Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-14
EDUCATIONAL EXHIBIT
1t Occupies the Most Beau
tiful Building at Exposition.
MANY STATES COMPETE
IMPROVEMENT SHOWN IN SCHOOL
AND COLLEGE ARCHITECTURE.
Daily Work in Progress and Lectures
Regularly NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
of Organization Demonstrated.
MANY STATES COMPETE

BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record Herald.
ST LOUIS, October 4, 1904.
This is the first exposition at which educa-
ton has been recognized as an Independent
and important science or industry, as you
may be pleased to term It, At Chicago,
Paris, Philadelphia and elsewhere schools,
colleges and other educational institutions
have been assigned to galleries that were
not required for other purposes But here
they have a department under the direction
of Dr. Howard Rogers, assistant superin-
tendent of education of New York, and
have the most beautiful building on the
grounds These facts have inspired the edu-
cational institutions and all people interest
ed in educational progress to make an ap-
propriate display, and their efforts have
been remarkably successful. The trustees
of nearly all our leading institutions, north,
south, east and west, state, county and mu-
nicipal boards of education have taken great
pains and have made liberal appropriations
to show forth what they have done and
what they are doing, and their exhibits are
among the most interesting on the grounds
Leland Stanford University of California
and the University of Pennsylvania are the
only institutions of Importance in the United
States that are not well represented, and
for some reason they sent no EXHIBITS at
all Washington. the capital of our nation,
is the only city of Importance that does not
appear, which is due to the parslmony or
Congress- and the educational authorities
of Philadelphia. strange to say, seem to
have no pride in their accomplishments, for
their exhibit is insignificant and Is surpass-
ed by half dozen of the country counties
of Illinois
Uniformity of the System.
Thrty-six states have come into compe-
tition. and that which impresses the OBJ
server most forcefully Is the uniformity of
the educational system throughout the
Union and the large amount Of time that
is now being devoted to art and industrial
instruction.
Although. unlike France, Germany and
other progressive European countries, we
have never adopted a national system OF
education, and have left the organiza ton
and management of the school system to
the ability and Judgment of the people OF
the several states there Is nevertheless no
essential difference between the methods OF
California and those of New York. or be-
tween those of Arizona and Wisconsin.
The means and methods of instruction are
pretty much the same throughout the en-
tire country.
Another noticeable and gratifying point
is the marked Improvement in school ar
chitecture, and the greatest degree is no.
ticed in the west. The finest schoolhouses
in the United States are now found in the
newer states, in such cities as Duluth. Den
yer, Seattle, Tacoma, Colorado Springs,
Kansas City. Omaha and other places that
I might mention. School trustees no longer
consider ID necessary to select sites that
are worthless for anything else. and put up
the chea pest buildings possible, but they
are making the schoolhouses of the present
ddy EXAMPLES of architecture they
should be. and evidences of municipal taste
which must have it's influence upon any
community. And the internal arrange
ments and furnishings are now provided
with view to convenience, health and
happiness Schoolhouses in the United
States today we'll built, we'll lighted
and well ventilated. and are provided with
all kinds OF modern conveniences and means
of conveying knowledge Womens clubs
all over the country doing good work
In decorating school rooms and providing
pictures and pieces of statuary for them.
Fine Buildings; Poor Penmanship.
Especially fine specimens of school equip
ment are shown in the Pennsylvania and
Minnesota sections. New York city has
sent models of some of its ward buildings
including the largest schoolhouse in the
world except one in Stockholm, which ac-
commodities 10000 children and is perfect
In all its appointments-ligh air stair
ways, safety from IRE, etc, etc. 1t has a
roof garden, a model playground a GYM
nasium in the basement. where children
may exercise and amuse themselves in
stormy weather. one hundred bath rooms
and twelve big swimming pools
st. Louis shows two excellent models, the
Mckinley High School and the Eugene
Held Elementary School. Chicago and
Cleveland are also well represented The
exhibits from thirty-three states demon
strate the progress that has been made in
the schools OF this country during the
last ten years. and demonstrate that 1t is
not the fault OF the city fathers or state
legislatures II the next generation does
not know more and behave better than
this.
But some of the defects particularly
that of penmanship, are painfully APP
parent. As n rule the pupils in the public
schools of the United States, judged by
the exhibits here. are imperfect penmen.
They do not write as plainly or as grace
fully as the children of Europe, and are
way behind the pupils of the common
schools In the Philippine Islands, which
have only been opened for three or four
years Let those who visit the educa =
tional building look into this. Let them
compare the specimens of penmanship
exhit tied by the several states with those
in the Philippine village. and in the for
eign sections of the educational building.
German Higher Education.
AS said a little while ago, there has
been a notable increase in art and indus
trial education, which you may see Illus
trated in the exhibits OF the Pennsylvania
School of Fine Arts, the Boston Museum
of Fine Art and Normal Art Soho, the
Chicago Art Institute. the st. Louis School
of Art and other institutions of the same
sort The German exhibit is especially
full and comprehensive in this branch of
education, and indeed everything Ger
many has brought to the educat ional
building emphasizes the attention that is
now being given in that empire to deco
rative and industrial art and the applied
sciences. Every teacher and every patron
of art. industrial and technical schools
should inspect the German exhibit care
fully. for II is richer in material, more
comprehensive and original than any that
was ever made. From an educational
point of view 1T is the most Instructive In
the entire exposition. and il not only
shows what Germany is doing in the field
OF higher education. but demonstrates her
superiority over all other nations in this
respect. The most permanent contribu-
ton OF Germany to the educational de-
partment of the exposition Is a series of
four volumes containing monographs
upon the German system -of education,
SY0Ebx ~.