The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-04-22
FRoEBEL's BIRTHDAY.
Celebration of the Event by American Kinder,
garten Teachers at Chicago.

CHICAGO, April 2l.-An elaborate cele-
bration of Friedrich FroebePs birthday was
held here this evening. The event was a
grand national reunion of kindergartners
and educators. Delegations from many OF
the principal cities attended and the con-
Yention called together large and repre-
sentative body of people, progressive in
character and inspired by the philosophy
and teachings of the originator of the kim
dergarten. Over 5000 invitations were sent
out, to which there were 1900 personal re-
sponses.
The speakers were Professor William L.
Tomlins, Colonel I. W. Parker. Rev. Jenkin
Lloyd Jones, Ella F. Young, Assistant Su-
perintendent of the Chicago schools, Eliza
beth Harrison and DR.. Fl. w. Thomas. The
leaders of the kindergarten movement in
England and Germany cabled appropriate
sentiments, which were read.
After the speeches the visitors from
abroad were rendered a reception, many of
the leaders of the great work in different
parts of the country meeting for the first
time. After general and hearty inter
mingllng an hour was spent in an auxiliary
programme Of kindergarten pastimes. The
flower offerings laid at the bust of FrOebel
made an impressive and beautiful feature,
as the hundreds of maidens, the youngest
disciples of the great educator, placed their
base.
Never in America, and perhaps it might
be said in no Countrywide fatherland OF
FroeOel not excepted--has there been such
au expression on the part of the public in
honor OF the great educational refOrmer.
There was joining of hands from coast to
coast in fact and In spirit. The speeches
all rang with the sentiment that the kinder
garten must soon be made a part of our
national public school system This having
become such general opinion it will un-
doubleday soon come to pass as being the
will of the people. The entire faculty of
the Chicago public schools joined hands
with the kiudergartnerS aud it was indeed a
happy prophecy of what some day must be
considered THE higher education of III
fants" as part Of our school system.
The marvellous growth Of the kindergar-
ten sentiment has made the name OF Fried
rich FToebel a homework, synonymous with
'chidren's friend,' for the German phil
osopher was child-oyer who dedicated his
genius to the education of the little ones.
| The story of his life is a narrative of self
| denial, high ideals and an unflinching pur-
pose; OF q IerS0n who had the soul OF q
woman in the body of man, the brain of a
| philosopher and the heart of a child. He
| being, and with his friend and co-worker,
Wilhelm Middendorf. he labored for
| years to show the world that this
| germ was susceptible of the highest
culture, but that the culture should begin
with the germ and not after it had begun to
develop. In the most abject poverty these
| two men struggled on, doing their lives
work, but the kindergarten Of to-day would
not have been advanced to its present mag
nitude had not the Baroness Won Maren-
| hOltz- Buelow come within the influence of
the master. And it is the women almost eX-
clusively who are spreading this noble
work; and in fact the very support, the
financial backing, which the kindergarten is
receiving in America to-day is womau's
| pocket-book. 1t is fact worthy of mention
that this celebration was planned and car
RED out by the woman publishers of The
kindergarten, the national organ Of the
great work.