The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1904-05-09
KindsrgaItsns
And Manual Training Discussed
Plea for kindergarten
Association.


had the pleasure and privilege
recently Of attending the convoca-
tion Of Kindergartners Of Texa.
aud to observe the methods and
catch the enthusiasm Of the women
who compose the Free Kindergarten
Association Of Dallas. These wo-
men organized some two or three
years ago and since then have been
doing a beautiful and wonderful
work Until l had this opportun-
ity, had NO idea Of the scope Of
the plans which include the Free
Kindergarten. | confess / regard
ed Kindergartens as a rather senti-
mental fad, or as a result Of moth
ers who didn't want to be bothered
with their own babies nor pay the
price of a competent nursery gov
erness. This is a confession, IN
deed, for now / see how | have
misjudged the Kindergarten and
/ think that if well-intentioned
people could be brought to realize
that what is begun in the Kinder
garten, the developing Of originali-
ty combined with the expression Of
it in making things, is continued
on, in its proper and natural develop
ment, through all the grades Of
public school until, when High
School is finished, the boy or girl
is equipped not only with fairly
adequate English education bat
mas skill in some trade or art with
which TO begin the battle Of life
Then instead Of loafing year or
two until a suitable and congenial
and lucrative job turns up, or go
ing at once into ill-paid, unskilled
labor, boy, if he has any self to
find will have found it, will have
learned how much Of himself may
be put into binding a book or trim
ming box, or deftly forming
things of beauty and utility with
wrought iron
Some one has said that art is the
Joy man takes in his work and /
believe that in the degree in which
he enjoys it and puts his best
thought and effort with il, ins omuch
is it valuable and marketable. It is
the gospel Of the dignity Of labor
which comes of this manual train
ing, begun in the kindergarten. Il
will do more for our nation than
book-learning alone could do, more
than all sorts of theorizing in church
or school room. 1t will reduce tax
alton because it will diminish the
number of criminals. Few boys |
are bad because they wish to be.
Put materials into baby hands and |
show the children Of the poor how
with those hands they can make
things Of service to the world and |
it is the exceptional child whose
pride and interest are not aroused. |
If this stopped with the Kinder
garteD indeed, it might almost as
well never have begun. But carry
it on up through every grade and
the money expended will be bread
cast on the water. Let us tax our
selves for manual education and we
will have to tax ourselves less for
to maintain jails, poor houses and
penitentiaries. This work is for
the class of people for whom pub
lie schools are built and maintained.
1t has long been definitely proven
that public schools pay. Kinder
gartens and manual training pay
equally if not more. 1t may be
some time before Chickasha can
have these features in the public
schools, but a beginning can be
made now by those who like Abou
Ben Adams love their fellow
men"
The Dallas women began in a
small way. Now they have built
a 'Neighborhood House where
the teachers Of the Free Kinder
gartens have a home kept up for
them, and their success has been
such that the public schools will 7
soon absorb their independent Kin 9
iergartens and then they will turn {
o other work for the betterment Of =
he world. They hane found the
.weetness Of working for a worthy a
nd unselhsh end and they will not F
1t. There is always