Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1925-02-12
10th CENTURY
CLUB MEETSAT
HATCH Home

Before the goth Century club, at
the home of Mrs. w. H. Hatch,
Mrs. R. R. Grosinske gave a re
view of my Garden of Memory :"
The author of this delightful
undergraduates Douglas Wig
gin was born in Maine there she
spent. her happy uneventful child
hood, Her innocent pleasure and
Impressions crop out in all her
books. She takes one along in
her charming way-her visions are
our visions, while her W.T. and
humor are irresistible.
She tells how she slipped into a
seat on the train by the side of
Charles Dickens and of her anus
ing and surprising conversation
with him-just as he was leaving
Portland (Me) after one OF his
public readings. She says. "The
child Of today would hardly be
able to form so instantaneous a
friendship, while | followed the
dictator of my countrified little
heart and scraped acquaintance
confidently with the magician who
had glorified my childhood by his
art"
First Book
Tie back ground of her first
school is shown in "Rebecca of
Sunnybrook Farm" the first of
that del ghtful series of books by
her pen.
When Kate Douglas was seven
teen she took the long trail to
Colorado, chap eroned by two
young men bound for a ranch in
Utah. The boys mixed the bag
gage checks when she arrived at
her destination Instead CT her
pretty dresses, she had collec-
ton of pots and pans and cordu-
roys. 1t took three months. to undo
the red tape and regain her belong
ings. There followed in Californ-
ia a year or two OF enchan ing
sunshine and moonshine, and flow
ers that were a marvel to her.
But stern reality came to her when
her stepfaither died and it was
discovered that unwise land in
vestments had reduced him to
poverty. She otained several
small jobs and sold her first story
for $4,000, a fabulous sum to her
then, which enabled her to tal1eiup
the study of kindergarten work
and in 1876 she organized and
taught the first kindergarten wegt
of the Rockies. She loved this
work and gave herself to it heart
soul and strength, at first alone,
civ 'ng to the youngsters in age
from 3 IL to 2 and numbering
I'D to 100 from the San Francisco
sluins long hours of her time. 1t
was q tremendous and successful
undertaking. 1t was from this be-
gipn t1g that the kindergarten
movement sprung, and which fin
ally spread through California.
From 1876 to 1879 Kate Douglas
did the work of three women
but it broke her health She was
so enthusiastic that even after
many years she declared she
would rather teach % children
than rlay auction bridge. 1t was
IN 1879 hat she went to Concord
and met in the school of PhilOso
My the bright literary lights of
thosa days.
The AIcotts. Emersons. DR.. Will
inn Fllery Charming. B. F. San
born, "The Sage of Concord" and
Tulia Ward Howe. She was
broadening her outlook, and get
ting new dHta for her work. Miss
Elizabeth Peabody. whose sister
was the wife of Nathaniel Haw
home. was known as one of the
rery first persons who had bought
the German kindergar' en- idea to
America.
Married in 1881
In Dec. 1881 Kate Douglas was
married to Bradley Wiggin.
whereupon she gave up her school
70 her sitter Nora though she
still kept her interest and activity
in the kindergarten teachers
rain ing class. Mr.. Wiggin died
n 1889 She was married the
second time to George c.. Riggs
a 1895. after which she took "
authorship in earnest. She had
many talents. gave delightful pub
SC readings from her cooks she
Voc n e,,oIoeef,,J Mo 1yrx-,.fer