Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-06-07
FREE KrNDERGARrENs.

FREE KINDERGARTENS.
The Movements for the Establishment
OF Free Kindergarten work Among
Childrcn In This Ctty-Organizatton
of a Society to be Effected To-nor-
row Night-The Auspices Favorable
for Good Results In This Benevolent
MissionarY Work. .-.., .-a.s 81
The movement in this city to open and
establish free kindergarten will probably
take definite shape tomorrow evening at
the adjourned meeting which Is to be held
at the College street church chapel. The
project Is meeting with much favor and
the interest in 1t is constantly increasing;
and some of our prominent and wealthy
people are taking hold theoretically, con-
scious Of the large field there is in the
city for humane work OF the kind In
question. The movement appeals to the
philanthropic and owing to the great good
accomplished by similar Institutions in
other states, and the field for such mission
airy work that exists here, great hope Is
entertained that the movement here will
be crowned with fine success. What has
been done in California by institutions of
this description is thus told in the New
Education, q leading journal devoted to
the PRONUNCIATION of information regarding
missionary and educational endeavor
among the masses, the article being en-
titled, Historical Resume of the Golden
Gate kindergarten Association"
The work of the Golden Gate Kinder
garten association has been characterized
| by the United States commissioner of edu-
| cation, Hon. William T. Harris. as "The
most thoroughly organized free kindergar-
ten work in the world" And he further
adds: II do not know of any movement
similar to 1t that has been nearly so pros
porous. Ihave congratulated you before.
It is so admirable that one cannot help
mentioning 1t whenever he speaks of Cali.
fornia and undergraduate
The history of this world-fsmed work
for needy childhood is full Of inspiring in
| terest. Briefly told, 1t is as follows: Mrs.
Sarah B. Cooper, the teacher of large
adult Bible class, numbering several hun
bred intelligent men and women. became
deeply interested in kindergarten whose
foundations were laid by Felix Adler OF
New York, who, while on a visit to San
Francisco, saw rich field for such work
He gathered about him a few earnest
workers and opened the first free kinder
garten west Of the Rocky mountains. In 9
few months Mrs. Cooper had stirred ur
the community, through series of vigor
our articles in the daily press. and in less
than one year two large kindergartens had
been opened by her Bible classl This was
in 1879. During ths thirteen years that
have elapsed since then no less than thirty.
five free kindeTgartens have been organized
under the auspices of this band of workers
which has enlarged and expanded into the
Golden Gate Kindergarten association.
The growth of this work has been phe
nomenal. Of these thirty Eve kindergar
tens eighteen have boon permanently en-
dowed. Fifteen are memorial kindergar
tens. The first memorial kindergarten In
the world was the Leland Stanford junior
memorial kindergarten. Since then these
beautiful memorial tributes have been scat
| tered all over this country, and they are
| finding their benefcent way into foreign
countries. During the thirteen years ovel
| IA, 900 children from two to seven years Of
| age have been trained into ways of well
doing. The usual age ia from three to six
The annual enrolment the past year wa
| BIOS. Mrs. Leland Stanford supports
| seven kindergartens. She has given from
| first to last $187, 900 to this work. Mrs
Senator Hearst supports three. She hal
also contributed literally. The Helping
Hand society, auxiliary to the Golden CAT
board, supports three. Mrs. Charles Luz
two. There is the Lester Norris kindergar
ten, the Emily P. Walker, the Pearl Dowda
the Fuller Shattuck. the Osgood ant
Grace; the Joseph Rosenberg; the William
N. Steuben; the Sarah 81. Cendon-al
these are Memorial kindergartens. TIL
Pope. the Hssel Montgomery, and tn
Pacific kindergartens are each SUPPORTS
by individuals. The Willard and tn
Emily Faithful were named in honor O
| these notable women. The Two Friend
and Potrero kindergartens were organize
| by earnest women. The five commercis
| kindergartens are sustained by the sewers
organizations whose names they bear-th
Produce Exchange, Merchants, Attorneys
Insurance and Real Estate. Over on
thousand business firms contribute to tn
support of these FIVE kindergartens. Thi
movement has bsen the inspiration c
similar works among commercial organ
kindergarten is under way; also kinde
garten for eolored children. The tot
amount given for this great work, inclut
ing endowments, is over $500, 900. TT
| total receipts for last year were $43, 731 81
A free normal training class, under til
SUPERVISION of Miss Anna II. Stovafl, hs
also been organized and il connected wit
the association. Thirty-one pupils wei
lgraduated last year. Special lecturer
L lEolu th0 ObdU1OIu auu Stat6 uult6EStUle
add great value to the training, and Pro-
O. Fl. McGrew, the president Of the Sun
mer School of Methods, gives instructio
along the lines of psychology and peds
gogy. Mothers meetings have been OF
gsnized and are growing in numbers an
influence. It is the aim of the board t
group these mothers that they may thu
come into closer relationship with then
and learn their needs, their cares, thei
| aspirations and disappointments, and, a
far as possible, bring something of ne,
hope and comfort into their hard an
cheerless lives. The ultimate ideal is t.
train all who apply, whether they expec
to become teachers or not. This woul
lift up motherhood to a higher plane
Mrs. Cooper keeps a strict in4uisition o.
the children of the kindergartens after the
go into the public schools. They ram
high; many of them are prize pupils. Th
little child that was taken into the kinder
garten at sixteen months because of sa
and dreadful conditions of home life, an,
who remained until she was six years o
age, proved to be one of the brightest pu
| pills in the school department. She steppe,
right over the first grade, and remained
but a few months in the second. Thus
ment. The worst boy, called Jimmy tn
King Hoodlum of the Barbary Coast, !" VIII
was pupil in the frat kindergarten,
now in lawyers Office in San Francisco
and bids fair to make an honorable ant
valuable citizen. Another little so calle(
"incorriglble" is an apprentice In bras
foundry, and shows much inventive ant
mechanical skill. These are samples O
results attained. OF over 5000 children
the most careful investigation showed bu
one to have been under arrest, and he wa
a Predetermined child with an incontrolls
BILE impulse to set fire to things, and j
must be remembered that these children
come from the localities where criminal
are made. The citizens of San Francisc,
look upon this work as a question of polit
ical economy. They give literally becaus
they consider it an Investment that viii
pay handsome dividends in years to come
Over 65. 900 reports of this work have beef
scattered broadcast. AS a result, the,
have been seed-sowers In every direction
and thousands of letters come from al
parts of this country, from foreign eoun
tries, and from the islands of the sea, ask
ing information in regard to modes an,
methods for building up the free kinder
garten work. The wstchword of the Gold
1 an Cato ogaooiofion "a. sfTha hona of I'll