The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-22
From the Chicago Inter ocean)


dressed all in black. gets out OF the car
rage and disappears in the elevator. This
is Mrs Emmons Blaine. the widowed
daughter-in-law Of the late James q.
Blaine. Mrs Blaine is the only wealthy
woman in Chicago who has a regular bust
Yess Office downtown. There she uansacis
the affairs Of her large estate, attends 10
charities and especially looks after the
great undertaking which has come to be
her life work-the building Of the Chicago
Institute. OF the Blaine School Of Pedagogy,
as nearly everybody calls it.
When il was published a few days ago
that Mrs. Blaine had inaugurated the
eieht-hour system Of work among her
household servants the announcement
brought an extra deluge Of letters IN the
weeks mail II took three days Of the
week to open and glance at the letters OF
the people who wanted TO know how the
scheme worked, to suggest that Mrs.
Blaine has five times as many servants.
probably. as the average woman, and that
if she had money to give away she might
send il yours truly" cash or check. But
the fact Is that the eight-hour system OF
serving is not new thing in Mrs Emmons
Dlaine's household. For nearly ten years
Mrs Blaine has been interested in soeio-
logical questions.
help people" said a close friend in dis
cussing the matter. Several months ago,
YES. over a year ago. Mrs Blaine decided
to adopt a regular system Of homework by
which each servant should have so many
hours on duty and the rest Of the time lie
absolutely free for rest, recreation what
ever they chose. The system has sue
ceeded admirably. although there was less
need for il in her house than IN the major
ity Of families Her servants are devoted
to her. and always have been. In adopt
ing the rule Mrs. Blaine made no preten-
si0ns to solving the servant girl ques-
ton, or starting any kind Of a reyolu--
ton. Indeed she does not consider the
plan practicable except with notifications
in families where only one or two servants
are employed"
And has Mrs Blaines plan taken hold
of other society leaders in Chicago"
Hardly" laughed the friend Mrs
Blaine endeavored I believe to persuade
Mrs Potter Palmer, her relative. Mrs. Nc
Cormick. and others 10 try e. but they all
declared that ii would require twice the
ordinary number Of h0usemaids. lead 10 no
end of complications. and probably end n
a labor war and a strike But Mrs Blaine
is taking her own course, as she usually
does and there has been no strike yet
newspapers.
Mrs. Blaine is a woman who is always
ANNOYED when things get IN the papers.
Ordinarily reporters who call at her Off
get as far as the railing ia front OF the
door Then a little private secretary wear
ing a blue shirt waist and talking IN a
very soft voice. takes the newspaper man
in hand and conviEces him Of the error OF
his ways The secretary used 10 be a re-
porter herself but practice has taught her
10 keep things 10 herself as well as II she
had never taken assignments and turned IN
copy. and it is impossible to get past her
guard
Mrs. Emmons Blaine's downtown Office
consists of a suite of two plainly furnished
rooms in the general Offices Of her brothers
OF the Mccormick Company. She has
roll-top mahogany desk. a smaller writing
table, and a big Office chair. When she !
dictates to her stenographer she talks
rapidly. rarely alters a word and de-
spatches business quickly and without any
fussing over details. Like good business
man. she has the faculty Of graspng es-
sentials and transacting affairs correctly Z
in the rough. Mrs. Blaine practically Z
looks after her estate Of several millions Z
for herself But IL is 10 the normal school /
she is building that she gives the most Of I
her time. She knows every detail Of the .
architects plans and she can put her I'm I
ger on the place where every dollar Of her !.
three quarter million. or about that sum. I
VIII 60 She is even as well posted in /
pedagogy as the ordinary school principal, I
and has done a little teaching quietly 4
In order Ito get the practice. II is hint 4
ed that when the school is started she /
may even do some work in instruction, /
for she is devoted to the work. and those |
who know say she is a born teacher |
After Mrs Blaine became interested in I
school questions she looked about for some /
raw material on which 10 try the theories
she had been learning in Froebel and Pes
talozzi and Harris and Parker She col
lected twenty five little waits from tie
streets in the sWarming districts west Of
her handsome house. Every Sunday after
noon they came in to have lessons. and Mrs. .
Emmons Blaine taught the motley class. ]
There were Italians and Poles. Scandi- 1
navians and Greeks. nearly as many ma |
tionalites as children, IN fact. They be-
came devoted to their teacher, although I
il is said that Mrs. Blaine steadily de- /
clined 10 resort to "sugared hypocrisy"
Nobody was toled in with a stick Of candy, |
and things were on quite democratic 1
basis
Chicago Institute is the result Of happy
accident Mrs Blaine began 10 look about
her only child. little boy, now about niEe
years old. That was four years ago. She
visited first one school and then arothe-
None Of them quite suited her She had
Pretty clear idea OF what she thought a
school for children ought 90 be. and she
wanted her boy 20 grow up 10 make Ills
way among other youngsters. for she has
faith IN the people and in the peoples
children one morning she drove out TO
o. 4Fg THs.r sHH. FT. Ea
Chicago Normal. On the way she stopped
at a little book store at the corner Of tie /
campus in Englewood and bought a copy
Of one OF Colonel Parker books. Mrs
Blaine did not introduce herself The
colonel was not al the school that morning
and she walked about from room 20 room !
and observed the work. Next morning
Colonel Parker received letter from Mrs
Emmons Blaine, explaining that she had
visited the school, wished 10 get a teacher
for her boy. etc. She had read the colo
nel's books, she said. and would like TO talk
over school problems with him. Colonel
Parker looked at the signature, Anita
Mccormick Blaine"
I don't think ! ever heard Of her:
guess ! never saw her be said TO him
self Then be asked some OF the teachers
about the visitor. AT first nobody had any
recollection Of her Finally teachers in ]
the first grade remembered a quiet and
rather distinguished looking woman, who
had been in the day before and seemed
very much interested In the work She
asked many questions. and spent consid-
erable time in the library. She was slen-
der, had a bright face and dark eyes and
hair and dressed in black And this was
the little woman who is nov building a
normal school. which is intended 70 be the
greatest training school IN the world for
teachers. and which will cost about
x-ro nao