The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1894-08-10

! n,
| feeling it to be an experiment, but
strong in the belief that good results
would follow. For two years her ser
vices were gratuitous as regards the
! training of kindergarten, and in other
ways. Only few months elapsed
from the beginning of her work be-
fore the minds of educators were
aroused to the fact that such training
was to form the basis of an extended
/ school system. When the kindergar-
/ ten children entered the primary
| schools, the effect on these schools was
| so marked that the school board de-
| cided to organize twelve kindergar-
/ tens, and these Miss Blow superIn-
/ tended without compensation. In 1880
there were fifty-two kindergartens in
! st. Louis. 1t is now twenty years
| since Miss Blow first entered her first
/ experimental kindergarten. She may
now contemplate with deepest salts
| faction the work at the present time,
for in the last report is this statement !:
"Today nearly every public school in
the fair city of st. Louis has the in
ner temple for the little ones" Miss
Blow may be called the founder of the
first "Charity kindergarten in the
, United States. She is still engaged in
advancing the interests of the cause,
having recently written a book en-
| titled "Symbolic Education"
On the Pacific Coast, in 1876, the
kindergarten principles were brought
before the people of San Francisco
through the efforts of Miss Emma
Marwedel, who opened kindergarten
training school. Two years later, Prof.
Adler visited San Francisco and in
terested prominent men and women
in the subject, and the result was the
organization of the "San Francisco
Public kindergarten System" The
following year (lS79) the first free kim
dergarteu was established, this being
the only one west of the Rocky Noun
tains. "The Golden Gate Association
had thirty-two free kindergartens in
charge in 1891, under the superintend-
ence of Mrs. Sarah B. Cooper, to
whom San Francisco owes the best
kindergarten system in the country.
In the report of the work for the
year 1898 we find 5000 have been
trained in fourteen years, 167 kinder
gartens have been organized in 1O3
different states.
Mrs. Leland Stanford, president of
the Association has given $174,0O0 and
maintains seven kindergartens.
There are twelve Memorial Free
lLindergartens." The first in the
world being founded by Mrs. Leland
Stanford. Five free kindergartens
have sprung into existence through
the liberal donations of business men.
The San Francisco Produce Exchange
was the first commercial organization
in the country to support free kind
ergarten. Now four more are on the
list. Men and women are giving
their time and wealth in placing the
work on a substantial foundation.
San Francisco leads all the cities of
the country, and of the world, in the
rapid growth of free kindergarten
work. Chicago has also taken its
place in the ranks of educational pro-
gression, and extends a welcome to
the new movement. The Free Kind
ergarten Association of the city was
organized in 1881. Among its sup
porters are Mr. and Mrs. Armour, and
Mr.. H. H. Higginbotham, president
of the Worlds Fair. Thirteen years
of its existence have passed and it is
now supporting twenty-one free kind
ergartens, their location being in the
most destitute parts of the city, reach
ing yearly 5000 children not of school
age. These schools are in charge of
twenty-five kindergartners who were
trained by the Association. Over
ninety young women are taking ad-
vantage of the opportunity offered by
the Association. In 1893 there gradu-
ated 800 kindergartners, and there
arfa In a,&
The amount of good being done
among these waits cannot be estima-
ted. The three hours day spent in
the kindergarten is shelter, and an
opening to new life.
"The Chicago Kindergarten Train
ing Glass" was established in 1885, an
opportunity being given to mothers
to receive training.
At this time there were five teach
ers and two mothers.
In 1890 the class was re-organfzed
under its present name of "Chicago
Kindergarten College," with one hun
dred and four teachers and four hun |
dred and fifty-three mothers.
In New York there is Free Kin |
dergarten and Workingman's School,
under the leadership of Prof. Adler.
In 1892 Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, |
opened a training class for kindergar- |
teners on account of the great demand |
for professional teachers. During the |
year 1870 there We're only five kinder
gartens in America; today there are |
over $500. Slowly buS surely the |
world is coming to see the great i'm
portance of studying the child life,
and so guiding it as to lay the founda-
tiOn for pure and noble manhood (
and womanhood. Upon whom then
does this responsibility rest if not Oh
women? Can a trust be more sacred,
or an opportunity more grand than
this? Why is this so? Because into
her hand is committed the work of
character-building, of shaping the
future life of the child.
1t was this fact that stirred the mind
of FrOebel, and called forth his elo-
quent speech to the women of Ger
many at the festival in 1910.
He highly esteemed woman, and
looked upon the home as the truest
His earnest desire was
that woman should study the child as
never before, and see the wonderful
possibilities encircling it, as it moth
Ing, said he, ito advance the happi-
L.. II