The National tribune., 1908-12-03

Idom from restraint and an originality,
land carry with them very close ap-
peal to the hearts of the American peo-
pie.
Mr. Andrew Carnegie occupies the
distinction of being the only man In
the world who owns a private bank, a
Iregularly incorporated institution, with
him as the only depositor, and from
which only he can draw out money
This is the Home Trust Company, OF
Hoboken, which is the great steel king
himself, literally and absolutely. This
unique institution in American finance
was organized and is operated simply
for the payment of Mr.. Carnegie's finan-
cial obligations. No other mans de-
posit, if it consisted of millions of dol
lars, would be received. The bank pays
no dividends, but is simply Mr.. Carne-
gie's disbursing office. 1t is the only
trust company in the world which de-
votes itself to one mans business, and
is owned altogether by him. Mr.. Car
negie has not chosen to take the public
into his confidence with regard to his
idea in having his own bank, but 1t may
| be that he harbors certain distrust of
these institutions, and thought 1t safer
to have his own. AS before remarked,
this places the wealthy little Scotsman
|
world. Other millionaires have their
city palaces and numerous country
places. their costly yachts, motors, ETC.,
but nc one else so far has gwen himself
the unusual luxury of a private, per-
Sonal bank.
The popularity of the moving-picture
| show with children is manifested by
the crowds found daily inside and out
side of these places of entertainment.
The price of admission, five or 10 cents,
| is within the means of even the poorest
child, who can usually manage, some-
how, to get that sum, either by beg
ging, stealing or honest labor. Indeed,
| 1t is amazing to see the numbers of
these dirty, ragged little street gamins
| who patronize the moving-picture
shows of our large cities. 1t is amaz-
| ing. also, to see how many of these
shows are to be found in the cities and
towns over the country, New York alone
supporting 4S5. with daily attendance
of 291, 900 children and young people.
To be sure, in New York at least, it is
against the law for the managers of
| these shows to admit any child under
| 16 unless accompanied by parent or
legal guardian, but this apparent diff
Guilty is easily overcome by the sharp
| little youngsters themselves, who gen.
orally have no trouble in finding some
adult visitor willing to buy their tick
cts and take them in when the neces-
sary five or 10 cents frequently dis
played in very grimy little paw is
proffered. The dramatic instinct is
very strong in all children. This is
shown in their games, in their make
believes" in their love of having stories
told and read to them, etc. Their little
brains are full of "imaginings' all the
time. and they crave to see realized
these pictures of their fancy. This
dramatic Instinct is at the root of the
creative impulses and If properly di-
rected and developed is one of the
child's best assets. OF course. children,
whose appetites for amusement and
imaginative stimulus are voracious, en-
joy immensely the moving-picture
show, but it has been pointed out re-
Gently that this sputtery, jerky misrep-
resentation of life is distinctly injurious
to the child. Not only is the eyesight
c Effected. but the mind and imagination
| are confused. and the dramatic instinct
| dulled and deadened. And another great
harm is done the children by the char
acter of the pictures presented. If these
were educational in tendency, repre-
senting foreign scenes, typical of the
land, or characteristic bits of our own
country, such as the life on a great
ranch of the West, for instance, or IL
scenes calculated to arouse in the child
| an admiration for the higher virtues,
| honor, courage, unselfishness, etc, We're
shown their effect would not be so
! harmful, but the moving pictures are
seldom of this kind, and anyone who
has ever looked at the advertisement of
| these places has too frequently been
amused. shocked or awakened to in
dignation by the subjects conspicuously
displayed on their billboards. The
Pretty Dairy Maid or the Mad Mans
Revenge" "The Stolen Sausage" "The
Gentleman Burglar" ''The Gambler"
Oscars Elopement" "The Kitchen
| maids Dream etc, are fair examples
| OF the general character OF the scenes
| represented at these shows And so
great has been the pecuniary success
of the moving picture entertainment
that their managers are now talking of
introducing the phonograph. combining
with the film reproduction of action q
tinny reproduction of voice, a result
which some one has wittily character
ized as canned drama" Since 1t is not
only right but necessary that the nat
ural craving of a child's dramatic in
stinct should be gratified, plea is made
/ by those seriously aroused to the mis-
chief done by the moying-p picture shows
FOR children's theater. The Chill
dren's Education Theater," of New
York, has plainly demonstrated the sue
cess of this idea, and the power of
| simple play on the mind of a child.
The toughest boys of the Metropolis
sat spellbound, listening to Little Lord
Fauntleroy" when that play was pre-
sented in this theater some time ago.
Whenever plays have been given on its
stage hundreds of boys and girls have
been turned away, unable to get a seat.
| There Is no doubt whatever of the an
| peal of the play over the moving pic
ture. nor of the fact that the children
would gladly desert the halls of the lat
ter If the other form of entertainment
were provided for them. There is a
great future in the children's theater
| BY carefully directing the child's imae-
| NATIVE life thru the symbolism of the
drama enthusiastic allegiance to prin-
ciples of truth, valor, loyalty and all the
virtues which make up splendid man
mood or womanhood will unconsciousIy
be instilled. Down with the moving
picture show, then, for our boys and
girls, and up with the children,s thea
| ter!
| Mrs. Russell Sage's recent gift of s25.-
200 TO help along the movement to es-
tablsh colored college in Kentucky
as branch to Perea College is another
| Illustration of the wisdom of her gfv-
ing. Three hundred and fIfty thousand
dollars from outside sources have AL
ready been contributed to this object
leaving only about $50. 900 for Kentucky
TO raise, which 1t is not Anticipated will
give the State much trouble The new
coiiege viii be modelled after that ad-
1