Newark post., 1912-07-03
JANE ADAMS OF HULL HOUSE
Essay Read High School Commencement by Eleanor Bayne Png


hard to become accustomed to the
amending activity and confusion of
IA house constantly filing and re-
filing with groups Of people. The
little children who went to the kin
dergarten in the morning were
followed by the afternoon clubs of
, the older children. and those in
turn made way for the educational
and social organizations of adults
occupying every room in the house
on every evening
When it had first been decided
to take Hull House, it was said
that it would be out of the stream
Of normal activity. On the con-
trary. long before the end of the
first year. it became attached to
various public bodies. for it was
impossible to secure the smallest of
the much-needed improvements
without an appeal to public con
science and to organized bodies of
government.
The first building erected for
the house was designed for an art
gallery. it contained a reading
room on the first floor and studio
above: the largest space on the
second floor however. was care
fully designed and lighted for art
exhibits which had to do only
,,-,th th. .,,1t, nf that y.-b oh
appealed to the powers of enjoy
ment rather than a wage earning
capacity. The visitors who came
to the Hull House art exhibits. dis
played a genuine enjoyment and
enthusiasm. This art gallery en-
bodied a new attitude toward the
immigrants. One Italian expressed
great surprise when he found that
the people at Hull House. although
Americans. still liked pictures.
and said that he did not know
that Americans cared for anything
but dollars-that looking at pic
lures was something people did i'll
/ Italy. but not in Chicago.
The Hull House Woman's Club
very early in its history found
what was called. A social eXten-
sion committee. which at least
once a month gave parties to the
people in the neighbOrhood who
for any reason seemed without
much social pleasure.
The social value Of the coffee
house and the gymnasium built
the same year were quickly de
monstrated. From the beginning
the Young peoples clubs had ask
ed for dancing. and nothing was
more popular than the increased
space for parties offered by the
gymnasium with the chance to
serve refreshments in the room be-
low. The coffee-house gradually
performed mission of its own
and became something of a social
centre to the nei"hborhood as well
/, as a real convenience. Business
men from the adjacent factories
and school-teachers from the near
est public school. used it increas-
ingly.
The end Of the first five years
found Hull House with a group of
four buildings: the old house it.
: self. which was occupied by the
residents and used for the infor-
, NAL social gatherings; the Butler
, Building. which for three years
= contained Il reading-room support
= ed by the Chicago Public Library
on the first floor and an art gal,
] lpry and studio on the second: a
1 large building attached to the
? back OF the house which held the
t coffee-house and quarters for the
- mems club room and the gymna.
! sum: the children's house which
To- sheltered the kindergarten and
= the day nursery the music schoo
g ON the ton floor and a boys cluI
, ON the first: two rented houses
= the one on Polk street. housing the
I first new residents Of the settle
= ment. and the one on Ewing stree
| containing the Jane club. a self
e governing club of working girl
b which had been started IN th'
T. third year Of the history OF HUI
House. and which continues nov
5 in handsome club house bull
e expressly for It's needs.
$ The old story of the head Of al
= orphan asylum who prayed tha
/ the Lord might send him man!
e orphans the next year so that n
Il could add new wing to his III
II stitution can never be applied T.
q Hull House. although the numbe
y of buildings has increased steadll.
$: year by year.
I & a