The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-10-08
WOMAN'S WORK
IN THE CITIES
NEW YORK WOMAN CONCEIVED
IoEA OF CITY history cLus.
INTEREST SPREADING.

IL not very long ago nat Scv
York woman In her leisure moments. 4
thinking over the pas, history os her F.
city. 70, achievement Us srsat cit
i2cns. its romance all t1a. makes .
the carly years Of IT. lt' interesting
conceived the idea e.. di ipaiu-
the apathy that make, .t, present
inhabitants so dead % much 'hat
Is valuable and inter sting. by
founding a city history club" which
should De- devoted tp study ot
what those who loyD DO Oal "Utfic
old Ncw York" Mr. Robert Nlae
went ahead with liU.. encourage.
W,n' from the usual .Wu,auUa of
knowledge. She and De-. ,..,uGs :c5E
ed up sites OF his;ori, events. studied
old documpnt, laid away FOO city ar.
chiyr-. learned much ot old history.
I'D families. old wor.Hi,s. refresh.
cd themselves as to old Laws, iu
short, busted thcmsely, jn acquir
ing information anyWh,~. and ever,
where possible.
The club grew apic, Colonial
danes showed an intor,.t teachers
organized and instructed classes of
children. who were much delighted.
Indeed. children, and particularly
those OF immigrant. came once
week 10 study the different phases
of New York City one very sue.
ccssfu teacher turned the study of
history into play and her pupils
played they discovered Manhattan.
that they traded with The Indians.
mapped out the city went through
its struggles during the revolution.
Clubs were organized by these
young citizens; they we're made mp
of boys and girls who cam" MP 10
certain standards. None could JON
bu' those who studied and worked
Once in the classes th. enrolled
members were expected To- hr self.
reliant little citizens. Nothing was
given TO them except uo,c books. Of
ten made OF brown paper In these
notebooks the results of their study
were to b, neatly entered. For x.
ample, the first club organized p
Harlem was taken on AN oNeurs,Dn
to Harlem Heights. There ON M'
historic spct. the story Of the Bat'r
OF Harlem Heights was told TO ,hcm.
They explored the ground hen.
selves. and how real the jhiug b..
came 10 them was shown 10y 'hclg
note books. brought To Tho teacher
the next week. one boy had r;,7
made a drawing 20 illustrate n.
notes Each scholar whose notebook
was satisfactorily posted received a
picture which was pasted into the
notebook. In this way, what with
lecture and excursion. map and SIC.
~ and poem, and pic,uro 10 Illus.
reward Whenever possible. the note.
books ol each class grew to De really
valuable things and were recognized
and priced as such. The different
club, soon began to compel. and
yearly exhibitions were hcld
There are now fifty city history
classes registered in one year o,
children averaging Is years OF age,
and all interested.
These children have the history of
the city at their tongues ends and
ear take less wen informed grown.
ups to historic sites The prizes they
contend for are historical works, and
the judges OF their themes are not
their teachers but outside persons
men and women iutcrosJcs IN trn
movement what We're the children
that made mp the first classes au.
now men and women who have "G;
dropped their enthusiasm I'm city his.
tory aud city welfare.
The interest IN this line o. work
has spread u other cities. al lal.
not mine Of rich history ro draw
upon like Now York. but thc newest
can make themselves examples g..
/ civic virtue II they will They .au
show clean politics, woll-coudGctod
city government. wcll laid our and
clean streets, parks and Fairgrounds,
/ public buildings that are nrcdi
to the town, fine schools. free from
political control. This can bc done
/ and is under way in more than ono
city