The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-11
HELP THE CHILD.
How One Man Made School Room
Place Of Beauty.


One Topeka man has awakened to the
fact that the school rooms where the chill
dren OF the city spend nearly three
ao1TLas o. GaeIr Ens need certain
That man IS J. ". Gleed. WHO has made
a model school room OUT of the Polk
street nrSL grade room There Is uOE1-
ing elaborate or striking about il, but
everything IS modest, harmonious and ele-
teacher as Well There IS & marked con-
trast between thai and nearly every
e~a e71fT51aSs 81 an ,i2od-afior EXCEPT an
when she became tired II was Testful just
to 20 into that room and feast her eyes
on the fresh walls and dainty pictures
der are 81 a pale green ingram paper
which extend around all four sides Of the
room. are Of a sage green paper; the win
green. the whole making = harmonious
on the walls are a number Of good pic
lures IN substantial dark wood frames
scene Street IN Venice. St Marks Ca
rhedraI and IAndseape- There are two
In color and design they are slightly
poster-like: there IS = morning and an
evening scene. and q story IS 20 be learn
the Others are all Photographic copies
OF pictures by celebrated painters Among
the best known are. aurora by Guido
REM M9rher and enid by Mille[ Ra-
ph4eks S1sEne Madonna. Ba6y STUART
and Charles II Of England BY Van Dyke.
The Runaway Cow Uy DUpr6- t1rtSE
Head BY Hoffman and The Shepherdess
BY Lerolls few mlsceLlaneous pic
T-EeS aEe * 7 1lEed
Family The White Cow and The Nest
These are all subjects that VIII appeal
i their love OF the beautiful Is cultivated
then il will remain with them. no matter
what their home environments are
The club women have Tor some time
been agi-aclng the question OF the cooper
Eaagrifvfug Of the school rooms bur Mr.
Gleed Is the tirsl man % put the question
Of the teachers and the happiness Of the
little ones in that room count for any
II other parents would visit the school
rooms of their children and see their fur
nIshiEgs- they would doubtless be only
700 Wiling to follow the example set by
Air GIeed said when asked about this
Our children spend i've hours every
school room These are the Impression
able and formative years If all the
Il E0I1I5 81 - 1I7t-a N - i41c4
ton. without having devoted any special
time 70 the subject But a mere knowI-
edge Of the great pictures IS not the great
advantage 10 De gained by beautiful
school rooms Noble and beautiful pic
lures looked at for ten years by q child
viii have powerful effect IN producing
school rooms sRo1Id Be strractiTe. theV
Bare walls and bIackboards inspire neither
thought nor emotion School room walls
should De cheerful and restful in color
Proper color on the walls saves the eyes
Of the children, and portraits OF great
men and women copies of the most beau
tifuI paintings. casts Of the greatest
sculpture not only make the room at
tracrive and give the children pleasure.
s bug they exert a constant though silent
influence on character.
The fitting up OF the first grade in
Polk school has been done mainly 70 show
how much can be accomplished at 4 small
expense IN Chicago the Public School
Art society has been formed. and IL now
owns something like 5000 pictures which
hang on the walls OF the public school
rooms. Some Of these rooms have been
fitted up Sy single patrons and some BY
contributions gathered by the society at
large The idea is thai there should be
in every ward something in the way Of
a art gallery. and that art gallery should
De the public school room II IS marvel
Gus how cheaply the Photographic repro
auctions Of great paintings and the plas-
ter reproductions Of great statuary can
be purchased Al this time
Pictures should not be slowed away
in private residences where few can see
them If anybody profit by good
pictures. children can, and If anybody de-
serves cheerful and attractive rooms IN
which TO labor II IS our public school
teachers whose service 10 the public gets
50 little of the appreciation II deserves