The Washington herald., 1911-02-19
Jane Addams, of Chicago,
Holds Unique Place Among
Women Because of Her
Original Development of
Social Settlement Work
Among Varied Types of
Immigrants.

our social settlements is Hun House In
Chicago, and the name of its chief foun-
der, Miss Jane Adams, is undoubtedly
the best known and most widely honored
in the literature of social betterment
In her recently published autobiography,
Miss Adams gives an intimate account
of the influences that contributed to
mold her early life.
She was the daughter Of a good citizen
in little town in Illinois and was her
self the first graduate of what at that
moment, had been changed from Rock
ford School to Rockford College for
women.
The charm with which she draws the
picture of the strong and independent
fathers character, the influence of his
example. the beautiful home life, and
the childs interest in the mill where
her father was master, and the whole
some atmosphere of those simpler days
is wholly refreshing. She touches delight
fully upon the after influences of the war
for the Union, and OF her reverence foH
Lincoln, who was one of her fathers
personal friends. 1t is not too much to
presume that to a great extent Miss
Adams first desires to devote herself
10 social service came from the self-de-
votion and altruism Of her father.
Becomes a Presbyterian.
Miss Adams is one of the largely in
creasing number of American young
women. who, having the advantage of
sufficient means, have been able 10 turn
from school life to the experience Of
foreign travel. Almost sternly independ
Haf-
nitely in the way of Christian profession,
or Of conservation to missionary service
with the church.
It is fine stroke of hers in her charm
ing autobiography where she reveals the
ultimate conviction and devotion which
came as a consequence of self-reproach
for watching a Spanish bull fight, in
which she tells US that she had seen
with comparative indifference FIVE
bulls and many more horses killed"
She discovered in the reaction which
followed that she had been living in
more ideal world. and must discover for
herself some field of practical endeavor.
That evening she and her lifetime work
companion. Miss Starr. laid the first plans
for practical social service in Chicago.
which resulted in the foundation of Hull
House. Out OF that experiment came all
the other experiments in study and
service OF which we know so much, and
out of the struggle for the life of others
came the final decision OF Miss Adams
to Identify herself with the church, in
this instance. one of the Presbyterian
churches in the city Of Chicago.
A Broad-minded Believer.
AS one follows the interesting remi- !
niscences of Miss Adams, he sees that !
sociology and social service are far more
underworld. Genuineness of interest in
immigrants and in the Americanized
children of these sturdy fathers and
mothers is manifested at every turn, and
It is not TO be wondered that Miss
Adams has become the mediator be-
tween misunderstanding and ignorant
souls and the ugly and sometimes un-
indurable environment Of a great city.
Vital Christianity. broad-minded in its at
titude, but clear in its convictions as to
the reality Of the religious life, is the
key which UnlOcks the resources of this
nature, potential with humanity and
human kindness
On the STAFF of Hull House there are
some fifty individuals, of creeds as wide /
ly different as the Unitarian, Jewish, and
Roman Catholic, all working together in |
harmony and mutual confidence. Last |
month Miss Adams appeared before the |
ministers of the city of Chicago, and in |
a characteristic address laid upon their !
hearts the great obligation of Chris |
uanlty to be the salt in the problems of !
city life. Last week Miss Adams pre- |
sented one of the important papers on |
the adjustment of the home and the life |
Of to-day before the Religious Educa-
tional Association at its meeting in
Providence, and here. as everywhere,
her word is listened to with the deepest
attention.
What TOIstOi Taught Her.
Miss Jane Adams wonderfully helpful /
work at Hull House has not been
wrought out easily, nor without mental
and spiritual travail. After an especially
troubled period, Miss Adams was in
vited TO go to Russia, and was taken TO
visit Tolstoi, whose life and theories had
always been an inspiration to her. It
must have been an interesting moment
when these two great human beings
met-the woman slender. modern to her
finger tips. but sad-eyed, with the knowl-
edge of the sorrows of many races. and
the old man, strong, primitive, so identi-
fed with his peasants and his land as to
seem the incarnated soul of Russia.
In recent issue Of McCIure's Maga-
zine, Miss Addams tells, with her inim-
ltable simplicity, the story of the inter-
view and its impression upon her. Her
innate sanity kept her from the peril of
submerging her own Judgment The
conversation at dinner" she saws, land
afterward, although conducted with great
and sincerity, for the moment
stirred vague misgivings within me- Was
Tolstoi more logical than life war
rants? Could the wrongs of life be re-
duoed to the terms of unrequited labor,
and all made right If each person per-
formed tho amount necessary to satisfy
his own wants? Was it not always easy
to put up a strong case IL one took the
naturalistic view of life? But what about
the historic view. the inevitable shad-
lngs and notifications which life itself
brings TO its own Interpretation
Saved by Bread Baking.
In spite of these misgivings. however.
Miss Adams was so Influenced by the {
talk Of the bread labor and the ac I
tual personal struggle for life, that she
planned, when she got back to Hull
House. to work for al least two hours
a day in the recently established bakery /
there. 81 did not quite see how my ac-
tivity would At in with that of the Ger ,
man union baker who presided over the
Hull House bakery, but all such matters {
were secondary. and could, of course. be {
arranged. held to the belief that ,
should do this. through the entire
Journey homeward. on land and sea, until
actually arrived in Chicago, when sud
ienly the whole scheme seemed 10 me
utterly preposterous, as II doubtless was
rhe half dozen people invariably wait q
ng TO see me after breakfast. the piles ,