The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-08-13

For once in history there has been
school which has closed without the
accompaniment of shouts of joy by the
pupils; school remarkable, too, be-
cause the children attending Went
from. half an hour to an hour early,
sometimes without their meals, for
fear of being late, and then had to be
driven home, literally speaking.
This is the Bethel Settlement vaca-
ton school, which has just closed Its
session. The report of the work mas
been written by the teacher in charge,
Miss Blanche E. Atkins, and is of un-
usual interest showing the rare avidity
with which children took up the study
of nature and other subjects attract
lively presented.
The work at the Bethel Settlement
is similar to that conducted elsewhere
this summer, and Is one of the salts
flying results of the efforts of the Min
neapolis Improvement league. Miss
Atkins report is addressed to d. II.
Painter, director of the vacation
schools, and is as follows: T.
Sermons In Stones.
The general aim of the nature STUDY
work during these seven weeks mas oeeh
to awaken or deepen the children's inter
est in and reverence for, the ne IN
common things around them, to the END
that the order and beauty, the inter-
dependence and interhelpfulness In that
life might find a reflex in their lives. In
short it has been to find. some OF the
sermons that lie In the stones, the DOCKS
In running brooks, and the good tnat Is
in everything Owing to the limited tlme,
we have aimed at getting only the broad
underlying principles of the formation and
interdependence of the different forms OF
life and have studied detail only as time
would permit It has been, confined to
collecting and learning to recognize oy
sight and touch few common KINDS OF
..firerock," "waterrock.' leaves Of common.
trees, beneficial and injurious insects and
forms of pond life.
AS much as possible the work has been
done from objects at hand, the neglected
things of common experience. Pictures
and material from far away have been
used only to gain clearer understanding
of some point brought up at home. The
object has been to give the children on
the city streets something, aside from the
bilfboards and intoxicated men, to interest
them and fill their minds. Nor have we
found any dearth Of profitable material.
We began with study of the rocky
layers under our city. following this by
some lessons on the principles OF utility
in plant life; then animal life, as de-
pendent on plants and assisting man; q
little of mans use of these lower forms
In assisting his fellow man, and, finally,
the laws of conduct which have been
proven best for promoting this mutual
assistance.
The great thought continually presented
has been that Of causalty and continual
change; that nothing either 'just hap
pens" or Is permanent; that mosquitoes,
diseases and an unattractive home are not
things imposed by a cruel and arbitrary
fate, to be avoided by chance or borne
with meekness, but are the results of our
or "a an6 lar Ky
yentable by intelligent effort. That II
nothing Is planted, weeds grow, and the
good things in this world come thru eff
fort in accordance with law, not by luck.
There Is a reason for everything-even
the kinds Of rock found in the vacant
lot beside the building are explainable in
their origin
/ Studying Volcano.
A miniature volcano in the room gave
the pupils some idea Of the formation Of
our foundation layers Of hard ''f1rerock."
Then we questioned the great layer Of
sandstone and everything limestone found
in the Mississippi cliffs and learned Of
!; the great sea which once covered our
state. After this seabed had been lifted
We saw the evidences of its being ground
and pulverized by the great ice sheet,
forming the glacial drift, the top soil in
which vegetation was possible.
Beginning with the lichens and liver
worts on the cliffs, we learned how roots
have the power to exude acid. dissolving
the rock. and. thru their own decay, slow
ly forming rich soil ready for the first
farmers planting.
By simple experiments with acid and
marble, burning match, and with oxy-
gen and plants, the work of plants in
forming food and purifying the air for
man to breathe was proven
The work on animals accompanied that
on plants and minerals as opportunity and
material offered, and they were gradually
classified. ahtype Of each class being
studied. We observed, thru the micro
scope, the simple one-celled animals In
impure water, observed some specimens
OF jellyfish from the ocean, studied the
angleworm, SNAIL clam, ,crayflsh frog
the classes Of insects, and by means of
pictures and museum excursions; were
able to classify the birds and mammals
according as their structure showed &dtf-
Serent life habits.
But the greatest emphasis was laid on
the life stories Of the lower forms. espe-
cially the spores in the air and the life
germs present in such startlfngly large
numbers on the hands OF the boy wlA5
'fergot to wash 'em."
In this study many preconceived ideas
nave been changed and new thoughts de
veloped. It was learned how often we
are ignorantly raising flies and mosquitoes
. In our own yards. The insect so much
dreaded by children, lest it sew up their
eyes and ears, is in truth friend-the
MOSQUITO hawk. Every toad is worth sew
eral dollars to "a gardener and, without
earthworns and ants vegetable life womb
soon be impossible.
It has been the hope In this work ana
BOSTON'S LAP DOGS 49,