The San Francisco call., 1896-09-20
TRAINING TOTS
Saving the Poor ChiIdren
From the Street

This City is blessed with the most COM
plete kindergarten system in the United
States.
This is rather bold statement but
nevertheless it is borne out to a certain ex-
tent by the following interesting para
graph which appeared few days ago in
the columns of the Star, a leading weekly
published in one of the great Eastern
cities:
One of the highest compliments to the
value of the kindergartens comes from San
Francisco. In that City the worst parts have
many kindergartens. Not less than 20, 1000
| children in the City of 800, 900 have passed
from kindergartens to the higher public
schools, and it is said to be an almost unheard
Of thing for child who has been two years in
kindergarten to be guilty of a crime If
this is true let other cities initiate the City of
the Golden Gate.
Indeed, the kindergarten system of San
Francisco is particularly well organized, !,
and the results of it are especially
| gratifying. The schoolrooms are usually
in some conveniently situated tenement
in the very midst of neighborhood
where poverty, squalor and children
| abound, for the movement in this City is
primarily for the lifting up of the chill
dren OF the poor. The first thing thatim-
presses one who chances to visit district
in which g kindergarten is established is
| the unusual neatness of the younger chill
dren.
This impression is deepened and broad
ened as the roomful OF boys ard girls is
viewed. 1t is an inspiring picture-not
pretty, for the clothes of these little ones
are designed more for use than ornament,
but it is inspiring in the sense that it gives
hope for the future. a happier lot no one
would wish TO see. They seem to be
merely playing-making butterflies and
other beautiful things-but all the time
the sweet lessons OF right and duty are
being taught them. These are not pure
white minds, to be taken by preceptors
and nodded.
Unfortunately many of these little tab
lets have already been blurred and soiled
by familiarity with vice from the very first
gleam of consciousness. The teachers
task is therefore doubly difficult, for the
tares must be uprooted in order to make
room for the lilies.
In recent publication issued by the
Golden Gate kindergarten Association
Miss Agnes Manning, a member of the
association, writes: II wish to explain
why am so much in favor of kindergar-
tens. My school is in crowded neighbor-
hood. l have many children from tene-
ment-houses and from the narrow streets
south of Market street. Before the DAYS
of the kindergarten these children as soon
as they could crawl spent their waking
lives on the sidewalk.
From the age OF 2 to years they pur-
sued the education of the street. The con-
sequence was that at they came to us
with fund of information of the worst
description and voca bulary that would
excite the envy of the Barbary Coast. The
kindergartens have changed all this. The
children of tenement-houses and narrow
streets still come in tens, fifties and hun
dreds TO begin life in new school at the
beginning of each term. 1 hea< 80 more,
however, the wild phrases of the tender
loin or the rude drivers oaths. The little
ones are clean, self-respecting eager for
knowledge.
They neither know how to read or write
They have been taught to see. to observe,
to tell about what they have seen and
heard. They have been taught to respect
older people, to be honest, to tell the
truth. It is rare thing now to find
child that does not know it is wrong to