I am reminded of a remark made to me recently by a gentleman in
middle life, a very excellent carpenter, whom I saw watching my
boys, twenty-four of them, at work making their first weld in
the forging shop. He seemed intensely interested as he watched
one of the young men at his work. I said: “You seem to like
to see the boys work. Do you understand what they are doing?”
“Yes,” said he, “I worked a year once in a blacksmith shop.”
“Well,” said I, “then I suppose this operation of welding is a
very simple matter to you.” “Not at all,” said he; “I never made
a weld in my life. I never got a chance. I kindled the fire and
blew the bellows, and I did some striking for other men; but
they never let me try to make a weld.” Then he added, with a
good deal of feeling, “These boys learn more in one week about
the really essential art of forging than I learned in half a
year.” And the secret of it is they have a thoroughly skilled
workman who is competent both to teach and to demonstrate every
principle involved.--CALVIN M. WOODWARD, “Journal of
the National Education Association,” 1905.
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