The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-01


eft of other libraries. I want to say
right here that we have an earnest
up-to-date, broad-minded woman on
the Kinsley school board, to whom we
owe much in this matter. She catered
to the boys in the first purchase OF
books. buying things that would inter-
est them, and next to the primary
pupils. All the fairy world of science,
art, natural history biography ana
mythology is put in most fascinating
form for the children of today, so that
their taste may never be allowed TO
wander in wasteful literary paths.
m ention these things hoping they
may be suggestive to those who can
assist in spreading district school
library ideas in the State Our Kinsley
library is for the benefit of any resi-
dent of the district, and is not confined
to the use of the school children alone.
Districts which have libraries might
exchange them, and by cooperation en-
large their beneficent influence
With your permission will now bring
out my last hobby, or rather the last
one to make it's appearance on this oc-
casion. 1t is the individuality of towns
and communities or what we may term
local color
The same law of individuality or in
dependent expression which makes peo-
pie individually interesting, makes them
| interesting collectively or as communl-
ties. The strong person is the one with
| the distinctive character. 1 wish news
paper women might endeaVor to bring
| out local color in our towns. If there
not mean to paint the town red or any
| thing of that sort You may find an In
something mysterious belonging to some
family living there. Quaint remembrance
and the Oldest inhabitant can recall it for
you. The oldest inhabitant likes TO be
| considered, and he may well be cherlSned
| by those who live in comfort and security
Many places in Kansas Contain Spots of
1 historic interest, and # properly marked
come after us of the tragedy of the pio-
neer, who has made our prairies to bios
| teach love of country than to bring clearly
| to the minds of the young the sacrifice OF
| our children to preserve intact the free
| dom of the land consecrated by our pio-
the symbol of accomplishment or propitia-
| of a historic monument.
1t may be neither expensive or snowy.
All fand ON tb Peee OF natT
Emerson's grave at Sleepy Hollow is
! ing Loweli's humble grave in Mount Au-
burn has a Wei worn pathway made by
! It is the thought of the deed we must
keep in the memory. Patriotism is stimu-
| It fosters love and pride in ones own
town, and through that to the oversoul of
| must be used to prevent patriotism degen-
Grating into a dangerous jingoism. This
| may be done by promoting in the newspa-
! per (Which is really the communal voice..
the habit Of self-analysis applied to our
| is given to learn self-analysis is not apt to
do wrong: 1t is the, unthinl1ing who sin.
If every social action be assayed by the
| moral test, will have real progress
toward higher standard Of civil life: We
| must be very careful in the analysis to
avoid craftsmanship. which spreads its bale
| There are other practical ways Of bring
| ing out the local color in towns, Perhaps
| the town blacksmith does beautiful work
| in iron. If there is the least artistic value
to it, a little encouragement may help him
| to make andirons rivaling the Roycroft
product, which is sought after at Ebert
make lanterns or some other iron product.
Again, you may have some one in your
town who draws carieatures well or paints
our power to develop and encourage home
real talent or indications of it.
Possibly a Kansas town will some day
produce an artist who will make the Kan
! sas prairies as famous as Kensett and In
ness have made the mountalns and the the
paint the procession of the seasons on our
| with wild flowers in summer, radiant with
| all reds and browns and the delicate
tracery OF fsathery grasses IN antum mn a
fective foreground for the glory of western
skies.
In our beloved state we have the spirit
worIds greatest geniuses, and we may yet
| to your people the doctrine that it is not
! tive of either age or foreignness to be ar
| tistically valuable. Americans do not re-
| w
| Raphael and Titan. That Daniel French
as marvellous as Michael Angelo. Let US
! learn to value everything American eX-
for the person among our own people who
can make something with the quality of
a practical value. hot many of our west
ern Kansas towns are beautiful from an
a well built house especially adaptable to
our prairies and distances. make as much
paper. Enlarge upon its desrability with
our vague backgrounds and help
which will make our own towns
as picturesque as the New York and New
are found the retired cow boy or cattle
eastern so bnmorist st Who paints them as raw
loose-jointed individuals with fierce NOUS
gone through much for Kansas and the
ideas of honor and integrity found among
them are good things to inoculate our boys
been among them; they do not think as
they held their property, in herds. as too
many men do. The deprivations and dangers
which they encountered made them alert
thought more Their opinions ON state af-
fairs may be sought after with profit and
they can teach US much thrilling history
Avenues of work and visions of what we
may accomplish for our state will come to
the newspaper woman who realizes her
power a progressive factor in the state.
Sne VIII TASTE one Joy o. Ies.in II Inde sue
has been a means, however nurnbIe OF
producing condition of better living She
Will not accomplish all nor nalI OIL ner de-
sires. Only few developed souls see the
blessed horizon. If she can help the com
munaI life one step nearer its light, that
is enough-.Learn to labor and to watt
No more vital thing was ever said than
that and there is no lesson harder to learn.
The high strung. sensitive woman is in
clined to be impatient of results Possibly
she has the right to be impatient when all
of the materials for the kingdom of
heaven are at hand and Kansas such a
beautiful site for it: but the question is:
will it help or hinder the cause for which
we labor2 So, let each woman ask herself
, ion hRfn G hnnnT1ac
with people or conditions. Public senti- |
ment is not moulded in a day Public emo
he aroused in a short time |