The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-16
KINDERGARTEN IN YAMACRAW.
A MEMORIAL By MIR. 6. J. BALDWIN
AND SISTERS TO THEIR PARENTS.

Heart of saVannah's West side.
Its Purpose 10 Raise the Morals
and Mental Tone OF Yamacraw ny
BEGINNING with the Children.
The Charity 10 BE on the PI~n OF
the Louisville Free Kindergarten.
Miss Martha Backus VIII he In
Charge-Her Work in the West.
Right down In the heart Of Yamacraw,
which may well be called Sayannah's
| missionary fed, there will be established
In the fan. a free kindergarten-a sch2oi
for the training in the principles OF truth
and right. and for the mental develop
ment OF The childish mind. SO that in after
| years it may be better prepared 10 receive
the lessons that life teaches
Il will be the Baldwin Free Kindergar-
ten founded and supported by Mr. George
J. Baldwin OF this city and his TWO SIS
ters. Miss Nellie II. Baldwin OF Savan-
nah and Mrs. w. I. Mccoy of South Or
| anga n. J.. as a memorial to their par
ents, and it's objects viii be to raise the
moral and mental tone Of Yamacraw, by
| beginning with foundation principles 70
be applied to the child.
| Mr.. Baldwin and his sisters have con-
sidered the matter for some time, and
thore being at present no such institu-
tion in Savannah. they came to the con-
clusion that this would be the most salts
factory and successful means of accom-
| pishing results which viii be of great
value in years to come
| IL will be free kindergarten on a new
/ basis, a branch so to speak Of the Louis
/ Vile Free kindergarten Association which
/ has IN recent years applied entirely new
/ principles TO The training Of the youthful
| mind. 1t has discarded that which was
useless IN The cd time kindergarten sys-
| tens, and has aided 10 II many important
/ features which tel in the results obtained.
| As an example Of what has been ttained
/ IL Is stated that in San Francisco where
! they have been in use Tor some years, not
! one per cent Of the kindergarten children
! nave ever been in jail. Thy are trained
/ mentally morally and physically ana the
result Is they are far Detier prepared fer
the reception OF that education which
| comes but little later IN heir lives.
A very important feature OF the new
kindergarten system, and one which will
| De applied in this case, is the normal
| training school for kindergarten teachers.
| A class of six or eight enter this course,
which extends over Two years and sub
| Jects are studied which give the coming
| teacher the instruction necessary to the
handing Of Kindergarten chddren. This
| course includes studies in psychology,
| history OF pedagogy, the Delsarte system
design work and other branches
w men young women graduate from TINS
| normal training class they are prepared
| to take up any branch of kindergarten
| work. Not only that, but they also aid
| in the work Of inStructng the children
| while prosecuting their own studies. In
| this way a much larger number OF chill
dren can be handled in the kindergarten
| than would be the case with only prime
| ipal, or with principal and an unframed
| assistant
one Of the most important things that
| had to be looked TO in founding an in
| stituton of this kind was the selection
| of a principal For this work Miss Martha
Backus has been selected. Miss Backus,
| who Is a Savannahan, has made a thor
| ough study of the Louisville kindergarten
| system, and not only that, but she has
| had that practical experience which en-
inently qualified her to take hold of this
work aud to develop it successfully.
Miss Backus was one of the most I'M
portant factors in the development Of the
kindergarten in Columbus, where she has
| Taught for several years, and there she
was placed In entire charge of the work
having two kindergartens under her SUI
pervislon. The work there having been
established on good and substantial
foundation, she decided to return TO her
home and establish and develop the work
here. In her report of the kindergarten
work for the year recently closed in Co
lumbus, the secretary of the association
there says of Miss Backus:
ITO the great regret of every member OF
the board, Miss Backus declined a re-elec-
ton. Her native city, Savannah calls for
her, and she goes there to take charge of
the Baldwin Free Kindergarten which has
been established, and endowed with a
special view to placing her at the head
OF It. In parting with her we are glad 10
know that kindergarten work ia our sister
city will receive such an impetus as her
training both in school and training class,
viii assure II"
In her own report made at the close
of the year in Columbus, Mss Backus
speaks Interestingly of the work there.
Among other things, she says:
An unexpected tribute to the Kinder
garten comes through an agent who
alraa Hrtr in he Il Ind fnt,
district. He said to some one: Tell the
kindergarten ladies that they don't know
among the children, but the entire settle
meut up here is changed for the better
Some of the mothers tell me with great
| pride that they have influenced others to
send children. One of the women said tc
me the other day, I'm going to Macon
90 live, and the chief reason | hate TO &c
is because my little boy win have 20 leave
the kindergarten, but IL there is a free
one there ] am going TO start him right
off. II is interesting to note the number
2 Of boys in the kindergarten; whenever
: either sex predominates ii is the boys who
are IN he majority, and the work has
the greatest fascination for them. Til:
huenees begin to work on them so much
sooner. Even regular little street urchins
are drawn back day after day in spite
of the amount OF discipline needed to keep
them in order We are delighted 20 note
the number of visitors 90 the klndergar
tens this year. Counting the Children
, mothers. who have come for part of
morning, there have been more than 20a
Next year I hope that there viii he twice
that number, as a days visit VIII GC
more TO give an insight INFO the WORK
than q week Of explanation or argument
While the subject Of manual training 5
+ claiming the attention OF everyone,
would like TO say word of what The
. kindergarten Chi dren have done in tha
& line THIS year. They have woven fancy
baskets and cornucopias, made and deco
y rated cardboard boxes, and made q
5 | dolls house of two rooms OF
I -.bs oh 4
G the carpenteriug and painting, but hav,
= woven carpets for the floor made the wal
v paper designs, and manufactured all I'll,
o cardboard furniture the house contains
They have had garden in the back yard
in which they have done ell the work o
planting and most of that of wedding ans
watering, and at his date the corn is tire,
feet high, and beans beginning to bear
K and each child has had several bunche.
of radishes and turnips to take home
Their delight over this garden and Oh,
. flowers IN the front yard is beautiful I,
see, one little girl fairly danced when sh,
saw the radishes exc.aiming oh Sc,
y what che sunshine and rain have done ?
=. / believe thai this praCtiCal lesson n