Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-01-30
.S[ARCHL|GHI CLUB
HEARS MISS adams
Head of Hull House, Chicago,
Lectures Before Large Audi
ence on City Life
CHANGED SOCIAL CONDITIONS
Miss Adams Gave Interesting Address
on Phases Of Social Settlement Work
Before Largest Audience Ever As
sembled at Y. M. C. A. Building -
Members Wives Attend.
CHANGED SOCIAL CONDITIONS

Before the largest audience that ever
assembled in the Railroad Y. M. c. A.
building, Miss Jane Adams, head OF
Hull house, Chicago, Tuesday night de-
livered an interesting and instructive
lecture on changed social conditions of
the large cities, especially as they re-
fer to Chicago. Miss Adams lecture
dealt in part with the work being done
| by social settlements, and others, to
better the conditions Of those living in
the densely crowded quarters of the
city.
For the first time since the annual
meeting of the club, last spring, ladies
were admitted to the lecture and the
supper which preceded it. One hun
dred eighty-five were served by the
members of the ladies' auxiliary in the
auditorium. The gymnasium, In which
Miss Adams lectured, was filled to it's
capacity.
"chansins Ideals Of Municipal Lite"
In the limited time in which Miss
Adams spoke she was, of course, only
able to give glimpses Of the vast move
ment which has gained ground so rap
idly during recent years for the better
ing Of conditions of the poor. and OF
those who are crowded into densely
populated sections of the city. The
work is too broad for her to even more
than suggest the more prominents and
pronounced features of 1t. She dealt
not only with what is being done by
social settlement workers, but also by
the city itself.
Miss Adams explained, in opening.
that standards Of living were changed
in the crowded districts Of cities, by
reason of the fact that the population
was SO dense, and that to handle the
situation different methods were rap
idly gaining vogue which were un-
known and unthought Of not many
years ago. She said that people be-
gan to study the human side OF the
conditions, and changes made and now
going on were the result.
One of the pronounced moves for the
betterment of social conditions In
south Chicago, brought about by the
park commissioners Of that section of
the city, was the opening OF fourteen
small parks. These parks provided a
suitable place for the children to con-
gregate and play, and because they
furnished an outlet for their activity,
they were kept from the streets and
from breaking into petty crime. The
lessening number of arrests in that
section Of the city in one year since the
parks had been opened, she said, was
evidence of their usefulness.
1.-THE city" Miss Adams said, "has
recognized. that the children have a
place." She referred to the work the
Juvenile court is doing In comparison
with the results Of the jurisdiction Of
the criminal courts in the handling OF
children arrested for petty crimes. She
referred to the interest some Of the
cities have taken in the care of those
afflicted with contagious diseases, and
the means being employed to prevent
their spreading. She referred espec-
tally to the effort being made to isolate
and cure persons in the early stages Of
tuberculosis.
A phase of social settlement work,
which has gained foothold among the
factories, where places for social In
tercourse and recreation are being pro-
vided to those that are without them,
because Of the conditions under which
they are compelled to live, was also
upon.
Miss Adams spent almost half an
hour answering questions which were
put to her relative to different phases
Of the questions she had discussed
Before Miss Adams began President
L. F. Kellogg Of the club, introduced
DR.. E. A. Steiner, who spoke briefly.
and in his Enthusiastically happy
fashion introduced Miss Adams.
Sketch OF Miss Adams.
Miss Adams is one OF the best
known social settlement workers Of
the country. She is the founder OF the.
Hull house, the pioneer Of social settle
ments in America. Miss Adams was
born in Cedarville, ILL.,, September s.
1860. In 1877 she entered Rockford
College, graduating in 1881, and then
went to Philadelphia to study medi-
cine. A serious illness prevented her
her studies, and she discon-
tinued them, and went to Europe IN
1884. While in England she became
greatly interested in Toynbee Hall, the
famous London settlement, and when
she returned to American social set
Element work was uppermost in her
mind. With Miss Helen G. Starr, Miss
Adams in 1888, founded social set
Element in the former residence Of
Charles r Hull at Halsted and Polk
streets. Miss Adams is widely known
as writer, and is member Of the
Chicago board of education.