St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-03-05
HUNDREDS OF VISITORS
Enjoy the Birthday Celebra-
ton of the InStitu-
ton,
AND SEE THE BEES AT WORK.
A Model School in Every De-
partment--Some Of the
Work Done.

Even a school can have a birthday;
and if it is just four years old, as
was the John Ericsson school yester-
day, the birthday celebration is sure
to be a success. From 80 to $3.50 p.
m, every room in the building, cor
ner of jerks and Edgerton streets,
was under the admiring inspection
of the pupils parents and friends,
as well as of prominent local gentle
men, who are justly appreciative of
the earnest and faithful work of Miss
Harriet E. Rudy, the principal, and
her eleven assistants.
A striking portrait of the great in
ventor after whom the school was
named adorus the main hall. 1t was
the gift of A. P. Croonquist, and
yesterd-y rested beneath the folds
of an American flag.
Beginning with the kindergarten
department on the first floor, all of
the ten spacious, well-lighted and
very neat apartments presented some
new attraction to the visitors Prin-
cipal Ruddy's sensible intention be-
ing to exhibit not what the school
might do, but what it actually does
do, no departure from the routine
daily exercises was to be observed
Despite the unaccustomed influx of
visitors, all the small pupils stuck
bravely to their tasks.
Although several things are done
by the pupils which the visiting
elders would be
UNABLE TO DUPLICATE,
the Ericsson is styled primary
school, instruction ranging from the
kindergarten to the third grades.
The pupils may be five years old, if
they are beginners, and there are
mature persons of ten in the higher
grades.
In the kindergarten Mrs. Della
Ames and Miss Ella Mattocks were
supervising the construction of fear
full and wonderful things checker
boards woven from slips of colored
paper, geometrical figures sewn in
colored threads, and queer little
duplicates of the North church"
the structural material being blocks
of wood. The five-year-olds in this
latter class were about to be adj
dressed on the personal exploits Of
Jack the Giant Killer when the eIo-
quent visitor was informed that the
class now regarded these tales as
primitive myths, but cheerful re-
spouse would be given to interroga-
lions as to the historic value of Paul
Revere's ride, or to questions touch
ing the Aryan origin of the appIe
tree story. With natural delicacy
about discussing subjects he didn't
understand, the visitor disappeared
into the first primary room, where
Miss Marie Keefe was listening to a
class who can spell better than any
proof reader since the days of Cax-
ton. Prof. Herman, the instructor
IN physical culture, also gave in the
same room a brief drill, which. if
carefully followed, may eventually
enable the children to approximate
to the professors own splendid mus
cular development. Miss Agnes Red
ling, in the next grade, was convert
ing her scholars into marvellous COM
mission merchants, who knew more
about the sad result of subtracting
nine apples from eleven apples than
the Oldest clerk in a grocery house.
With such an excellent model be-
fore them, it is not to be wondered at
that Miss Griffin's pupils make admir-
able drawings of Washington, Lin
coin and other people that might have
been aldermen. Led by teacher" the
children here sang a
DRAMATIC BUTTER SONG.
which seemed stolen from comic
opera.
All varieties of the three RS are
taught throughout the school, together
with music and free-hand drawing and
cutting. The latter results in siIhou-
! cite pictures. Each room, almost.
seemed to have a different artistic
| type. In Room 5, Mrs. Carrie Allyn
teacher, for instance, lamps of all
| sorts received truly Bunthorne de-
votion, and portraits of the ideal lamp
were much in evidence Miss Alice
Smith instructs her classes in the
counterfeiting of shoes-antique, mod
ern, unitarian and fin de steele. Miss
Francis Nicoll nourishes among her
small companions a decided Longfei-
low cult. Upon the blackboard was as
| good poetry-from Hiawatha-as has
appeared in the GLOBE. "Ten little
lnjuns" were there, and a general at
mosphere of wampum and .FaWns
! Afraid"
Miss Mary L. Smith supervises the
labor of the Parrot ROOM Not that
the pupils take this interesting bird
for model in recitation, but the black
board exhibits variety of blue. red
green, calico and buckskin parrots. It
should not be forgotten, by the way,
| that these aesthetic features are mere
ly subsidiary.
In the ninth room Miss Emma Rob-
inson makes suggestions to wiseacres
of eight and nine, whose evident sne.
cialty was squirrelology. The tenth
room-the abode of the seniors and
| agglomerated stratas of complica ted
information-consents to recognize the
nominal leadership of Miss Elizabeth
Olson. Being in the third grade. there
is nothing left for the ladies and gen
tlemen here to learn, but, as an agree
able fad, they indulge in the delights
of naval architecture and decorate
their environment with the details
OF battleships and armored cruisers.
Inc hnal triumph of yesterdays cele-
bration was the stately concert of the
John Ericsson band, directed by Prof.
Gilmore Sousa Fisher, and consisting
OF eleven pieces. Enormous offers
from foreign potentates have been
steadfastly refused by Principal Rud-
dy for the artistic services of Chester
Skoog, Percy Prindle, Harry Woolsey.
Arthur Lineen, Andrew Malmberg.
George Wallgren, August Swanson,
August Ringer, Nels Nelson and Eddie
Johnson.