The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1906-04-06
ONCE TEE SOUP SCHOOL,
BUT NOW 1T HAS A MORE DiGNI-
FLED NAME.


Classes of Society Work Together.
Right in the heart of New York
city, where aristocracy is striving
with anarchy, capital with labor, opu-
lence with simplicity, there is a school
with 500 pupils all working together
to train heads and hands to become
good citizens, whether boys or girls;
to become good workers, whether law
yers or carpenters; to become earnest
home-makers and State builders, weth-
er rich or poor
1t has ta4cn thirty years of evolu-
ton, says The Craftsman, to bring
the school up to its present idea of
democracy-thirty years of changes
of experimenting with theories, of
testing principles. 1t was begun in
the first place by Professor Adler
wholly as class school-of the poor
est class. 1t was started in the Gas
District, one of the worst Stun Sec
lions of New York Children were
allowed to attend mainly because soup
was served to the hungry little appli-
cants for knowledge. Out of this
condition grew its first tide, "The
Soup School," then as the children
became interested it enlarged into
the dignity of ''The Poor Mans
Schoop'-still class distinction. The
final evolution was to the present title,
the Ethical Culture School, founded
ON democratic principles-a school
full of the spirit of friendship and
helpfulness frankly declaring itself
against commercialism, luxuriousness,
pleasure seeking-a school for per-
sonal progress and to help the prog
ress of the world
DR.. Felix Adler is still the daily in
spiration and helper of this school,
as well as the soul of the whole
Ethical Culture movement in this
country.
History is taught by enabling the
children to live through the different
periods-weaving, sewing or modelling
as the Egyptians or Early Romans or
American Indians did.
American history is specialized for
all the children in the lower grades,
and in every branch of work prepared
for them Indian life figures prominent
ly. In the manual training shops they
make tents and canoes; in the domes-
tic science classes they have absorb
ing times building camp fires as In
dams built them by striking fire from
flint; IN due time they cook the corn
and eat it, and then their atten-
tion will be called to the way in
which Indian bread differs from mod
ern bread, and also to the many
changes in comfort of living that
have been brought about by improv-
ments in industrial arts.
At the same time in the fine art
classes they model dishes of all sorts
from old Indian pottery and decorate
them with primitive designs. They
weave Indian baskets in shapes and
colors that squaws used long before
Columbus came over and upset pleas
ant primitive ways. After they have
built wigwams decorated with totems
and woven rugs fer, the wigwams,
modelled pottery for kitchen utensils
and make themselves stone imple-
ments of war and industry, have
evolved an Indian festival for which
they have in fine arts class designed
costumes and painted scenery, have
for that written play from some in
cident in Indian history, they are
not likely ever to forget the Indian
in his relation to the development
of the country, and the degree in
which he has contributed to both fine
arts and industrial arts. Simultane-
ously the grammer school rooms are
teaching the home life of the Indians
and their methods of government,
their Importance as race and their
relation to other nations. And SO
history is taught from grade to grade,
with an overwhelming range OF sub
jects to meet the growing interests
of the children.
From being a good worker boy
or girl learns to be a good scholar.
If conscience is necessary in making
a boat, why not in learning to spell
or write If concentration is impor-
tant in thinking out a scheme to run
a water-wheel, why not in doing math-
ematics in the class room? If a
girl is neat and tidy in making a
dolls cradle in the carpenter shop,
why not be neat and tidy about her
dress at home, about any housekeep-
ing that falls to her lot in helping
her mother? If the value of time is
learned in bridge building. in ath-
letics, in garden making, why should
not the Importance of estimating
time carefully be acquired for all of
life?
Children are trained in the carpen-
ter shop, in the machine shop, in the
wood-carving class. to see that bad
work is unfair to themselves and to
others, that Sinking or hiding defects
is dishonest and that it is as neces-
sary to be frank and manly in bust
ness as it is in play; that there must
be ethics in good craftsmanship. and
that all ethical instruction is accumu-
g h