The herald., 1896-03-23
THE STIMSON INDUSTRIAL
Dingy Little House In Z Dlngy Little
Street

There is dingy little house on a 1ingy
little street within sight and sound of the
long Southern Pacific trains which would
we'll repay any one Interested in children
and in education for q mornings visit.
A smoky, stunted cypress tree, in color
almost matching the gray walls of the
building, shades the entrance, and the
place presents to the world an appearance
which is neither bright nor inviting. But
all this is to the street. Inside the inclos-
ure there is plenty of sunshine and flowers.
and within the building forty-fve rosy and
radiant faces shining with soap and mis-
chief. There are the quantities of flowers.
the boxes of sand, the pianos. the songs
and the patter of marching feet which are
the earmarks of the well-equipped kinder
garten. Two teachers-one being a resi-
dent-hold sway here, and should the Wis
itor select an afternoon he might perchance
fall in upon a mothers meeting, a sort of a
club bent on considering that all-important
and much-neglected questionable rearing
and training of children.
| Or. il in the evening. it might be the girls
club. which after some time given to GYM
nastics has little literary and musical
| program of its own; or again, the young
womens club, modelled on similar lines.
In fact, it seems that here, as usual
women shave the best of it," but the boys
in the region are beginning to find it out,
and there is already clamor for ''boy's
club" This little center of life and health
and happiness has but recently taken to
itself the name of the Stimson Industriel |
school. Its work has, however, been car
ried on for many months by the private
charity of two or three women, one of
whom has for years ,voted the greater
part of her energies to the promulgation of
the gospel manual training.
The property and the work has recently
passed entirely into the hands of Mrs. T.
D. Stimson, and through her efforts q soci-
ETY. has been organized and incorporated to
carry on and enlarge it.
Mrs. Stimson proposed to lease the entire
property tor a term of fifty years to the
society. and the latter hopes. by united
and we'll directed effort, to be able to carry
out the aims OF the founders.
The kindergarten is of course the fonn-
dation and will be retained, but it is the in
tention to establish in connection with it a
school for industrial training, where cook
ing, laundry work and sewing shall be
taught, where girls may be trained as
mattresses. where kitchen garden will be
conducted and, if possible. where the rudi-
ments of carpentering and like hand-
crafts may be taught the boys.
This will require considerable
enlargement of the present building and
| the construction of this addition will be
the first work of the society. This will
also provide dormitores for any girls for
whom it seems desirable 10 provide a
|
enough go that recommendations can be
| given. it is intended to establish an intelli-
| gence Office in connection with it.
The aim is a large one, but the need is
correspondngly great.
| 1t is of course not necessary to make a
| plea for manual training to any thought
full human being. Its value, its absolute
necessity and the crying need for it, es-
| pecially among women, is self-evident. 1t
will be remembered that Herbert Spencer,
| lnquiring years ago into our system of ed
ncation, pointed out that we were devoting
nearly all our years for training to acquir-
ing a knowledge of those "miscellaneous
activities" which "make up the leisure
| part of life and that we left almost ELL
tirely neglected that which Is absolutely
essential, that which is of most worth, the
knowledge of those ''activities'' which di-
| rectly and indirectly "mnister to self
preservation
| 1t is just this latter knowledge and that
| of next importance the rearing and edu-
cation of the young-which this society
J hopes to disseminate.
The task is no light one, because it is the
purpose of the society to carry this mes
sage to those who can least afford to do
without it-who could not turn, as too
many OF us do. to some trained specialist
to supply the knowledge which they them
selves lack. To these people this training
must be given without money and without
price.
1t is hoped to raise the money necessary
to carry or the work through memberships
of the society and in the form of voluntary
contributions.
No debt is to be incurred in the work
That is one of the unwritten laws OF the
society. 1t proposes to give only that
which it has. If the work receives the
hearty support OF the public, which it de-
serves, sufficient money can easily be
raised to more than meet all it's re-
quirernents.
Mans duty to his fellow man is more
and mere clearly revealed from genera
ton to generation. In it lies all of religion
and all of love-whch ia charity.
Those who are truly concerned in any
but the most narrow and selfish interests,
will be glad of an opportunity to really dc
| somewhat for the "least of these"