The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-06
A JANI10R'S JOY
Bremen Schools Fortune in Mr.. "a
bel Who Finds Coy in
His Work" T..
He Builds Stone Curling in Pure
Test for Activity and ~.
Labor. -. -.

Improvement associations are an old
story and of late they have been done"
TO degree that creates in the weary
reader an inclination to skip whatever
comes under that heading. But when
solitary individual, wholly unconscious of
the fact that he is doing anything out of
the common and without the faintest
nope or desire for appreciation or reward,
makes. by the severest personal labor,
permanent public improvements which, if
done in orthodox fashion. would cost the
city large sum, it seems sufficiently
unique to be called another story
The property which has been thus i'm
proved Is the great school yard Of the
Bremen, the largest school in the city, and
the individual, who, unsolicited and UNI
aided, has done the work. Is a ianitor
Two hundred yards of stone curling,
stretching beside the pavement walks
circling the greater part Of the grounds
which We're formerly badly sunken, have
been put In by him, raising the land to a
more uniform level as we'll as protecting
1t from further sinking. This will remain,
as Miss Reid, the principal, suggests, a
lasting monument to the wholly spontans~
GUS energy, industry and devotion of Mr..
label. And the ingenious simplicity with
Which he takes the achievement is scarce
ly less remarkable than the work itself.
Like George Eliot's master workman,
Adam Bede, this German immigrant, who
speaks only broken English, finds that
the keenest pleasure Of work. lies In the
doing of it. IIe enjoys the whole arduous
undertaking from the wheeling Of the
stones, many Of which could barely be
loaded into the wheelbarrow, with which
all the hauling was done, to the digging o;
| the trenches and the setting of the stones
| lie has a friendly feeling for each par
| ticular bowlder, and a specially handsome
strip of granite curbing he regards with a
satisfaction rising not so much from its
| handsome appearance, but because it will
| prevent the walk leading to the chief en-
trance of the building from being covered
| with a drifted mass Of snow and ice next
winter. Some fine elms in the play.
grounds proper, have also been protected
| by the curbing.
1t Is question at the Bremen whether
| the committee of the Comm club tt
inspect school yards paid the building E
visit, though they are not complaining II
the least, and would not even if the socia
| courtesies, a feature outside the regular
curriculum which is proving most popu
lar fall pastime, did not forbid. T.
II seen her and T slinged my hat" tri
umphantly announced a small boy thu
! other day, in reporting to the teacher hi
| rencontre with Miss Reid, who, in orde
| to avoid the fatigue incumbent upon re
| turning a long succession Of salaams
has to practice the indirect Gu
by gazing abstractedly into spac
even though she may be aware tina
there are any number CT embryo Chester
fields Singing de hat So numerous ar
the children that they overflow into al
annex and church basement, and We
halliday sessions in the top and bottom
classes are necessary. The principal
office has been turned into a classroom
too, but Miss Reid feels perfectly con
tented with he present little cubby hole
"Theres too Much to do to leave niue
time to be spent in the Office she says
''besides, we expect that by Christina
some Of us can move to the new McKinle
building, and then our crowding will b
over"
There are 1927 children in. the Brenle
and the principal says there is not a ba
boy among them. None of them smokes
Tor does ony bad things. To quote the JAM
tor, ''They be so gut, efery day list wi
Sunday" =" 49, -: