reduce the nose, and to soften and tone down the features generally. "Too much strength in that chin for a woman," he said, explanatorily, as he began to carve it down. Venerable Scientist (innocently)—I thought that was where a woman's strength always lay. At this point a man was noticed to grasp for a chair, but somebody was sitting on it and he failed to get it. The excitement was only temporary, however, and in a few moments quiet had been restored sufficient for the sculptor to resume work. It turned out to be the head of a very goodlooking woman in the end, and everybody admired it. This closed the exercises of the afternoon, in which all present had been greatly interested. The entire session having been occupied by Prof. SPRING, the paper of Prof. ALEX. HOGG was postponed until the following day, and was read before the General Association. The committee on nomination made the following report which was on motion adopted. Officers to serve for the ensuing year: President-E. E. WHITE, President of Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind.; Vice-PresidentALEX. HOGG, College Station, Texas; Secretary-H. B. WHITTINGTON, 1320 Jackson Street, Philadelphia, Pa. On motion, adjourned. The Department met on Thursday afternoon at 3 o'clock at the Permanent Exhibition Building-but owing to the many attractions of the place, adjourned immediately after assembling. HENRY B. WHITTINGTON, Secretary, 1320 Jackson St. Phil., Pa. DEPARTMENT OF SUPERINTENDENCE. The Department met in Washington City Dec. 11, and 12, 1877, and also in the same place Feb. 4, 5, and 6, 1879. The Proceedings of these meetings have been published by the Bureau of Education in Circular No. 2, 1879, filling 175 pages, to which is added an appendix of 14 pages, containing the Proceedings of the Conference of the Presidents and other Delegates of the State Universities and State Colleges, held at Columbus, Ohio, Dec. 27, and 28, 1877. This 192-page pamphlet is not the property of the National Educational Association, and hence cannot be bound with this volume and sent to members. PHILADELPHIA, JULY 31, 1879. The Department of Superintendence was called to order at 3:30 P. M. in Room No. 6 of the Girls' Normal-School Building, by Dr. J. P. WICKERSHAM, its President, to elect officers for the ensuing year. M. A. NEWELL, of Maryland, was elected President. N. A. CALKINS, of New York, Vice-President, and S. A. BAER, of Pennsylvania, Secretary. On motion adjourned to meet in Washington, D. C., but the time of meeting was left to the officers in connection with Gen. EATON. |