Springfield weekly Republican. [volume], December 01, 1910, Page 12, Image 12

About Springfield weekly Republican. [volume] (Springfield, Mass.) 1851-1946

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12
NEWS OF SCHOOL AND COLLEGE
SECRET SOCIETIES ABOLISHED.
With Admisaion ot 1013 Societies Will
Cense to Perpetuate Themselves.
The question of the wisdom of the exist
ence of secret societies at Mount Holyoke
has for some time demanded the earnest
and thoughtful consideration of both un
dergraduates and alumnae. A year ago
this fall an intersociety committee of
alumnae was appointed to investigate the
society conditions at Mount Holyoke and
other women’s colleges and to consider
carefully all the arguments advanced in
opposition to societies.
Last January a conference of society
alumnae, delegates from the active chap
ters, and a committee of the faculty was
held to t<Vk over the situation. After the
spring vacation a request came from the
alumnae, asking that a committee be ap
pointed at college to work on plans for
society reconstruction. Accordingly a re
construction committee was appointed,
which was composed is un<lergra<!naTcs,
two representatives, a >r and a .nitiior^
from each of the five societies and two
nonsocietv members of each of the four
classes. This committee, after a thorough
and impartial review of the situation, drew
up a detailed report of the questions con
sidered and the conclusions decided, upon,
recommending at the close of the report
that societies be nonperpetuating. This
recommendation was accepted by three of
the five active chapters, and a printed
copy of this report was sent to all society
alumnae, who were asked to vote “yes”
or “no” upon the following question: “Are
you willing to accept the recommendation
of the college reconstruction committee?”
Out of 537 alumnae society members. 185
voted to reject. 124 to accept the recom
mendation of the committee.
President Woolley requested the under
graduates to remain a few minutes at the
close of the chapel service Saturday morn
ing. while she presented the matter, re
viewing some of the facts above stated and
reading the following report of the faculty
committee appointed to consider the ques
tion of secret societies: —
The committee of the faculty appointed
by the president to meet the alumnae so
ciety delegates, and to consider the ques
tion of secret societies, presents the follow
ing report: First. The reconstruction
committee, composed, ar the suggestion of
the society alumnae, of eight nonsociety
girls representing all the classes, and W
society girls representing all the societies,
cast a formal vote. 16 to 2. that societies
in Mount Holyoke college cease to per
petuate themselves. Second. Three out
of the five active chapters formally voted
to accept the recommendation of the re
construction committee. Third. Out of
537 alumnae society members. 185 voted
1o reject. 124 to accept the recommenda
tions of the reconstruction committee.
On the basis of this vote the alumnae
society committee in its report recom
mends the continuance of societies on the
present basis and the formation of new
similar groups. It also recommends that
a joint committee, composed of under
graduate society members and of mem
bers of tbe faculty, be appointed to su
pervise details of management. Therefore
although the society alumnae voted by
a majority of 61 to perpetuate secret
societies, in consideration of the following
facts: First, that the intersociety alumnae
committee, tn wishing to maintain the pres
ent basis by which new members are
chosen, fails to meet the objections
rais^k as to the principle involved in
ihe ^Pesent organizations; second, that
the faculty opinion as indicated in an in
formal vote is opposed to the principle
of secret societies, and third, that the
undergraduate ojiinion as registered by the
reconstruction committee, and so registered
by the vote of the secret societies, is op
posed to the principle of such organiza
tions—we. the members of the committee,
recommend to the faculty that with the
admission of 1913 the secret societies of
Mount Holyoke cease to perpetuate them
selves.
The committee also makes the following
recommendations: First, that the faculty
put itself on record as opposed to all
organizations at Mount Holyoke college
which are secret, exclusive, and self-per
petuating; second. that the faculty express
its appreciation to all members of secret
societies for bringing to their delibera
tions upon these matters sincerity, courage
and consideration for the general good.
These recommendations were acted on at
the regular November meeting of the fac
ulty. The first recommendation. “ That
with the admission of 1913 the secret so
cieties of Mount Holyoke cease to per
petuate themselves.” was adopted by a
vote of 59 to 5. The first part of the sec
ond recommendation was accepted by a
vote of 58 to 4. and the second part of this
recommendation by an unanimous vote.
President Woolley, after announcing the
decision of the faculty, expressed her ap
preciation of the attitude of the members
of the societies in the whole matter. They
have shown much altruism and real hero
ism. trying to consider fairly a question
in regard to which their personal feelings
were so largely on one side. Their beauty
of spirit has been an encouraging evidence
of the stuff of which college women are
made. President Woolley urged the stu
dents to show their loyalty, devotion and
love for Mount Holyoke by their attitude
toward the decision of the governing body
of the college, which it believes is a wise
decision for the future of the college. The
college surely means more to every student
than any organization in the college. Presi
dent Woolley expressed her confidence that
the members of the student body, to whom
she has never appealed in vain during the
16 years of her presidency, will in this in
stance also show that they are worthy to
be called daughters of Mount Holyoke.
The opinions expressed since Saturday
morning by the students, both society and
nonsociety girls, in informal talks among
themselves, indicate that President Wool
ley is not mistaken and ..that the students
—without considering their personal sym
pathies in the matter—will gladly accept
what has seemed to the faculty a wise
decision for the good of the college. The
students are. as ever, very loyal to Presi
dent Woolley, and expressions of admira
tion for the tact and consideration which
she has shown in the whole matter and
particularly in the presentation of the de
cision. of the faculty Saturday morning,
are frequently voiced.
ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT JORDAN.
Head of Lelnnd Stanford t'nlveraity
Declare* at Mount Holyoke College.
The students of Mount Holyoke college,
who are always glad to welcome President
David Starr Jordan of Inland Stanford
university. California, were particularly in
terested in the address on '‘'Die blood of the
rations.” which he gave Friday evening in
the chapel, for President Woolley, who is
vice-president of the American peace soci
ety and a member of the council of the
American school peace league, hns been able
to arouse in Ilie students much of the inter
est which she herself feels in the cause of
international peace.
President Jordan said that the life of
every wild animal is a tragedy. They never
die a natural death. The same was true of
men in the early history of the world. Soon
er or later they were murdered. Now the
only remnant of this system, the on u relic
of barbarism in England and America, is
the so-called right of wnr. People feel that
war is the natural way of settling disputes.
They believe that war is a strengtheuer of
the nations, which is necessary for the de
velopment of patriotism But war does not
accomplish any of these things. Every war
comes through the evil passions of men.
Deeds of heroism are performed wherever
there are heroic people, and heroic people
have other ways of manifesting their hero
ism than in war.
President Jordan then spoke of some
of the horrors of war and the immense
war debt of various countries. Europe
has a war debt of 24 billions of dollars,
a debt which it can never hope to pay.
The interest on this debt, 144 billions year
ly, is paid largely by the workingmen of
Europe. The nations feel that they must
have warships to protect and develop
their trade interests. Yet the trade of
Switzerland in proportion to its popula
tion is three times as great as that of
Germany and England. But in spite of
these facts people still maintain that war
strengthens a nation. It is strange that
Turkey, which has had more war than
any other country, is not one of the lead
ing powers of Europe, and that Canada
and the I'nited States, which haVe had
comparatively few wars, are so powerful.
President Jordan maintained that war
does not ever strengthen any nation. Mar
tin Luther recognized this when he said
that the force of arms must be kept far
from matters of the gospel. In proportion
as a nation indulges in war it mortgages
the strength and character of its citi
zens.
AVar takes from a country its best mon.
leaving those who are inferior to become
the parents of the next generation. Eu
rope to-day is not the region it would
have been if it had not been for the wars
of Napoleon, ami if the descendants of
the best men of the 13th century were
receiving the advantages of the present.
It was possible for Julius Caesar and the
emperors of Koine to exercise their great
power only because of the weakness of
the people, who were the children of
slaves, not of the severe and austerer
Romans of the early days, for they had
been destroyed in war. For this reason
the barbarians were able to conquer Rome.
Immigration and war are two means by
which a nation is lowered, but immigra
tion simply takes men from a particular
locality, leaving the world as a whole no
poorer. War. however, destroys men.
leaving no part of the world richer except
in memory. The downfall of every na
tion is due to war and war alone. Presi
dent Jordan went on to prove the evil ef
fects of war by reference to the history
of various countries. Sophocles said truly,
“War does not destroy bad men. but good
inen ever.” and Benjamin Franklin real
ized this fact when he said: “War is not
paid for in war time. The bill comes
later.”
MUSIC CONFERENCE HELD.
An mini Session of Colleße and School
Mun i cal Instrnction nt Smith Col»
leno.
The seventh annual meetin^of the east
ern educational music conference was held
Saturday morning at Smith college, fol
lowing a concert given Friday evening in
honor of the delegates in the auditorium
by the Smith college orchestra and mem
bers of the music faculty. Morning and
afternoon session were held in the recep
tion-room of the auditorium, and were
presided oyer by Prof H. I). Sleeper, head
of the Smith college music department and
chairman of the executive committee of
the conference. According to a custom of
the society, the head of the music depart
ment of the school or college at which the
annual meeting is to be held becomes
chairman of the executive committee,
whose members are the only officers of
the conference. The next annual confer
ence is to be held at the teachers’ college
of Columbia university, and Prof pharles
11. Farnsworth becomes the new member
of the executive committee. Prof Gow of
Vassar college and Supervisor Ralph L.
Baldwin of Hartford were the other two
members of the executive committee. Mr
Baldwin is the retiring member of the
committee, and Prof Farnsworth and Prof
Sleeper will elect the third member. Col
leges of New England, New York and the
middle Atlantic states in which music is
taught were represented at the conference,
and the schools were represented by super
visors and teachers of music. About 45
were present.
The morning session opened at 10 o’clock,
and an address of welcome was given by
President M. L. Burton of Smith college,
who spoke of the important principles of
a college education, with special applica
tion to music. Prof MeWhood of Drew
theological seminary. New Jersey. Prof
Gow of Vassar college and Prof Leo R.
Lewis of Tufts college, members of the
committee on publication, then made their
report. The discussion of credits or prac
tical work in music, the leading topic of
the day, was taken up by Prof Olmsted of
Smith college and Prof Hamilton of
Wellesley college, and this was followed
by a discussion of musical appreciation,
led by Prof Lewis of Tufts college and
Prof Dann of Cornell university. An in
formal reception was extended to tbe dele
gates at 1 o'clock by President and Mrs
Burton at Plymouth inn. and the dele
gates were entertained at luncheon at tlie
inn as guests of the college.
The afternoon session opened at 3
o'clock, and a discussion of music courses
was given by Ralph L. Baldwin of Hart
ford. Supervisor AV. J. Short of North
ampton, Osbourne McConathy of Chelsea.
Charles 1. Rice of Worcester, and others.
The discussion of the subject of credits
was resumed, and a report by the com
mittee on credits was adopted. The pur
port of the report, and one of . the import
ant aims of tbe conference, is advance
ment of recognition of music work for
credit both in entrance examinations anil
in college work. The improvement of
music in the secondary schools was an
important phase of yesterday's discussion.
Among those who spoke on the subject of
credits in the afternoon were Prof Charles
11. Morse of Dartmouth college and Prof
Sumner Salter of Williams college.
The meeting was attended by members
of the music faculty of Smith college,
and. in addition to those above mentioned,
by Prof W. C. Hammond Mies Julia
B. Dickinson, Miss Esther Dale. Miss
Samuels. Miss AVhalen and Albert Tucker
of Mount Holyoke college. I’rof W. P.
Bigelow of Amherst college. Frederick
Goodwin of Westfield. A. M. Fletcher of
Northampton. J. D. Price of Warehouse
Point. Ct., and Prof Winkler of Wells
college, Aurora. N. Y.
EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION.
Plan to Investigate Fund* I* Dropped
-—< harges Against Secretary Shep
ard DiMponed of.
A plan to investigate the funds of the
national educational association, raised by
President Ella Flagg Young at the con
vention in Boston last summer, was
dropped at the annual meeting of the
trustees, which began at Chicago Satur
day. Mrs Young declared that the state
ment of bunk officers that the funds of
the association were in the hands of the
hank and not in a safety deposit vault
satisfied her that the securities were all
right and the investigation was not need
ed. She repeated a former declaration
that the demand for an investigation had
not implied any mishandling of funds, but
was only to show the members the con
dition of the association's finances.
A resolution declaring Temporary Chair
man Brown a representative of the trus
tees and entitled to a seat on the board
temisirarily disimsed of the declination
of the clminnanship by Nicholas Murray
Bntlec of Columbia university, and his
subsequent attempt to withdraw that re
fusal when an investigation of the asso
ciation’s finances was suggested by Mrs
Young. Dr Butler was not invited to the
committee meeting Sunday, his notice
going to Mr Brown. San Francisco was
chosen for the meeting place next year,
and the date was set at July 8 to 14.
Charges of favoritism and misconduct
in office were directed nt Irwin Shepard
of Winona. Mimi., secretary of the asso
ciation. by teachers of Chicago through
Miss Mary M. Abi*, a teacher. He is
charged with having refused to permit
Chicago teachers to sit in the convention
unless they were in active service in tile
schools. They asserted tbut lie issued cer
tificates to two New York teachers to
represent schools with which they had
THE SPRINGFIELD WEEKLY REPUBLICAN: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1. 1910
no connection, backing this assertion with
a telegram signed by Miss Grace C. Stra
chan of Brooklyn. The teachers also say
that Mr Shepard made “arbitrary rulings
on qualifications for voting membership,
when such were plainly defined in the con
stitution.” and addeiT that teachers coGld
not get the privilege of sitting in the con
vention as delegates from their own
schools, but were forced to buy member
ships in their own names.
The subject was closed with the adop
tion of resolutions in which the secretary
was instructed not to enrol as active
members in connection with the Boston
meeting schools for which application was
made by persons who did not have the
proper credentials.
Y. M. C. A. ELECTRICAL SCHOOL.
New Institution to Benin Its Work on
Thursday Evenins.
The associated Young Men’s Christian
association electrical night schools of New
England will start one of their courses in
the Springfield association building Thurs
day evening in connection with the regular
night school work of the association. These
night school courses in electrical engineer
ing have come to be very popular, about
25 of them being now in operation, and
every state except Vermont having one
or more. The idea in itself is a unique
one. the methods of teaching being en
tirely different from anything in this line
ever before attempted. The half-dozen
men at the head of the enterprise are
graduates of technical institutions in va
rious parts of the country and all have
had several years of practical experience
in the larger electrical concerns of the
United States.
One evening a week is given over to in
struction by lecture by one of the instruct
ors. not always the same one. The lecturer
has his apparatus brought to the city by
automobile, so that the students in Spring
field will get the benefit of the same practi
cal demonstration of how and why things
are done in electrical engineering that the
students in the other cities obtain. Two
years are given to the work, and upon the
completion of the course certificates are giv
en to those who have met the requirements
successfully. So far it is similar to courses
in any well-regulated school, but it differs
in this way. that the student is given noth
ing but the practical part of the study of
electricity. He is not burdened by theo
retical knowledge which his lack of earlj’
training has probably not fitted him to un
derstand. and he gets the benefit of the ex
perience of men who have had both the
theoretical and the practical side of the
work and who have been through the mill
in the most extensive plants in the country.
The equipment has been designed and se
lected by Clayton & Craig, electrical and
mechanical engineers of Boston, and the
course in the local association will be under
the personal charge of Mr Craig. A large
quantity of special apparatus is included in
the equipment, part of it having been im
ported from abroad, while some of it is be
ing made in accordance with special designs.
TO DISCUSS “THE SOCIAL PROBLEM”
Well-Known Public Men to Lecture
at Harvard.
A series of lectures on “The social prob
lem and its remedies” will be given at
Harvard during the winter. The first six
lectures will deal with problems in politics,
poverty, vice and crime, medicine, law
and economies. I,ectures on remedies for
these problems will follow. The remedies
proposed by the conservatives, the insur
gents, the new nationalists, the single
taxers, the anarchists, the individualists,
the socialists and the church will be ex
plained in . separate lectures. Among the
lecturers will be Lincoln Steffens, asso
ciate editor of the American magazine; Mrsa
Florence Kelley, secretary of the national:
consumers' league: Judge Benjamin Barr
Lindsey, the originator of the juvenile
court system; Dr Richard Clarke Cabot.
'B9, counselor of the Harvard medical
alumni association: Louis Brandeis, L. '77,,
counsel in the Pinchot-Ballinger contro
versy; John Graham Brooks, L. '75, lec
turer on economics and president of the
American social science association: James
Mac Kaye, s. 95. chemist and author;
James J. Hill, capitalist and former presi
dent of the Great Northern railroad sys
tem: Senator R. M. La Follette of Wis
consin. prominent in encouraging the elec
tion of United States senators by direct
vote; Gifford Pinchot, head of the move
ment for federal conservation and ex-chair
man of the forestry commission; Henry
George, Jr., congressman and author of
several works on political economy; Hutch
ins Hapgood. '92. writer on political top
ics; Brand Whitlock, mayor of Toledo, O.;
Charles Edward Russell, magazine writer
and recent socialist candidate for governor
of New York, and Bishop Arthur Llewellyn
Williams of Nebraska.
STATE TEACHERS’ MEETING.
Interesting Program for Sessions at
Boston December 3.
The 66t1. annual meetins of the Massa
chusetts teachers’ association will be held
at Huntington hall, Boston, on Saturday,
December 3 A program that will interest
all educators of the state has been pre
pared. In the morning Dr David Sncdden,
commission! r of education, will speak on
‘The problem cf combining efficiency and
democracy in educational administration."
This will to followed by an address by
I’fof Edward A Steiner of Grinnell, la.,
on "The public schools and the assimilation
and Americanization of the immigrant.”
Prof Steiner it an eminent authority’ on
the immigrant question and his address will
be of unusual importance. The discussion
following will be led by John F. McGrath,
principal of the Eliot school of Boston.
Th? third address of the morning will be
bv Mrs Ella I ’ man Cabot of Boston on
"Moral education.” Mrs Cabot is a mem
ber of the Massachusetts board of educa
tion. v
The afternoon program, beginning at 2
o'clock, will open with a discussion of the
subject, "Training for citizenship," by Rob
ert Luce of Somerville and President
Marion I cßoy Burton of Smith college.
'I bis will be followed by a business ses
sion with various reports and election
of officers, and nt 4.30 the annual meet
ing of the council of education will be held.
Carlos It. Ellis. principal of the commer
cial high school of this city, is president,
of th- association.
SYSTEM OF “COACHING TEACHERS"
How Backward Pupils Are Helped In
Several Massachusetts CHlea and
Towns.
In an effort to make primary education |
more broad, to cause the system to reach
the backward ns well as the forward pu
pil. public school authorities in several
Massachusetts cities ami towns are em
ploying what are known as "coaching
teachers," says a writer in the Boston
Transcript. The sole duty of such a teach
er is to tutor the student who h» falljn-'
behind in his work. On her is imposed
the responsibility of saving a year of the
child - * scholastic life. By the end of the
term she must have her protege prepared
to go on with its class.
In practice the plan operates about ns
follows: Here is a grade of 40 pupils.
Half of them are naturally intelligent ami
endowed with powers of observation and
the ability to assimilate knowledge, and
in addition they have had the advantages
of good homes ami excellent training: the
next 10 are also "bright” by nature., but
their home education has been sadly neg
lected. The last Hi are not only solw of
mind, but come from disorderly homes.
Such a mixture of conditions of life plain
ly creates ii rather difficult educational
problem; some sort of system must be
devised which at the end of the year will
have put all the 4<r impiis on something
approaching an equal scholastic basis.
To meet just such a situation—ami the
situation exists in any cosmopolitan school
-—the plan of “eoarhing teachers” has
neen found eminently satisfactory. Tie'
10 nupils of the lowest orders are taken
m hand, .given individual attention, re
mtorred jn the subjects in which they
are weak and later turned back prepare*l
to undergo the test with their classmates,
rjsome of course, will fall hr the wayside,
but the proportion o f delinquents drops
j m direct ratio to the efficiency of tbo
I teacher.
i In one of the greater Boston towns
| there is a school district embracing at
। least six nationalities. There can be no
। segregation of races; financial reasons pr<>-
। mhit and ethical obligations forbid it.
I I he result is one building housing Amer
-1(^111 children of cultured parentage ns
| well as children of poor and illiterate for
। oigners. Many of the latter on entering
^‘hool are unable to read or write the
I English language. Three years ago under
- the old system just 53 per cent of the 34
[ pupils m the first grade failed of pro
motion. Iwo years ago by the aid of a
coacliing teacher only 14 nor cent were
not allowed to go on with their class,
ihere had been no change in the mark
ing system, the average intelligence of the
pupils was the samp; the improved results
n ‘ a,n ^ traceable to the efficient work
of the coaching teacher.
MORE MONEY FROM CARNEGIE.
Institute nt Pittsburg: Receives Ad
ditional Gift From Steel King.
trustees of the Carnegie institute have
announced at Pittsburg that follow
ing Andrew Carnegie’s gift of $1,500-
(XX> for immediate use in building exten
sions and equipment of the technical
schools there, he has also given an addi
tional sum of $2,000,000 in 5 per cent
gold interest-bearing bonds of the United
States steel corporation, which are said
to haw a market value of $2,3(H),000. The
earnings of. these bonds are to go to the
nmiptenance of the enlarged schools which
will increase the students to 3000. This
makes a total gift at this time of $3,800,-
000. the greatest ever given for educa
tional purposes in Pittsburg,
When the announcement of the $1,500,-
000 was made a week or mof^go, it was
said that in all probability another gift
would be made for the maintenance of
the schools when the enlarged school facil
ities had been accomplished. The second
gift came sooner than was expected, how
ever. and is looked upon by some as a
birthday celebration, since Saturday was
Mr Carnegie’s anniversary.
YALE VXBERSITY.
Gifts Announced nt Trustees’ Meet
ine.
At the November meeting of tlie corpor
ation last week announcement was made
of an anonymous gift of $15,000, the in
terest of wvliich is to be used as an emer
gency loan fund in the interest of instruc
tors and assistant professors of the uni
versity. Announcement was also made of
the receipt of $30;000 of a fund of $50,000
left to the university by the late J. Burnett
Collins of Fort Worth. Tex.; of the receipt
of s2o,<M>o from Newton Burney of Farm
ington. Ct., toward the fund for tlie pro
fessorship of education, and the receipt of
a like amount from the family of the late
John H. Whittemore of Naugatuck as a
memorial gift. Rev Charles Kay Palmer
of New Haven, for 30 years a member of
the corporation, presented his resignation,
to take effect at once. Tlie resignation
was accepted, and Henry B. Sargent of
New Haven, a graduate of the Sheffield
scientific school, was-electeil a member of
the prudential committee in Dr Palmer's
place. Prof Oberliummer of the university
of Vienna and M Lecoq. an archeologist
and explorer in Turkestan, were elected
afnreign lecturers of the AVoodwnrd fonnda
<tk>n for this year. Prof Arrhenius of the
Nobel institute. Stockholm, Sweden, will
deliver the Silliman lectures in April, 1911.
A letter was received by tlie corporation
from the French embqssaxliir. M Jusserand,
announcing the gift on the part of his gov
ernment to Yale of some valuable Sevres
vases as the nucleus of an exhibit of
French art.
A royal welcome on his return to college
after several months abroad was "given
President Hadley last week by more than
1000 undergraduates.. The students gath
ered in front of Woodbridge hall just be
fore 1 o'clock, and a long cheer arose when
the president appeared on the steps. He
spoke in part as follows: “I want to con
gratulate you on the improvement of Yale
in more ways than one and to thank you
for your splendid care of the university
during my absence; considering that I am
going to be away so much it leaves you
with a great opportunity. The students
now in our great university are better than
they were 10 years ago. and Yale's future
seems most brilliant. Gentlemen. I thank
you.” A reception to the members of tlie
incoming classes was given later by Dr and
Mrs Hadley at their home.
According to the report of Prof Russell
H. Chittenden as treasurer of the Yale
scientific school trustees, the total funds
and assets for The school are $2,943,548.
If the funds and assets held by the Y’ale
university corporation are added the total
resources of the school will amount to
about $4,000,000.
A HIGH SCHOOL REUNION.
The Holyoke high school reunion and
reception was held at the Windsor hall
Friday evening and many members of tin
former classes <4- the school were in at
tendance as well as the present pupils
of the school. The hall was prettily dec
orated in the school colors of iptrple and
white, streamers radiating from the ceil
ing to the walls and on the side walls
were prominently displayed the class ban
ners from the class of 1907 to that of
1912, with the exception of the banner
belonging to the class of 1909 which mys
teriously disappeared last year and which
has not yet been recovered although there
are suspicions as to its whereabouts.
Mrs E. L. Pomeroy of the class of
1805, the first class graduated at the
local school, was present as was also Pres
ident W. S. Loomis of the street railway.
Mr Loomis had an interesting photograph
which lie exhibited of pupils who attended
the high school in 1859. At that time and
until IXOS there were no regular classes,
the pupils attending the school as long
as they Wished ami choosing the studies
which they wished to pursue, the first
class to graduate being the class of 1805.
The picture contained the portraits of 17
boys ami about 20 girls, among those
attending being William Whiting. Col J.
G, Mackintosh. W. S. Loomis and many
other well-known Holyoke citizens. The
picture was taken to present to J. B.
Buckland. the principal of the high school
at that time.
V STORY-TELLER TELLS HOW.
A trained story-teller tells what to tell
and how to tell it in "Story Telling," by
Edna Lyman (McClurg). The purpose of
the book is to aid those who have the
desire and opportunity to supplement tile
work of the school through the pleasant
medium of telling stories to the young
folks at home, especially those of the age
when tales of heroes ami d< eds As valor
especially upiwal. Prof Herbert L. Wil
lett of the university of Chicago in an in
tioduction, vouches for the author's skill,
experience and judgment, mid her little
book testifies still more eloquently to these
qualities. Sample stories are given, with
lists of others, and systematic suggestions
for making use of the material thus
brought to mind. A story by Tolstoi,
“Where love is, there God is' also," is
the first selection; there are n number from
the fairy books, especially ns told by th?
Japanese, and there are two especially sug
gestive and valuable chapters on Ilie na
tional epic tales. There are the stories of
Kobin Hood. Roland, the Cid, Frithjof,
the Odyssey. King Arthur, Rustem, Beo
wulf and Signod. The author says that
her collection of stories hits been person-
ally tested with successful icsults in
schools, libraries, churches, settlements aad
children’s social gatherings. Doubtless
she has special gifts which cannot lie im
parted but it ought to bp possible with
the help which she has given, to contrib
ute substantially to juvenile joy and en
lightenment. The problem of ethical in
struction without sermonizing is u difficult
one which the story teller has sought to
contribute to the solution of, and she
makes out a strong case for, her method.
• /
The Oldest Col Ie Ke Student.
The oldest student in ans university
of the United States, says the I.os Angeles
Express, is Kev David Jordan Higgins,
a nonagenerian preacher and one time
colonel in the United States army, who
is attendiug the classes in philosophy con
ducted by Prof J. H. Hoose of the col
lege of liberal arts, university of Southern
California. An octogenarian teaching a
nonagenarian is the spectacle presented nt
the university, a sight which probably
finds no parallel in the world. Kev Air
Higgins was born in Maine in 1817. His
early education was received in that state,
hnt Wesleyan college was his alma mater.
Tbe aged student attends the class of
Prof Hoose every Monday, and is busy
nearly all the week with the pages of
Rudolph Eucken, the Solon of Jena uni
versity.
Xew Buililtngn for South Trinity.
Trinity college, in Durham. N. C.. "ill
receive through the generosity of Benja
min N. Duke four new buildings which
are designed to form a quadrangle on the
campus. The Duke family has now given
the institution almost a million and a
half dollars. At the Trinity commence
ment of 1909, Mr Duke authorized the
announcement that- he would give $50,000
for a new building. At the 1910 com
mencement. Mr Duke added SIOO,OOO more
to the buildings, this gift being meant to
cover the cost of the second structure
and the jointure of the two by a monu
mental tower. Now it is announced that
Mr Duke will complete the group by the
gift of a quarter of a million dollars. The
buildings now in sight will require more
than a year for completion.
New Dormitory at Bridgewater.
Work has begun on the new women’s
dormitory at the state normal school at
Bridgewater. The building will contain 90
rooms, and will cost about $175,000. The
building will be 230 by 50 feet, with wings
which will give it a frontage of 89 feet
on Grove street. It will be 3% stories high
with a basement, and will be constructed
of brick, with an underpinning of Deer
Island granite and Vermont marble trim
mings. The foundation is of cement con
crete. The timber will be of hard pine,
with steel beams resting on brick piers in
the basement.
A striking piece of mural painting at
Bowdoin by the late John La Farge is his
“Athens,” a symbolic portrayal of that
city's artistic achievement, which fills one
of the tympana in the entrance hull of the
Walker art building.
The Chicago Public, in its last issue,
contains this interesting educational note: —
The rumor grows persistently that Ella
Flagg Young, the superintendent of schools
"ho has given Chicago the best public school
system it has ever had, is to be dropped as
superintendent at the beginning of the com
ing year.
The next annual convention of the de
partment of superintendents of the nation
al education association will meet in Mo
bile, Ala., February 23, 24 and 25. 1911.
In making this announcement Secretary
Shepard says it will be possible for mem
bers to take advantage of the favorable
rates which have been granted for the
Mardi Gras season.
By the will of Prof A. Marshall El
liott. the Johns Hopkins university be
comes tlie possessor of his library, book
cases and filing cases and receives further
the sum of S2IXIO for the establish
ment of a scholarship ,for graduate stu
dents in the Romance department. Tbe
Romance seminary is also to receive a
portrait of Prof Elliott, and the medal of
the Legion, of Honor which was conferred
in recognition of his leadership in pro
moting the study of Romance languages
in America.
The next annual Tuskegee negiro con
ference will be held at Tuskegee, Ala.,
on January 18 and 19. These conferences
are always attended by large numbers
of negro farmers from all parts of the
South. They are in the nature of ex
perience meetings, and ideas are ex
changed with a view to the betterment of
farming and ihome conditions. Under the
direction of the agricultural department
20.000 cans of tomatoes, peaches, berries,
plums and other fruits and vegetables
were put up at the institute canning
factory during the summer.—At the Ala
homa state fair, recently held in Mont
gomery, every industrial division of Tuske
gee institute was represented.
EDUCATION IN RUSSIA.
To the Editor of The Republican:—
It was gratifying to those interested in
the larger development of the human race
to see in Thanksgiving morning papers the
announcement that Russia would soon
adopt a general plan of free education.
Previous to the war between Russia and
Japan not one in 40 of the former country
had common school education, while more
than one in eight received this advantage
in Japan. Perhaps this had something to
do with the results of the conflict.
„ ~ G. W. Holden.
Springfield, November 25, 1910.
THE ’B3 VIEW OF AMHERST,
[From the Providence Journal.)
There is something to be said for the
point of view of the Amherst class of
1885, which has presented a memorial
to the hoard of trustees in favor of re
stricting the instruction given at the col
lege to a modified classical course, increas
ing the salaries of teachers, limiting the
number of students and admitting these
by competitive examination only. Thore
has been too much emphasis laid upon the
numerical expansion of our colleges and
universities. Quality, it must be feared,
has sometimes been sacrificed to quantity.
At some excellent institutions, however, the
aim at present is in a contrary direction.
Williams desires to remain a comparative
ly small college; nerhamt Amherst, which
is the daughter oL Williams, may take a
hint from the latter and deliberately seek
to limit its numerical growth. The col
legiate ideal proposed bv the class of 1885
would not do for all colleges, but it seems
as if there might be room in New En
gland for at least one such institution as
is proposed.
INTO THE FOREVER.
What may we take into the vast forever?
That marble door
Admits no fruit of all our long endeavor,
No fawn-wreathed crown we wore,
No garnered lore.
What can we bear beyond the unknown
portal?
No gold, no gains
Of all our toiling: in the life immortal
No hoardeil wealth remains,
Nor guilt, nor stains.
Naked from out the far abyss behind us
We entered here;
No word came with our coming to re
mind uh
What wondrous world was near,
No hope, no fear.
Into the silent, starless night before us,
Naked we glide.
No hand has mapped the constellations
o'er us.
No comrade at our side,
No chart, no guide.
Yet fearless toward that midnight black
and hollow,
Gur footsteps fare:
The beckoning of a Father's hand we fol
low-
Ills love alone is there;
No curse, no care.
—E. R. Sill.
THE NIGHT OF THE CHILDREN
A STORY OF A LITTLE SHOP GIRL.
Her SlrnKKle With the I.aie Christmas
Buyers That Might Easily Have
Been Spared Her.
It is already time for people to do more
than think about doing their Christmas
shopping early. The season is one of “good
will toward men,” and people should con
sider others who are strangers to them
as well as those in the small family circle.
Late shopping means hardship for the
store people as well as other things of
less importance. Here’s a little “late shop
ping” story, done by James Oppenheim,
author of “Dr Rast” and "Wild Oats,”
for tlie Survey press bureau. It has its
own moral and is worth thinking over: —
Christmas was in the air. The frosty,
starry night turned golden in tlie city ave
nues. Up and down the pavement the
crowds swept, laughing, talking, jostling—
cheeks ruddy with the weatner, eyes spark
ling with tlie lights. As they moved, there
unrolled beside them the endless film of
brilliant shop windows, crammed with
riches, and through the swinging doors
eddies of people were sucked in and eject
ed. At the curb the toy peddlers shouted,
the chestnut stands sent up their smoke.
It seemed as if the millions of the city
had poured out to mingle in a street fes
tival of joy and brotherhood. People
laughed at one another, a wine of good
humor bubbled the air. It was as if on
this night hate and strife and greed had
been sloughed off; as if the race said,
"Come, let us be happy with one another.
We are all together. Let us meet and
mingle in joy and good will and peace!”
It was the Night of the Children. Far
through the sleeping city millions of chil
dren were in their beds, and it was for
them that these people met. For their
children they were sweeping the shops,
that Christmas morning might dawn with
the candles of the pine, and hanging, bulgy
stockings, and tlie mysterious new toys.
And it was the thought of the children,
possibly, that made these men and women
so light-footed, so joyous, so happy. It
made children of them, and they mingled
with each other, like laughing, rollicking
boys and girls.
There was one big department store,
nearly a block square and six stories high,
which drew in masses of the crowd. Pen
dant from its ceilings hung white moons
of liglit, and under these a density of hu
manity slowly swirled about the sparking
laden counters. The air was overwarni
with breathing, and tingled with the ex
citement of shuffling shoes, rattle of pack
ages, and a hum of talk and exclama
tions. The place was electric with the
push of many wills, the clash of desires,
the impeded hurry, the drawing near of
closing time. It was after 10.30, and yet
the crowd was unsatisfied; it hungered and
strained and clamored and struggled to
get its fill.
One counter especially was besieged. At
this was sold little, five-eent packages of
“snow” for Christmas trees. Behind this
counter stood Mamie Riggs, 17 years old,
thin, emaciated, her face pale, drawn and
wrinkled, her eyes bloodshot, her lips
trembling. As she made out cheeks, and
received and made change, and handled
the envelopes, her hands visibly shook.
Faces crowded near her, leaned close, arms
lifted, fingers jerked near her eyes.
“This snow?”
“Yes. ma’am.”
"How much?”
“Five cents.”
“Only one for five?”
“Only one.”
“How much in a package?”
“I don’t know, ma’am,”
“Don’t know!”
At least five voices interrupted: “See
here, I want a half-dozen of these.”
“Where’s my change?” "I can't wait all
night!” “Isn't there anyone to wait on
mB?” “Say, I’ll speak to the floorwalker,
if 1 don’t get proper attention!”
Mamie answered as best she could.
“Just a minute! You said five? Six? —
Change hasn’t come, I can’t help it
ma’am!—Yes. it’s five a package!—Snow!
yes!—l’ll wait on you in a minute!”
She spoke in a monotone. But she was
doing iier work mechanically. In fact,
Mamie wasn’t “all there.” Her fingers
and her lips kept working, but the real
Mamie seemed in a trance. Sunburst after
sunburst of faces shot the air before her,
a loud sea-noise of voices swept her
brain, and she felt deathly sick. Every
bone in her body ached. It seemed as if
her feet had broken and were blßeding.
She,, was horribly nauseated and dizzy.
She Fblr as if she were going to faint. By
sheer force of grit she clung to the coun
ter, she kept upright, she moved, talked,
worked. On and on it went, minute by
minute, and still the faces crowded, the
voices rang out, the packages had to be
delivered, the change made, the checks
written out.
Afterward it seemed to her that her
whole year had been rushing toward this
Christmas climax. Most of that year she
had worked in a cheaper store—worked
9% hours a day for $2.62% a week. As
this was not enough to live on. she-had
boarded with au aunt in Hoboken, paying
her $1.15 a week. But it took her an
hour and a quarter to get to work, and
she rose before dawn to get to her counter
nt 8 sharp. Car fare cost her $1.26, which,
■with the hoard, left her 20 cents a week.
No recreation, no fresh air. And every
few nights she was up till midnight laun
dering her clothes, that she might be neat
appearing. This work, she felt, was kill
ing her—so she left it and took a position
in the larger store for $4 a week.
But she had to figure close. Sho slept
near by in a charity dormitory for six
cents a night. She went without break
fast, lunch and supper consisted of coffee
and rolls for 10 cents each; laundry was
21 cents a week. Clothes and extras came
close to $2. In this way she spent all her
wages—toiled from 8 a. m. to 6.15 p. tn.,
and on Saturdays till 9.30. Strength does
not come on coffee ami rolls, nor on 9%
hours of standing indoors, nor on lack of
pleasure and mental growth. Mamie grew
sickly, wrinkled, weaker day by day; she
was afflicted with violent headaches, and
nt 17 she was already n sapped and aged
woman, with no future but incessant toil,
and no savings against sickness or old
age.
This was bud enough. But then the
holiday rush began. The store was kept
open until 11.30 at night. Mamie grew
feverish, had dizzy spells, was too siek to
ent. Her condition grow worse each day,
and now on this last day she had come to
work at 8 in the morning feeling that she
could not endure a half-hour of standing
up nor the crowds, nor the nojse nor the
bad air. That day was a wihl, slow tor
ture, measured by minutes, endless and
pitiless. On ami on it went, up to noon,
on from 12.45 to 6, on from 6.30 to this
very minute.
"This snow? How much? See here,
where's my change?—Do you think 1 can
wait all night?—Say. I’ll tell the floor
walker-Yes, wrup me up six, in two
packages, please—lsn't there anyone else
waiting nt this counter?"
Sunburst after sunburst of faces, sen
roar of talking, dazzling lights, confusion,
bustle, noise, hands flying, lips moving—
and this would go on for another hour and
a half.
A man pushed his way through the
crowd. "See here, kid,” he cried, "you do
me up 10 of these—quick!”
Mamie leaned forward on the counter
ami smiled dimly.
“Ten? Ten?"
"Can’t you hear? Eight, nine, ten!”
"Ten? Ton what?"
She leaned further forward, she sighed,
she slipped, and her arms and face and
hair and thin bosom all slouched among
the packages on the counter.
Cries went,up: "Sho's fainted! Some
thing's the matter! • Get water! Help
her up!"
The crowd jammed: the floorwalker
broke his way through, muttering: —
"Mamie down? Thunder! And just
now. when we can’t replace her! Why
the devil couldn’t the girl stick it out?”
Next morning the nurse in the hospital
unshed her a merry Christmas.
She looked up vacantly, and went off in
a delirium, crying shrilly:—
“It s five cents a package, ma’am!—Just
a minute! Yes. snow—snow for Christmas
t^ees.
At tlie same moment over the wide
spread city the little children hopped out
of bed and ran in their nighties to the
parlor. There Hamed the candles of tlie
pines, there hung the bulgy stockings,
there lay the mysterious packages. Little
eyes glistened with awe and wonder,
women and men were blinded with happy
tears, and the Christmas bells pealed love
and brotherhood through the tingling
dawn.
And one woman said to another: “The
jqm was awful last night. I thought I'd
never get home. And the service iq the
stores was insufferable.”
Asked the other. “Why didn’t you short
earlier 111 the month?"
Mby ? Oh. you know how it is!”
PAPERS MAVA YS Til BLA ME.
A Great One Who Asked to Be Cut
Out.
[From the New York Evening Post.]
From June 18. 1910. to November 8,
American newspapers were full of a cer
tain public man. What he said, what
he did, how lie dressed, what lie ate
where he slept-all this was minutely
ehronmled day by day, together with
full accounts of his travels whether bv
automobile, train, motor boat, aeroplane
or on horseback. Never was there a
more glaring instance of the meddling
methods of the modern press invading
even the privacy of its victims. Manv a
friend of the gentleman referred to be
moaned his hard fate in having all this
vulgar publicity thrust upon him. The
poor man could not escape it. The re
porters compassed his downsitting and
Ins uprising, beset him behind and be
fore, and there was no way in which he
could avoid the painful advertising
which he was getting. But the same
newspapers, after November 8. changed
all that. Where they had printed col
umns about the unhappy object of their
intrusive persecution, they first publish
ed a few lines, and then nothing at all.
For days at a time he has gone entirely
without mention. What is the explana
tion? Why, simply this: he asked to be
let alone. The news associations and
the press generally respected his desire
—as they would have done bbfore if he
had made it known to them—and let
alone he has been.
The incident certainly throws light
upon the common notion that nothing
can prevent unprincipled and sensation
al newspapers from dogging the foot
steps,. sneaking into the houses, and
harrying the lives of persons who for
any reasons acquire notoriety. The fact
that many journalistic crimes of this
sort have been committed, we are dis
posed neither to palliate nor deny. Par
ticularly at times of calamity or afflic
tion, privacy has often been'burst into
by newspapers in ways both shocking
and cruel. There is no excuse for that.
It is a hideous feature of a certain kind
of journalism. Nor is there any de
fense for spreading all kinds of personal
gossip and “chatter about Harriet” be
fore the public to anything like the ex
tent customary with some newspapers,
even when their methods of getting hold
of the flat stuff are not outrageous. For
neither the cruelty nor the banality of
the progress of exploiting personalities
would we speak an apologetic word, but
we are bound to point out that there is
an enormous amount of contributory
negligence on the part of those who are
injured by this kind of shrieking pub
licity. The majority of them could stop
it in a moment. But the majority of
them help it along, and really like it.
. We will not rest the case upon the
numerous instances of retreaters from the
glare who write to the newspaper office:
“I hope you will not mention my name,
but if you do, be sure to spell it right,
and state that my middle name indicates
my descent from the Pilgrims, the Hugue
nots, and the Cavaliers. 1 ’ Nor would we
lay too much stress upon Hurried letters
from anxious husbands informing the
ghoul-like but —this time—grinning editor:
“I should prefer that you did not give my
wife’s name as among those present, but
if you do. I inclose a description of her
gown." These are only trifles, though sig
nificant, hut there are more serious indi
cations of a too common disposition to
submit gracefully to the demands of rn
exigent publicity, is it necessary, for ex
ample. that returning travelers should
meet the reporters with a typewritten ac
count of their itinerary and an interview
already dictated giving their views on the
state of Europe? That does not look ex
actly like rushing away from the maw of
the all-devouring press. An unwelcome
publicity is, no doubt, like greatness, thrust
upon some men, but many more achieve
it and are proud of it.
A little attention to the names and (he
kind of names oftenest encountered in
newspapers will yield some curious results.
Take, for instance, two United States sen
ators of apparently equal importance. One
of them is forever being quoted and pa
raded. the other is seldom mentioned in
his coming and going and home life. Sim
ilarly, you may divide the very rich men
of the country into the class which is al
ways talked about in the press, and the
class which is never talked about. In the
same way. you will find the great ladies
of fashionable society grouped into those
whose photographs are reproduced in the
newspapers 20 times a year, and those who
are portrayed only when their daughters
are married oiSthey themselves die—and
so are safe.
Now. no one can be so innocent as to
suppose that these differences come by
chance. They point straight to the fact
that, in all this matter of the intrusive
press, the pursued and the pursuer are
often of one mind. Sometimes the victim
of newspaper publicity shudders at the
very effect which lie lias helped to pro
dnee;. at least, he has done nothing to
stop it. That brings us back to the point
from which we started. In nine cases out
of ten, a request that the reporters he
called off would be granted. If a man
have sufficient firmness and sincerity, he
can easily enrol himself in the list tliat is
not to be interviewed, not to be shadowed,
not to have private affairs torn open and
laid before the public. The whole blame
must not be placed upon the conscience
less editor. Even ho will not go- forever
where he is not wanted. It was. indeed,
an editor who himself showed how so
avoid an undesired exploiting of his name
and face. John Delane, during all his
long editing of the London Timos, never
had a portrait of himself published. lie
would furnish none: he requested the pa
pers to use none. It may have been his
pet vanity thus to shun the appearance
of being vain. Anyhow, he did it; ami
what a mere editor could do. St is certain
that our powerful public men und finan
cial magnates and social leaders could do
—if they wanted to.
GOLDWIN SMITH’S OPINION.
(From the Philadelphia Record.)
A Toronto paimr prints an interesting
criticism of Ilie lute Goldwin Smith on
Col Roosevelt. He had been reading
Roosevelt's life of Thomas Benton, in the
course of which the author said of the
Oregon and Texas boundurv disputes that
we had no right to the territory involved,
but we ought to have it because wo could
make the best use of it. That and Ihe
weak mid vague defense of the protective
policy indicated to Goldwin Smith a hick
of sound, well-balanced moral sense, and
ho laid the book down, saying: "That man
will be dangerous some day; vou mark my
word." What has shaken the confidence
of a groin many curly admirers of the
colonel is the erratic way his moral sense
operates. He thinks of himself as a
preacher of righteousness, and yet it Is
force and expediency that he has con
stantly appealed to.
In Norway people who are not vacci
nated cannot vote at an election.