Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1901-06-21
SOMETHING NEW.
Showing a Few Object Lessons in
the Humane kindergarten.

mere hard fact. But ever since cleo
tricity girdled it, it has been to the
mental vision a vast plain, with an
extent of two hundred million square
miles, from the very center of which
rises a high mountain from whose
very top the seer may daily observe
the whole.
With such an area for observation,
it would be strange if there were not
always something notable to report,
and this morning what especially
catches our eye is a point in the city
of New York. There lives in that
city a lady who is not only a lover of
animals, but willing to work and
make personal sacrifices to show her
affection. So great has always been
her sympathy with horses especially,
that, speaking in the metaphorical
sense common to poets (and are not
lovers and philanthropists poets0 she
laughingly declares that she was
"born in a stable"
This lady, Mrs. Myles Standish,
having country place in the Berk-
shire Hills, was especially impressed
by the thoughtless and ill-instructed
treatment of horses among the rich,
and casting about for some means for
helping this, she was inspired to
gather some of the boys Of the neigh
borhood into her own stable and in
struct them in the needs and proper
treatment of these good friends of
man.
The experiment was successful,
and, as every idea with life in it may
grow, this small beginning became a
movement in New York, which has
for its aim the conversion to humane
methods of thinking and acting, of
the entire generation.
The movement has nothing to do
with schools; its founder and her
helpers may be said to have simply
gone into the streets, picked up the
children and organized them into an
army of workers under the name of
"Our Animal Protective League" 4"
This army is divided into chapters,
Of which the lastet report describes
seventeen with such names as, "Tiger
Chapter" "Young Defenders" :"
''Knights of the Round Table" Z"
"Dewey Chapter" "LiOness Chap
ter" this chapter consisting of girls
and, beautiful to relate, there is a
"Deaf-Mute's Chapter"
Each chapter has a grown person
to lead it, so that it is thoroughly or
ganized and managed, with regular
meetings and much enthusiasm. In
deed, in the report it is stated that
"thousaDds could at once be admitted
to the membership Of the league, but
they could not yet be taken care Of or
properly organized. In the mean
time the league seeks to make every
chapter member a responsible, active
and expert force in practicing and
spreading kindness to animals. Ev-
cry member, besides having a thor
ough training in general humane
methods, the care Of dogs, cats, ETC.,
is taught by actual demonstration all
the points of harness and Harvesting,
and is on the alert for tight check
reins, improperly adjusted harness,
and badly shod or overloaded horses,
at the same time seeking courteously
to have the fault remedied, without
fOrmallyreporting it, where possible. "
Into this league are imported all
sorts Of elements of interest, which
seem to make Of each chapter a real
club; and within it are a baseball
club with a number of teams; a gleG
club under direction of Mr.. Henry
Burleigh, soloist at st. Georges; a
scrap book committee which pastes
animals pictures into books and pre-.
sents them to the children's hospitals
And there is a swimming club. A
t'field club' is to make nature studies
in country in summer outings.
Actually, the chapters expect tC
camp out for some weeks this sum
mer. This organization costs some
thing. Besides a great deal of work
there was expended for it last yeal
over five thousand five hundred dol
lars.
Now, what have their promoter
got for their money? Practically q
great, growing, ramifying society o
children, a society filed with inter
esting pursuits and eompaniOnships,
and founded upon the principle o
loving kindness to all living crea
lures.
These children are, according t.
the proverb, the fathers (and mothers
Of very large number Of the coming
men and women Of New York. ART
they not certain to be a real factor in
raising the grade Of its civilization?
Is there any city with population
too highly humanized TO need thii