The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-12-05
duced many of the worlds greatest
Artists nd m StPrS.


artists and masters.
81 believe in extending the scope ana
broadness of all lines of modern edu-
cational thought" said Mr.. Curtis last
evening. 1.-The kindergarten is the
Mace to commence the study of the IN
dividual mind. Even here the naturai
bent of the mind can be seen and 1t
should be followed clear through the
public school course of educatlon.
sCramming the mind with ideas as
tasteful to it, and at variance WIN u
some great gift in another direction Is
not the right idea Of modern educa-
ton"
While in New Haven Mr. Curtis also
developed the kindergarten IDEA, ana
waen he left that city, there were
attached to the public school system
of the city. Asked as to his Idea OF
the present system of diVerslfleo eou-
cation, Mr. Curtis said:
1.-The department of manual training
and the teaching of the mechanical
arts is feature of modern education
which cannot be called fad. II Is
progression. In this respect l think
the West is leading the East. The west
has been quick to appreciate the Prac.
teal benefits of the system Inc west
thinks quicker and acts quicker than
the East where all such departures
from the old line of education nave TO
he discussed and canVaSSed for long
time. The West does not theorize. IL
acts. The schools of St. Paul nave
fine reputation in the East; we nay
heard of the st. Paul schools in all the
educational papers and at all our ma
tional educational conventions.
found that the schools of Germany
had many ideas which the American
schools might copy to great adVantage
and many which would not do at all.
In that country a teacher is required
to spend years in training. lie or She
cannot commence the instruction OF
the young until the most severe ana
rigid examinations have been passed.
Perhaps many of these preparations
are unnecessary in this country for the
reason that the American children are
leener and brighter. They eaten
ideas more rapidly than their stono
German cousins.
Prof. Curtis is a born organizer, ana
is said to have an excellent hold over
the teachers and pupils alike Edward
Brooks, superintendent of the Phlladel-
phia schools and one of the leadlng
educators in the country, calls Prof
Curtis one of the foremost school sup
erintendents in the country. Charles
r. Skinner, state superintendent OF
schools of New York state, is also
warm admirer 1t took backing TO win
such a plumb as that of superintendent
of the ST. Paul schools. MI. GURUS
certainly did not lack backing. Among
the men. some of national reputation,
who interested themselves in securing
his appointment, were President Irwin
Shepard, Of Winona Normal school;
President L. c. Lord, of the Moorhead
Normal school; Judge Amos Thayer,
of the United States circuit court oil
appeals; Judge Charles Anidon, of the
supreme court Of North Dakota; Judge
Mitchell, of the Minnesota supreme
court, and Superintendent Brooks,
of Philadelphia, Jones, OF Cleve,
land, Maxwell, Of Brooklyn, and
many others.
Prof Curtis is no stranger in Mime
sofa He held two responsible posi-
items in the schools of this state before
going back to his Eastern att1llatlons.
During his residence In minnesota he
formed the acquaintance OF many OF
the leading men of the state, VINO nao
zz-scrs tnefr efforts to secure his return.
Prof Curtis is a native of Pennsyl-
vania He-was born in the Northern
portion of that state and at the age or
sixteen entered college. He early
showed ability as a student and at the
age of twenty he graduated from
Tufts college in the outskirts Of Bos-
ton, He finished his college course in
1866 and at once went to lll1on, N. T.,
where he taught school and was for
several terms superintendent OF the
schools of that town. In 1873 he was
appointed superintendent of the schools
at CORY, Pa, which position he held
for ten years, in the meantime raising
the schools to a high standard. In 1883
he was elected superintendent of the
schools at saltwater, Mimi, eleyating
the schools of that city to a high stan
dard Of efficiency. Three years later
he was rendered the SUPPLEMENTARY of
the Winona public schools, holding
that position until 1890, when he was
called to New Haven, Conn. He was
the ruling head of the New Haven
schools for five years, and when he re-
signed he went abroad on an extended
tour Of the continent, visiting all the
countries in which higher education is
a national feature.
Mr.. Curtis is married man and has
a very charming daughter, Miss Car
lene Curtis, who IS a recent graduate OF
Smith college. Mrs. Curtis and Miss
Curtis are now residing in Toledo, O.,
but will remove to st. Paul about the
holidays. Both members of Mr.. Cur
it's family are talented and will be
welcomed to the social and literary cir
Giles of st. Paul.