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.