The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

THE JLAKJS SHORE NEWS, THURSDAY. JANUARY 1. 1914. ^A Stmft&V^ by iB&winE. Slosson, Editor of AJW« .Y~-U iv £j igtk Independent Magazine JrteresiutgArikleW LaMlmte of Wel&K^ by Special PermUsiohoi the Au^Kbr^^^^ SfORY OF PRESENT^i^i^WodLJMfi^O^S , Recognition of the folly of following the train of thoee who have gone £ ire in the educational march, is limited to Evanston, and high School difficulties,; ahd needs are trou> frllftg others thag^jirselvesr-The~de> mand of the times In every activity is for service, utility, if you please. Student©--who have definite plane for their futures-are not content to spend the four years, during which they should be preparing for work in the profession or trade they have elected to pursue, in mastering subjects which nave no relationi-.'fo thpiFwantiT ^~ ' It Is well enough to say that the col- lege preparatory course Is only what every boy and girl should have, no matter what his life work may be. Perhaps It is, but' the fact remains that the student doss not agree with the theory, and settles the question by leaving others to the pursuit of Greek and Latin while he betakes him- self to another school where he can be taught what he wants to know and what it will' be to his advantage to know when he enters the fight in the business world. The following interesting and strik- ing article from a recent issue of the New York independent presents the high school problem in a way ao enlightening that we have sought and secured, permission from the edi- tor of the Independent, who is also the author of the article, to give it to our r«ader«^through the calumn«-of The land allhe jxwld say was that he Lake Shore News.--Editor's note. By Edwin E. Slosson. He was a foreigner, not offensively so, ~buT noticeably;-so.--:He--used--Her -tn-a-iaad so iTch-Iiv romanpAAnAJn-1 superintenjteni. hands and face In talking so you could tell what he was saying even when you could not understand his words on account of his queer accent. Then,fanatical perhaps,Imt^&tron&in-faith,-, you--had- n» traditions in this, "new too, his questions were- so absurd and he- had such difficulty in Understand- ing the most ordinary things! The - superintendent showed him into the room with great politeness and told him ho was.at .liberty to ask any, question of-tho-puplbv- The stranger inquired what study was being taught and was told history. "Of what country or people?" "Our own." "An excellent and important study. I will ask then) a few easy questions, with great pleasure. Who discovered' the land in which you live?" All -voices answered in unison, "Christopher Columbus!" The stranger- looked puzzled. "Isn't that queer^--hB-^saldi^Jitimt- they should all get it wrong? No, children, Christopher Columbus discovered some islands thousands of miles from -here,-farther away than Alaska. Who discovered this country, this town, this county, this *state of Wyoming? What, no one knows? Well,"I am a stranger here and X do not know. I will ask your teacher to tell uaboth." But as the teacher looked rather startled ami displeaood. the stranger with his habitual politeness Bald: "Doubtless you wish to bring that in at some later'time. I will aBk another question. What European power once owned this country?" Again came the answer in concert, "England." . "No, no. You are all wrong. -We learned better than that ©yen in my own school. You must have in mind some country a thousand miles from here. Think a minute and you will remember, I'm sure,. What great JUng ruled over this land, a tyrant and a wicked man?" ■■■.<•■ "George the Third!" "How curious. No, it was Philip the Second of Spain I had in mind. When did this country becQrae~tmte* pendent?" -•--•-- - -.v-- "1776." _. • ■ -. "Ah, you are. thinking about the east. StrangethaT"they^should kno* so much mbre about the history of New England than of their."Own state! But I will help you. Don't you re- "pialnr ^meantrHor^ coursev^be-Mor- ™grAiy-h««piia£L-either »« wfraid to let member one of the first battles of the war for independence, a defeat ap- parently, blit really-a-victory in the way it roused the people, a little band of patriots who died to make this a **ee land, how they-were overpowered anlTdestroyed TSjTthe enemy?"~I see by your hands that you all know it. What was it?" "Bunker Hill." "Why, that is New England again. I meant, qf course, the Alamo." Turn- ing to the superintendent, "Do you not tiy3blinspirek-thenl.wJto deeds of their own history?" •Well, you see, the annexation of Texas and the Mexican war were con- sidered by all good citizens as in- famous crimes." 'Ah, then you think the Mexican government better than the English and that there was less cause for re- bellion against Santa Anna than against George III?" 'Not that exactly, but it was thought to be a war in the interests of the south and bo the northerners opposed it." "Well, that is natural. But one thing explain to me. Why do you call these men who would sacrifice the fu- ture interests of the millions of people now living here rather than allow the "that is right Patrick O'Brien, yon may tell us why they came to this country.** "Because they objected to the Po- pish practices of the churcnT." J --^¥ery~good. And acw 4 ■»!!! sak lit' tie Esther Straus why her great-great- grandparents were driven out of Eng- land.".....:..:...--..... ............ ■-'--;■ .-■:■_ ii!!BecauMztheyitriedl-to^j»siot«:prlm> Hive Christianity and thought it wrong to do any work on Sunday."^___ _ "Excellent: I thought youWould re- member that lesson. Ivan Oblinski. tell the gentleman why the history of England is of such importance to us." Because or^urZ^nghvSaxoiarjSF cestry.**.--' - "'•"'"" '.;-■-. :-~J *'Y6u see," said the teacher, "that we-oo not"negieet7the important fat* tor of race. We believe to training. ,.,,.., these young people in harmony wUhjFrench b00*8 fit for our young people the- ideals and traditions of their |to wad- *H we nave a few specially {expurgated editions for their use. As I said, it's.practical value is the main "Weil, not what we might expect. Those who translate too much from Latin and Greek get a wretched Eng- lish style." "So instead of acquiring a new soul ■th«>y__lnoft-*hotr own aniil?" '-. --.' "Of course, for practical purposes modern-languages are more important, I admit," said the superintendent. - "Yes, you said you taught French. Have you so many pupils of that na- tionality in, the^«otomunItyJ!i_^l____- **No, thew ateno Freneh children and I do not know of a Frenchman in town." r'C ■-■':----------. "then it IsJor the elevating and in- spiring nature of the literature that you teach it?" f , The superintendent hesitated, then said: "I admit it is hard to find •Yes, all the boys arc crazy over it.- Then when the woman spumed But photography is net one of the fine arts.** ■ ■ •Why not?" "Because--because it's modern.** Here the superintendent interposed advantage, 'good citizens'?' The superintendent looked confused guessed it was because they called themselves so." The--visitor- again addressed the school: "You are fortunate in living spiring associations. You must know the story of its pioneers by heart; how that peculiar people somewhat lineage." . ■ ■ "An excellent plan. Of what na- tionality are your pupils?" "About one-third Polack and one- third Swede and the rest mixed," "So their ancestors did not all come over in the'Mayflower'?" "Not exactly. There are, in fact, more immigrants landed at Now York in one day now than came over in the whole seventeenth century/' "I suppose, then, your histories give a large part T>f their space to this later and more important immigra- tion?" "Well, I don't believe they more than mention it, come to think of it." "Of course you give two-thirds of your time to Swedish and Polish his- tory, literature and national tradi- tions?" "Excuse me," interposed the super- intendent, "we must pass on to the language room now." "Oh, certainly. This is all so novel and curious to me, you know. Your problems here are unique, and, if I may so -express myself, your educa- tional methods are still more unique. I suppose you carry the same prin- ciple of racial continuity into the lan- guage work and give a good deal of attention to Slavic and Scandinavian languages?" "Not at all; we teach Latin, Greek and French in our school." "Ah," what is your oTtfecTTnTselecT tag; Latin and Greek, may I ask?" "We dld-not-select thenu_ They sre\y^n^s" the traditional languages," replied the driven from their homes by religious persecution, journeyed far to the west- ward to find freedom to worship God according to the dictates of their own consciences; how they suffered from cold and starvation, how they fought with the,Indians and how they finally triumphed over the hardships of the wilderness and founded there a great city, tell me, children, what are they called?" "Pilgrim Fathers" came in chorus from all parts of the room. No, no, no. I do not make myself country of yours, but I find on the contrary . that you -have inherited everybody's traditions." "But the high schools have to teach Latin and Greek- because the univer- sities require them." "Oh, when I was in the university the other day they told me that they would be glad to substitute other en- trance requirements! but they would not get the students for these are what the high schools teach. It is like : two lovers holding hands for hours after it has ceased to be a pleasure, mons." The stranger .turned to the go .lest the other suspect a waning af teacher. ""Sorybu study the history of New England here? I suppose, then, that Jn Hew England they study the history-of -Wyoming?"------- -- "No, they do not, but you see chil- dren always take more interest in distant places and times long past." "How strange! So different from the children in my own-land." "Yes, but it is true," persisted the teacher,,"the children dislike the his- tory of their own country." The stranger looked perplexed. "One would think that the stories of Indian wars and the life of the cow- boy, miner and hunter would interest them. Are these yOur text-books?" And he took up some paper-bound books lying on the desk and read their titles. "Life of Buffalo Eill" and "Sitting Bull, War Chief of the Sioux." "Mercy, no!" cried the indignant teacher. "I confiscated these out of one of the desks and I am going to burn them up." the stranger appeared likely to ask some more embarrassing ques- tions, "TmtT The superintendent, who had recovered his equilibrium, inter- posed, "You see we do not teach them the history of this particular spot of ground.; That is of no importance. It •Ss ■their history as a race that *8 °? the most value. Miss B------, you will conduct a recitation in your usual way to show our methods." The--teacher- began^KnuL Nelson, where did our forefathers come from?" "Our forefathers- came--from-EngJln-yonr classical, studjents hv theuse land in the 'Mayflower,' in 1620." "Ah, Certainly. How mistaken the Impression we get of a foreign coun- try, to.be^sure.._I„hajl heen told that object of a modern language.' "Yes, I see that. You select. of will oe the most useful to your young menr- We do the same in our schools. We teach the languages of our colo- nies and of the countries contiguous to our own and with which we are in closest touch politically and com- mercially. Let me see. -what countries are adjacent to you in which a for- eign tongue is spoken?" "Mexico only, where they speak Spanish." "And where do your graduates go mostly in foreign lands?" "Some of our young men are in Pan- ama or Cuba, some in South Amer- ica." -- "Spanish again. And your colo- nies?" "They are all Spanish speaking." "And with what countries are you cultivating the closest relations?" "We aspire to control the destinies of all the nations in this hemisphere." "And these nearly all speak Span- ish. Well, you are more fortunate than we who have to teach so many differ- ent languages to cover the same points. I suppose you make Spanish the main modern language of all your schools?"_____ "No, it Is scarcely taught at all. You-see there is no literature worth mentioning in Spanish except Cer- to stop the useless discussion. •'You do not understand our difficulties here. This is a sordid and commercial place and we can spend no time or money on the cultivation esthetic pleasures. We must be practical and prepare our students directly for life." ~"XejjMfS*BT An excellent aim. What do your young men do for a living?" "Oh, some ot them work in shops, some in mines, some on ranches.*1! "You teach them to do all these things?" "No. I have thought of introducing a course in manual training, but we have not the facilities. Besides, some think it is a fad. There is nothing the American public hates, so much asafad."-----,-.___ "Then, I suppose, you give your fun- damental principles of mechanics, ag- his fell manifestation of love, Bugtaia back as in a faint on the floor. s The police believe the scene created was for effect. After being locked in a cell for several hours it is thought that Bugtaia began to fear the conse- quences of his deed and thought that a plea for mercy might cause his wife to drop the prosecution. Bugtaia was released on a bond of $500 furnished by his friends and a hearing on the easo-set-for-next Saturday;: ile is chafgedZwIth assault j^h a deadly weapon. .- WAS -GENEROUS^ course, 4liat"modern language which |ri<ml^re^andanining, so they =see the higher aspects and deeper meaning of their life work?" "No, we can't do that. They pick up what they can in the shops or on the railroad Or elsewhere. Many take lessons by correspondence from a man in Pennsylvania. The railroad sends out an instruction car sometimes. The sugar factory educates farmers in the art of raising beets." __.______ "It seems, then, that this important part of the educational work is being Justice of the Peace Harry Bartlett and wife,-with several other young people from the Wheadon Methodist church, spent Christmas day at tho Northwestern Settlement house in Noble street, Chicago, providing gifts and articles of clothing for the poor people. As an added Christmas pros- "How very strange. Our critics think that Galdos and Valdcs are amohTthe greatest of living novelists, and the dramatist Echegaray got the Nobel prize for the greatest work in literature, rhetieve im American au- thor has yet received thls^nclze." Then, turning to the teacher In charge, "What is your chief aim in teaching lltorfttUTCT?" -J'We try most to inspire the pupils with a love for the purest and lofti- est products of the human intellect. This is such hr prosaic and material- istic age. And the people here have such low Ideals aid such vulgar tastes. They p^retef ireomiC opera or a farce to reading1 something edifying and instructive,,like-Aristophanes or Lucian. It is almost. Incredible, but it is a fact, that nearly all my class fection." "But so many of our words are de- rived from the- Latin and Greek, es- pecially «elettt4fle-antttechttical-term8,4' that it would be impossible to under- stand science thoroughly without the knowledge of these languages." "Quite true, I see that So it is tho scientific men who insist on their stu- dents being prepared In Latin and Greek?" "Well, no. In fact, the scientific men, almost all of them, are preju- diced: againstThenr-and-considcr them- a waste of time. But Latin and Greek literatures are the most inspiring in the world, and no one can be consid- ered educated who cannot read and enjoy in the original the immortal works of Plato and VirgiL" "No,. certainly not. It is a wonder- ful blessing tq enter so completely into the spirit of other tongues. 'He who learns a new language acquires a new soul.' All through their lives your graduates will read with pleasure the great authors of antiquity." The superintendent did not see any necessity for replying to this remark, doubtless because It was so obviously true, and continued: "Besides, Latin and Greek are the foundations of our own language. No one can use the English language with propriety and elegance without a knowledge of the classic .languages." "You find,, then, a great superiority in the Iliad stayed out of B«bool-riotj-gstto^-|ra1^ long since to watch the reports of a prize fight with all Its dtsgustirig~de- talla. Right in the hard part of Homer, 150, book seven, the combat between Ajax and Hector. Shows how little they care for the intellectual life. It Is very discouraging". ""They read no poetry except dialect "stuff like Riley or Daly or Dunbar. I can't get them to read great poetry "like Burns or Lowell." - *» "I suppose you endeavor to cultivate their artistic appreciation in other arts than literature, such as painting and of their native tongue.' We have Sculpture?" "No, that is Impossible, none of the facilities." "What facilities do you lack? You have stones and butter. It was on a stone that Giotto learned to draw, and Michel Angelo modeled his first mas- terpiece of butter." "I mean that we have no great art galleries. A copy Of a great painting i8^ not equal to the original, and can't buy a Raphael or Murillo." "No, but that does not apply to sculpture." ~""; . "Why not?" "Because you can get a cast of the Venus of Milq QObe^Faun pf'JPraxl- teles that Is absolutely identical with the original except in material." "But it is useless to try to teach art in the public schools. Some stu- dents can't draw." ------- ^Are there n0 photographers in the city?" inquired the stranger."^. - taken out of the public schools. The utilitarians do'n°t seem to be forcing you to be practical as rapidly as might be expected from what you said. What occupations do you prepare for spe- cifically?" .. -~ "We teach book-keeping, typewriting and shorthand. These studies pre- pare for clerkships and commercial positions." "I suppose, then, these are the oc- cupations which aro least crowded, best paid and most useful." - "Not exactly. A competent me* chanic earns more than a book-keeper or a professor or an ordinary lawyer and is doubtless as useful." "Your best students then want to become mechanics or farmers or miners?"----------------------- - : .__ iSio, indeed. Men in these occupa- tions are rather looked down upon. "Why so?" "Because they are generally uned ucated.'L " . 'So you do not educate for these professions because they are despised and they are despised because" they are not learned professions. i~ cannot talk ot this longer, it makes my head whirl. But your young women, what do they do for a life work?" "Oh, most of them become house- wives and spend their time cooking and cleaning." And what do they prefer to study in school?" "They take mostly to such courses as music, Dante, Early English and the Art of Fiction." the stranger looked as though he wereHMtoutJto-_questiqn_the necessity of all these subjects in feminine edu science?" "If they take any science it is usually astronomy or botany." "Do you consider that the best train- ing for those who are to make chem- istry their-life-work?" "Chemistry? They never have any- thing to do with chemistry! None of the girls go into drug stores." "Oh, I misunderstood you. I under- stood you to say that cooking and cleaning were the chief occupations of most of them/ and I thought It would make these tasks lighter it not pieaBantern^learn^Bomething-of^the Science of these- chemical arts. But I must leave now. 1 have go many things to think about. I bad heard that American schools were interest- ing, but I never suspected how inter- esting, how curious; they really were. Thank you and good-bye." ■ ^t*~ PLEADS FOR MERCY Begging and crying_for forgiveness, Frank Bugtaia, the laborer who an- saulted his wife and 6-months-old baby in Washington strect,-zEv8n'stoni-Frl- day night, appeared in a penitent inood when arraigned in the police court late Saturday afternoon.^<H^knelPa1 his wife's feet and babbling In his for- eign tongue for mercy created a senne. settlement work. HARRY L Stapte& FancylGi Fruits and Vegetables in S«i Kenilwortb, lit. Phones 104I-10* T- NE,TTIE SPOOR HANAUII ,f..^.■.--•^ar*|« lltjtlft Dutch Stadl« A collection of cHatc* Att Craft Article*, ia _ ' " I I ■!!■'■ Mil den *lowem. Wit«*; Color*, Ol|#, B• *«& etc.. ramrintr in nrie*! from 50o toS50.U&. * _jChW5Jmaj Carm jjS monc narri3un59j£J » KING'S RESTAURANT For 30 year* the name bi clean food, perfect cookt**, right price*. KIN<rSt:«kca in their business and yon get the bene Bat ut KINO'S to day an.l you'll come I morrow. 10 Course table Oe Hot* CHRISTMAS and NUWVEAR.SOBSay 3. out Justlcn Ilartlm gave $xW co the M-j|^^JJiTSi^ilSrwi^SiS The NeW Cabs, Carriages, Saddle and Driving Horses General Teaming and Expressing Telephone m A. F< VOLTZ, Ffop. 597 Vernon Ave, SfSfl- i SIT RIGHT DOWN AND ORDER nnnim lid in i iiii/n Mil III J ixrn GORINf IIS WJ 1UKEJ M WJ ITER Try it and see how much more delicious this pure sprint? water tastes than insipid distilled or boiled water Don't trust to mere filtering, which clears water bat does) not purify it. You can have this pure Corinnis-Waukcsha spring water on your table ------:----------tomorrow by mailing a postal today. ^ ,: HINGKUEY cVSGHMITT, Inc. Tel. Evanston 980 ::: 1919 Asbury Ave. BEST AND CHEAPEST QUICKEST, CLEANEST,, _^ANDrMOST - --._ CONVENIENT FDEI afJb %SF dMA ARC LIGHTS FOR STORE? AND LARGE SPACES. INCANDESCENT LIGHTS FOR THE HOME. TRANGES, RADIATORS, HEATERS, WATER HEATERS. PUBLIC SERVICE CQ^MtM OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS - ■■ -■■■■■■ »ueG&mteTir^r-^-^---^ ' The Northwestern Gas Light and Coke ( 1614 Benson Avenue. Evanston TELEPHONES 80-90 iUDlUV liwiiiii wiiwiii- aiivvi JVIfll fllT STATE BANK CAPITAL. $100*000 il Makes loans on improved North Shore real estate froal Rogers Park to Highland Parkj and-oit faras'j-bki-!*&&:';& county.,:;; % Issues Certificates of Deposit for not less than six months in denominations of $ i oo and multiples on woich if psys four percent interest. - II Oflfers for investment first mortgages on improved real estate, netting the investor five and one-half percent, is sums of $500 and upward. ^?^d for lisL OFFICEK3 AND DIP.EOTORS ^rgyi-ffaekiiiroHPi'^^ .-, .. Ira J. Gear, Conhgel g. O. Keller Arthur W. Verooa, Casbiar Banking Rooms Central Avenue and Sheridan Road Hljfckii* Fwl. A|T.*|itf**. VinttCOK CiiaWar SeMETHTNG EOT? EVERYBODY EVERYWHlllfr*r 616-623 South Michigan Avenue, Filth'Floor.-- ^ IIA R it Y BINIIO R N & ;0Ow Ladies* TaUora aad Furriora, EXCLUSIVE WBeiONBR3..'.-.V 20% discount on all orders placed di log Dcoomber^ Fit and Workmanship Gnarante S. E. Cor. Wabash and Madls Randolph 6S78.