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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 1900)
THE BATTALION. 11 is slow in making progress, though it may after a long time develop the theory. On this principle, less than a century ago, the youth would apprentice himself to a shopmaster, and in this shop gen erally spent the greater part of his life, finally to become a skilled workman on his particular machine. He was familiar only with the tools that were used in that one shop, and in many eases he understood only the construction of the few machines he built. However, there were some men who understood the theory as well as its ap plication, and they built some machinery that may never be excelled in its practi cability. A young man aspiring to become a mechanic to-day has not these difficulties to contend with. He may go to one of the many schools and there be taught the theory and how to put it in practice. These schools are maintained by the gov ernment, so that a boy may very easily get a good education though his means be limited. Then to put the theory taught in the class room to test is the object of our shops. But nothing can be done well unless the doer takes an interest in the work. Hence to create this interest it is necessary that the shops be continually improved. Our shops should not only practice on the old theories, but they should, in other words, be a laboratory in which researches and tests are made, and new experiments tried. I don’t mean by this that our principal idea should be to in vent new machinery, but to keep up with the very latest improvements on and inventions of machinery. By doing this we would in time see any inefficiency of a machine and apply our theory in improving it. To be informed of the latest practice in mechanics, the instructors generally spend their vacations in traveling over the country inspecting different kinds of machinery in railroad shops, other construction shops, manufacturing estab lishments, etc. Professor Burgoon traveled in the East, and there obtained some valuable information on the latest improved ma chinery, both land and marine. While inspecting the latter he apparently tried to commit suicide by jumping overboard, but was, to our joy, saved from destruc tion by fire. Professor Whitlock and Professor Gid eon also made trips during the summer. Professor Gideon visited among others, the Pullman car shops, also a school for manual training. He reports 1 his trip as very profitable for the information ob tained, and he has improved his depart ment to a great extent. Professor Whitlock will introduce the cheek system in the shops, having be gun with the first class, but intends to extend it to all classes later. The ob ject of this is to prevent careless hand ling of the tools, and put responsibility on the users. This is a very good plan to bring our shops nearer the standard of a model for other shops, which it cer tainly should be. The first class will build one or more electric motors this year, and hopes also to make tests of boilers and some other machinery. Finally, let our aim be to thoroughly combine practice with theory, and thus be able to meet any problem that may confront a mechanical engineer.