Evening Star Newspaper, December 19, 1896, Page 18

18 THE .EVENING STAR, SA’ TURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1896-28 PAGES. What is Being Done in the Public Schools of This City. —s GRADUAL GROWTH OF THE SYSTEM Advantages Which the Pupils Are Supposed to Enjoy. FOR THE FUTURE T OF ington not perhaps aware of the are MANUAL TRAINING! advantagt public s in regard to manual training. Washington, it is claimed, ranks with the best in re- gard to perfection and thoroughness of its course, which, m building and training by the hand, begins with the first day the Uttle child enters the public schools and ceases only when he or she leaves them. The history of the introduction and de- velopment of manual training in the public sols of the District of Columbia is full interest. At the opening of the High School in the fall of 1885 steps were taken 1 the establishment of a workshop, in which the boys might gain a rudimentary knowledge of the use of common tools. Commissioner Webb, upon visiting the school, became much interested in the plan, and through his efforts the shop was made ready for use March 1, 1886. The equip- ment, which was originally for woodwork cnly, consisted of two cabinet work benches, sets of tools for- twelve boys, a lathe and a twelve-inch circular saw, and was set up in the southwest room of the High School basement. The power required was furnished by an engine of eight horse-power, which was al- so used for running the ventilating fan. Prof. C. Koyl, who was then instructor in hysics, undertook the care of this new although he made no claim to al knowledge. The boys insisted.and -ssor no doubt agreed with them, sum of his knowledge and experi- the that the ence in the matter was contained in a cer- tain little red book, his constant shop com- pre panion. This statement may be more readily believed by the manual training boys of today, after he is told that the professor was actually on the point of giv- ing the fi lessson at the lathe by putting of 6 by 6 oak timber and begin- cutting with a chisel. The timely ¢ of Mr. Sherman, then janitor of the High School, saved from destruction e foundation of the building and saved for future usefulness the lives of the in- structor and his class. Under his direction the sixty boys, who had been chosen from the second and third year classes on account of excellent con- duet, obtained creditable knowledge of the mmer, w, brace and bit and plane. They utilized this knowledge in making modeling boards for the drawing rooms stands for the physicalglaboratory. A Small Beginning. ember, 1886, Mr. Walter G. Wes- appointed instructor in manual In son was Ss. ining. ‘The school year ending June 2, 1887, was a notable one in the bistory of the public schools of the District as that in which manual training was regularly begun. The appropriation for the purpose, though suf- nt perhaps fer a beginning, was too i | | Fear Worse Power Upright E Built by Class of 94. € the ex intr ended and due equipment of a of woodwork in the High utmost that could he at the command of 2 any et- with benche ommad who re tice one hour ea up ccesstul. It was not ¢ it with the other regular study of the school. The boys like the work, and showed to withdraw from the cla: out one hovr’s instruction per weck Was given each pupil, a marked im- at in the use of too! known that many at ant induced iin th owell_ in TSS5-8) subj training hs his ann ct of manu: its value. priation of $5,000 for the purpos the al educat for follow erable ¢ ties of manual train- k Were establis ing ful Bperatic ber of Is Mr of nd Mr. J. A. € and is manual trai fF a Wes the to } achieved ISSS. Ub at pres- & de tween wood boy the same establi ankiln sehi | work that by him school at 1359 22d street northwest, and at the Blair school, respectively. A’ teacher was engaged fur each of these new shaps. Expanding the System. The fall of 1880 saw seven more bench shops opened. Two more in the city, at the Force building and at 7th and G streets southeast, and five more in the county, viz: at Anacostia, Hillsdale, Benning and Benning road, and at the Mott school. Three additional teachers were engaged, one of whom ftinerated among the five county shops, spending from half a day to two ‘Ss at each. 1 #L a bench shop was opened in the Gales school and another at 7th and G streets southeast, making two at the last- named Jocation. One of the latter was moved in 1892 to the Monroe school, thus becoming the sixth county shop. In the summer of 1880 the High School shops, on O street, were rearranged and enlarged by the addition of the rooms pre- viously occupied by the cooking schools. Part of the space so gained was taken for a drawing room. After these changes were made the shops cceupied the entire build- ing, as at present. Other changes, all tend- ing to the better utilization of the avail- able space, have been made, nearly every ng something done to this en nning with the school year 1803-94, the High School boys were allowed the fwist Drill Grinder, Class of 96. privilege of electing manual training for six hours a week, or as a major study in place of some other’ branch. Twenty-seven availed themselves of this opportunity. This change proved suffi- ciently popular and successful to warrant a further move, which was accomplished at the opening of the following year, 1894- ‘9%, when the technical course Was estab- lished. Its first members were taken from the six-hour students of the year before. For the Little Ones. In the lower grades the manual training which the child gets is largely with the naked hands, without tools. ‘The course is bound in by work in drawing. The manual side of drawing is clearly seen and appre- ciated as work, as well as art. The child is instructed in stick laying, the making of different designs with colored sticks, the cutting and folding of paper with different figures and clay modeling. This early form of manual training with the hands alone educates to the highest sense of touch, and the pupil, it is claimed, having learned to feel and to do with his naked hands, is more apt when he takes up tools. There are five distinct courses of shop practice, extending over the six years from the seventh grade to the fourth year High School, inclusive. The end sought in each kind of work is to teach fundamental prin- ciples and processes by means of simple, progressive exercis The courses are as follows, it being un- derstood that each has its related work in drawing: Grades seven and eight, joinery; High School, first year, wood turning; High High School, third and fourth machine shop work. In grades seven and ¢ight two hours a week are given to the shop instruction, which is compulsory. In the High School it may be taken either as an elective branch, two hours a week, or in the technical course, six hours a week. The elective branch is provided for the boys of the academic and_ scientific courses in order that they need not en- tirely forego the benefits of the tool in- struction. Heretofore a majority of the boys in these courses have availed them- selves of this privilege. ‘Technical Course. : The technical course is similar to those technical and manual training courses maintained in many of the principal cities of the country for a number of years past, and which were designed to enable high schcols better to meet the demands put upon them by the advances in scientific, engineering and industrial pursuits. The course aims to give an English high school education with manual training add- It is designed for two classes of pu- pils: @) These who wish to prepare for admission to some higher institution, viz., a pclytechnic or scientific school, or the scientific er engineering department of a university; and (2) those who plan to take a part or the whole of a high school course and then seek employment in some chosen industry or profession as bread winners. Propose: On accou cilities for New School. t of the lack of room and fa- nual training, the girls’ coul in it ceases when they leave the grades, but if Congress agrees to give $159,000 for a new manual training school and provide adequate equipment for it, both boys and gii same advantage and the course can be made more complete and better results ob- tained. The work done by the boys is shown by the following partial enumeration: The class of Is built an upright en- gine of four ho power, which is now used to ran the sixteen-light dynamo, buiit by the class of 1395. The class of ‘96 built a twist drili grinder, thirteen piano lamp stands ard two speed lathes. The class this year is at work on a sixteen-inch engine lathe. The teachers in the school are as follows: J. A. Chamber, director; A. O. Gardner, head High Schooi work; R. B, Hayes and Fr. Skinner, assistants High School 1, Thomson schoo! ool; 'T. W. Fuller, ost; F. A. Degges, sets southeast: E. J. Dakin, » school; J K A. Montgomery, Gales Potter, Peabody anne: » county; Realism, Fron Fling nc Yonkers Statesman. ‘And did the stage haye the ap- of a real garden in the garden I hadn't been on three the place was filled with soe xercising Precaution. ond. all 1 get Freddy “Don’t get a wagon, a wheelbarrow or anything that I shall have to haul him around in: get him a rocking hors If. Ro Social Expericn © Chicago Record. hat tramp at the kitchen door wouldn't drink the coffee I gave him—sald it wasn't hor "t hot? Well, that shows he has ever attended afternoon teas.” is, it is claimed, will have the for) A CHRISTMAS STORY: BY THE SIOUX CHIEF, “BLUE HORSE OWNER.” (Translated for The Evening Star by R, 0. Pugh.) The tale Iam about to relate was told In the wigwam of the Sioux chief, Biue Horse Owner, last Christmas night. The wig- wam ts located on the Cheyenne rivulet, a tributary of the White Clay, near Pine Ridge agency. The walls are bvilt of cedar logs. hewed to eight inches square. Tne roof is constructed of the same material, being slabs of cedar split to about six inches in wilth, and vovered with sod. The architectural pian is octagonal, with an aperture in the center of the roof for the exit of smoke; the hearth ts of fire clay and suitable for culinary purposes. The walls are adorned with Indian ornaments, implements of war, and a large ment of herbs for medicinal purpose: The occupants on this night are the old chief and w his son and daughter-in- law, his daughier Lola (a returned grada- ate of an eastern school), a younger son by the name of Mato, and a daughter ten years of age. Fire of barkless cotton- woe is burning briskly on™ the hearth. Blue Horse Owner was the first to speak, and began by saying: ‘My daughter Lola, have you arranged everything in accord- ith the ancient customs of the Loia answered: “Yes, father, you ere seated on the great medicine robe, em- bler atic of wisdom and strength; mother on the bear robe, ready to protect her young: my oldest brother on the mountain lion skin, as a symbol of bravery; my little brether on the great wolfskin robe; Corn Leaf on the silver fox and myself on the otter, where none but the pure dare sit. Your medicine pipe is on your right, to- bacco sack on the left and fire east of you.” The chief said: “You have spoken well.’ Tken, drawing his mink skin robe tighter about his shoulders, he reached for his pipe with the right hand, the tobacco with the left and proceeded to fill and light the medicire pipe. When it was lighted, he raived the pipe to a perpendicular position, sayirg,“Great Spirit, have pity on me;’then turring to the west, he said, “Kind wind, have mercy on my stock; to the east, ‘Gentle rain, come plenteously;” to the south, where the shadow maker liv “Werm svrshine, come bounteously;” thei downward, saying, “Kind Mother ‘Earth, Who puts fat on our buffalo, and replen- Ishes deer and antelope, to all of you this nicht I offer my humble thanks.” Then addressing the family, he said: “It is now twenty-two winters since the epl- sode which I am now going to relate oc- curred. Three hundred lodges of the Sioux, left our agency, which was situated one day's travel toward the rising sun from Fort Laramie. We crossed the Shell river (Platte river) early one morning near the mouth of Horse creek, and proceeded to where Pawnee creek ' joins the ‘Tallow (South Platte) river. Here the village was formed, and the rules and customs govern- ing buffalo hunts were adhered to. Dog solclers were stationed on prominent points surrounding the village to prevent a sud- den attack from our enemies, the Utes and Pawnces, and to stop any of our young men who might prow! out of the village in search of game; and by firing of guns, or ethenwiee disturb the buffalo herd, which ve judged from various sign the vicinity. signs must be in “After the evening meal was over, the council lodge was erected, within which congregated all of the head men of the band, and, after the usual smoke of peace had been taken, it was agreed to send out at dawn ten of our most trustworthy young braves for the purpose of locating the buf- falo. For three nights the council sat to receive the report of the young men, but yet no herd had been discovered, so the council broke up rather discouraged. “That night, after returning to my I concluded to start early the following morning in search of the herd myself: therefore, at dawn of day I had my favor- ite horse, Wabluska, saddled, and a good selection of the best war arrows and my buffalo bow placed in the quiver. I fol- lowed up the Tallow river until about the time when the shadow fs shortest. Until then I had not seen any indication of game, but while meditating on the ill luck and threatening hunger of my people, Wabluska Gave a ‘cightened snort, and, on looking round for cause, I could see nothing that indicated the presence of Utes or Pawnees. “While censuring the horse, and urging him forward, I discovered a fresh buffalo trail, and on close scrutiny came to the conclusion that {it indicated a male, and one of unusual size. Taking his trail up a grassy ravine, which was easily followed, on account of a quarter arrow length of snow covering the ground, I did not pro- ceed more than an arrow shot distance to a sharp point or bend in the ravine, when, to my surprise, there stood a medicine bull which neither I nor any of my young uc- quaintances had ever beheld. Young and old well knew the venerable tradition that ‘whomsoever killed a medicine bull within three suns would be either dead, a warrior or a chief.’ I was younger and braver than I am tonight, and it was but a short in- terval until my bow was strung, and a se- lected arrow quivered on its errand, and, as the bull was making its first leap for a Tun, the arrow was planted deep to the feathers in his body, having entered be- tween his ribs, a little behind the shoulder blade. “He made but a few leaps, and then the noble animal fell, and with a few lowing, groaning sounds, worthy of his race, was soon dead. My first thought was to return to camp and report the event, for I knew many a winter had passed since the like had occurred in the Sioux nation, and if 1 could but bring the holy robe to the vil. lage, surely the council would pronounce me the head chief this very night. I dis- mounted and turned Wabluska loose. The horse was used to graze about while his rider butchered the common buffalo, but on this occasion he started on a trot’ up the ravine, showing fear of the dead animal. “I am not ashamed tonight to admit that the sight of the magnificent animal caused me to shudder. The inner hairs of the buf- falo were fine and nearly white, intermin- gled with a long, black, silver-tipped coat. After gathering all my courage together, it did not take long to rid the monster of his hide, and then to roll up the robe suitably for carrying on the horse. But Wabluska was not anywhere to be seen. North of the place of butchering there was a knoll, and from there I discovered him grazing quite a distance further up the ravine, but as I tried to approach him he kept going on, further and further, till I was nearly ex- hausted; and, to make matgers worse, I could see that there was approaching from | the north what we used to call a buffalo- killer, called by white men.a bhizzard. “I ‘made one final effort to catch my horse, but without avail. Despairingly I turned my course toward camp, but none | too soon, for the storm came with a roar; | ilinding, whirling, waving billows of snow, seemingly bent on smothering all living be- | ings. I was soon‘dazed, but I drifted with the storm, hoping to find some spot where I might be sheltered from the storm's fear- ful onslaught. Walking and drifting on- ward for a time, I fell across what at first I thought to be a large boulder, but which turned out to be the body of the medicine bull. “My first thought was of the holy robe, which I had rolled so carefully for packing. I soon discovered it, unfolded it and placed it over my shoulders and body, hair inward. I found it to be a great protection from the awful blast, and when I crouched in the shelter of the great body soon discovered that the animal heat had not all departed. Feeling the need of more covering, I even- tually found myself crawling into the large cavity from which, a short time before I had taken out the entrails. Thoroughly ex- hausted, it was not long before I was sound asleep, and so remained for many hours. When I awoke—on the following morning— I was inclosed in darkness, and held as in an iron cage (the body and robe having frozen stiff during the night), with light visible only at a small aperture at my feet. My first thought was of what follows the killing of the medicine bull: ‘Within three you will either be dead, a warrior or ’ and I concluded that the first was | my lot.’ Still, life was not to be abandoned | without am effort to obtain liberty, and I gathered al lm ystrength for a tremendous but unsuccessful effort at release. My loud alls for help were unanswered, although I cried aloud until night was approaching. Further horrors seemed then to be in store for me. The how! of the buffalo-wolf hreke on my ears. answered, it seemed, by count- less of its kind, who soon joined the first, ready for the approaching repast. Then there commenced a royal wolf banquet. “I think eternity will not seem longer to me than that night seemed to be, When daylixht commenced to creep within my gravelike abode—through many a new opening made in the body during the night —I could look out between the ribs and see the great. asdbriment of ‘inttie and _ big wolves, wildcats and lynx, who seamed dee lodge, tained for the ond table, but were held at bay by two large fatherly looking blue wolves, who sat on‘their haunches, with the points of their great bushy tails extending between the ribs ‘of the medicine bull’s car- cass. They paid aittle attention to what was going on within, but seemed bent on guarding the remains for further use among the wolf family. “I noticed that the. opening through which the tails protruded narrowed upward toward the backbone, and grasping the two tails firmly, and suddenly raising them up- ward, I brought, tyem together as in a vise. The wolves realized that there was something wrong.-,They growled and snap- ped thelr glistening teeth toward the place where the greater, part of their tails and my hands were, and scrambling to their feet, they made a, lunge forward, and to my surprise, I found myself being drasged along the snow dojyn the slope toward the nver at a rapid break-neck speed. ‘Holding on witha deathlike grip, I was soon gliding un thg smooth, icy surface of the river and going, for the opposite shore. But barriers of sand and snow prevented further travel in that direction, and the wolves turned down stream, in the direc- tion of the village, gaining speed, but pant- ing and yelping. Onward we traveled, cnd soon I heard the scund—oh, how welcome— of human voices. "This sound, I afterward learned, was uttered by Sioux boys, who had wandered up the river. Onward and onward this extraordinary race continued, until the shouts of sur- peise were repeated many times. Suddenly my team came to a circling stand. Clu! were striking heavily. on my covered slei and on the wolves. Soon the wolves must have been laid out, bleeding and dead. I called loudly for liberty, but it was some time before I couid make myself ungler- stood, for when ‘a human voice sounded from within, the young brav: first surrounded ‘us, were ’s| fear. “But eventually I was hauled before a blazing fire within the head chief's lodge and thawed out. On beholding your fathe: "rapped in a holy robe, they cried, ‘Hail, blue horse owner.” That night in the coun. cil lodge there was great rejoicing, and I was declared head chief of the Ogallalas. Every winter since, there has been a fami- ly gathering in my ‘wigwam in commemora- tion of that eventful day, and my daughter Lola tells me that a long time ago there also was born a good man on that day, which the white men celebrate : ‘Christmas day. pee BRUTE ARITHMETICIANS. Example Showing That the Dumb Animals Know Something of Numbers From Our Animal Frie1 One day the celebrated ornithologist Au- dubon came out of his cottage with four of his friends to go for a walk. The next in- stant they saw a parrot fly in at a window. Audubon and one of his friends returned indoors, and immediately the bird flew out in a fright and went circling about over- head. Audubon came out again, but the bird refused to re-enter until the other gen- tleman had also left the house. It seem- ed to remember that two persons had gone in and only one had come out. Curious to discover how far the parrot could count, he returned indoors with his four friends, and made them go out, one at a time, while he himself remained inside. In a few minutes the bird flew in again. It was evident that its powers of arithmetic ended at the num- ber four. A Russian doctor, named Timofieff, tried the same sort of experimen: a few years ago with birds, cats, dogs and horses. He declared that the crow is capable cf count- ing as far as ten, and is in that respect superior to many tribes of men in Poly- nesia, who comprehend hardly anything of mathematics. Dr. Timoiieff’s account of the behavior of. his own dog is amusing. This dog never buried several bones in one spot, but always hid each one away sep- arately. One day hig master presented him with twenty-six large bones, which he im- mediately proceeded to bury in twenty-six different places.” On the morrow Dr. Timo- fieff did not feed the’animal at all. In the afternoon he let his pet out into the garden, and from a window watched him attentive- ly. The dog set to work at once and dug up ten of the bones. Then he stopped, seem- ed to reflect for’a moment, and began dig- ging again until he had found ain2 others. Here he stopped’ to consider as before, and then returned to work, scratching persever- ingly until he ‘had ‘unearthed six more bones. This seemed to satisfy him. He sat down and began his dinner. Suddenly he raised his head, stopped eating, and looked around with a thoughtful air. Then, as if quite sure that he had forgotten something. he started up, trotted around the garden, found the twenty-sixth bone, and returned with a look of satisfaction to his meal. The doctor believed that the number twenty- six was too much for the canine mind to grasp, and that the dog had therefore di- vided the provender into three groups, counting the bones in each lot separtely, but that the mental process was so compli- cated that he made a miscalculation, and only rectified it after reflection. ‘The same writer tells us that the eat is less expert in arithmetic than the dog, not being capable of counting further than six. He used to hold a piece of meat to his cat’s nose and draw it away suddenly, always repeating the action five times before allow- ing the animal to take the morsel. Puss soon grew accustomed to the performance, and waited with dignity and calmness until the sixth offer was made, when she sprang up and seized the piece of meat with her teeth. For some weeks the doctor repeated this experiment, and the cat did not make a single mistake When, however, he tried to increase her kyowledge by making four more approaches and retreats before letting her take the meat, she lost the count com- pletely and jumped at the wrong moment. Proofs of the horse's power of counting are even more curious. Dr, Timofieff men- tions a peasant’s horse which, when work- ing, invariably stopped to rest after the twentieth furrow. It did not matter how long the field happened to be, nor how tired the animal might feel, it ‘never stop- ped until the twentieth furrow had been made, and so exact was the count that the farmer could tell the number of furrows by noting how many times the horse had halted. In another village there was a horse which reckoned distances by posts, and knew what hour it was by the striking of the clock. Dr. Timofieff was driving fram one town to another, and at the twenty-second verst (two-thirds of a mile) one of the horses stopped suddenly. The driver got down from his seat and gave the animal a measure of oats, at the same time explain- ing to the passenger that the horse was accustomed to being fed after every twen- ty-fifth verst. This time it had made a mistake, but it could not be blamed, as it did not judge of the distance traversed by its own fatigue or hunger, but by counting the verst posts along the road. It had mis- taken for some of these posts three others which greatly resembled them, but which merely served to mark the boundary of the state forest. The same horse was always fed in the stable at noon, and Dr. Timofieff himself observed that whenever a neighboring church clock began to strike the animal raised its head and listened attentively. When the strokes were less than twelve it put down its head sadly, but it displayed every sign of joyful expectation when it heard twelve strokes, and knew that din- ner time had arrived. ——_—-1 ~2 ¢0- An American Custom. = the Cleveland Rjain Dealer. reizner—“What are they chasing that innocent-looking gouple out of that house for? See, they are,throwing things at them! There, a pootshas just caught him under the ear! What does it mean?” Citizen—"Why, sthat’s just a bridal pair starting on thelr:wedding journey.” ete Fron/Awny Back, From the Buffalo ‘Tinea, Rev. Mr. Softiy-jAnd what authority have you, Miss Squeen that the good book sanctions foot batt?” 4 Miss Squeer—“‘Ol,* you have _ heard,, haven't you, abot Mpses having first at- tained notice when fie was found in the ‘rushes?’ ” ‘ tRs tee. Didn’t Tarn the Hos From the Cleveland Leader. First Book Agent—“Over in that yellow house lives a remarkable woman. Second Book Agent—How’s that?” First B. A.—“I called on her this morning and her actions indicated that she reaily thought I nad a right to exis : -2o+ A Bad Break, From the Indianapolis Journal, Mrs. Larrabee—“I thought your sminister was to have a calito Minneapolis?” - Mrs, Fenwick—“There Was talk of It, but it’s all off now. He Went out there to preach a irtal sermon, and aAbsentmindedly ym Him, took his text from Bt. } i ' chinery ‘cially: AN ART D ARTISTS e As the new Corcoran Gallery building nears completion it receives more and more the warmest commendations, not alone of those directly interested in art and architecture, but of the patriotic public at large, which views with pride every step taken toward adorning the national capltal and making it in all ways worthy a great ard prosperous country. In points of dimen- sions and splendor of decoration it will not of course compare with the magnifi- cent new library building, but in its way it is hardly less fine and pleasing than that. Its exterior, dignified and chaste in style, admirably indicates the intended purposes of the building, and ample as its external proportions are, its noble atrium, grand stairway, and spacious exhibition rooms cannot fail te be a delightful surprise to ail visitors when they first enter its doorw: Especially do the fine proportions and un: surpassed lighting of the second-floor rooms to be devoted to the display of paintings impress those who not unjustly found fault with the inadequate light af- forded in some of the galleries in the old building. In these respects it is claimed that the new picture rooms will not suffer by comparisoa with those of any gallery in the world. This is claiming a great deal: but it is not claiming too much, if the opinion of those who have had ample op- portunity for judging correctly can be led upon. There is reason to believe, aiso, that when those possessed of ample means or fine works of art see and fully realize what an admirable casket the new structure will be for the proper display and permanent preeervation of artistic gems they will not be slow to enrich its both paintings and sculpture, which will at once delight the public and reflect credit alike upon donor and donee. Indeed, it may be said that some sug- gestive movements in that direction have already been made. With the possibilities as well as the needs of the new gallery in view, a few Washington gentlemen some time ago united in the purchase of a fine example by an artist of wide reputation, which was presented to and now hangs in the present gallery; and now it is under- stood that Mr. Ralph Cross Johnson, of this city, has set aside one of his valuable paint- ings for presentation to the new gallery on the occasion of its formal opening. Anoth- er compliment of the same character is ex- pected te come from New York. The widow of an ariist of considerable note who died in that city some years ago has signified her intention to send one of his more im- portant works to the new gallery as a me- morial gift. These three ‘contributions ought to be but the beginning in the work of enriching the collections of the gallery outside of the somewhat limited income af- forded by the endowment of its munificent founder. As Washington is in fact the capital city of the whele western hemis phere, and as the gallery here will be visit- ed annuailly by the citizens not only of more of the states of the Union, but of more foreign lands as well, than that of any oth- er city, the well-to-do people of the whole country ought to vie with each other in the noble work of making it at once worthy the national capital and equal to the high pur- ‘pcses it has in view. * * x Miss Alice Archer Sewall of this city is atout finishing her $1,000 commission in mural decoration in one of the fine private houses on Sith street, New York. The commission embraced three panels, and also the design of a window, which will be executed by John La Farge. Miss Sewall has been the recipient of many honors in tke way of teas, receptions, ete., by the New York women artists, including Mrs. Kenyon Cox and Mrs. Ella Condit Lam), and her work has excited considerable in- terest in the decorative art circles of that city. She is expected home before Christ- mas, and will thereafter devote herself to work for the spring exhibition of the New York Architectural League. * * Mr. Waiter Paris will give a reception ex- Ribition of his summer's work in his studio rooms, on the upper floor of 1424 New York avenue, on Monday and Tuesday next. The display will consist mainly of work done at Bar Harbor, and those who have seen some of the drawings say. they prom- ise a varied and interesting exhibit. oe aed Miss Bertha E. Perrie’s exhibition of water colors at the Art League building closed Thursday, The one most generally admired was “Rowley Meadows,” which was exhibited at the New York Water Color Club in November and is, perhaps, the best: landscape that has yet come from her brush. The atmospheric quality in it is admirable, and the effect of distance is wonderfully good. “Rocks by the Sea,” which was also chown in New York, is an- *Phone 1092. collections by gifts, of | limited facilities- in every sense of the word. We like to launder collars and cuffs espe- it’s our “hobby.” We launder over 20,000 a week. Pretty good record, isn’t it? Enroll yourself a Yale customer at once! Drop postal--telephone--or call--and we'll send a wagon! The Yale Laundry, Main | Offices alll im lime with the rest! Fully two-thirds of Washington’s par- ticular men send their laundry here already now we’re after the other third. : be greedy--but why shouldn’t we do all the laundry work when we do it best? Our mammoth plant--magnificent ma- perfect sanitary system--and our un- make us laundry leaders F. H. WALKER & CO., other trathfui study of nature. In its general characteristics the collection is widely different from those shown in for- mer years, and the coloring and treatment indicate that she is breaking away from the accepted traditions and forming a strongly independent style. In addition to the work by Miss Perrie several oils by Miss Aline Solomons were shown and also a number of aouarelles by Miss Emily Tyers of New York. The can- vases which Miss Solomons exhibited were all flower subjects, of which a mass of peonies painted almost entirely with the palette knife was exceptionally good. Miss Tyers also showed skill in the treatment of flowers, roses being her favorites, but | she exhibited equally good specimens of landscape _and figure work, the head en- titled “A Little Dutch Girl” being especial- ly worthy of mention. * * * The portrait which Miss Emily Scud- der showed here at the exhibit of the clety” last winter is now in New York in the exhibition of the National Academy of } Design, whtch closes today. The portrait, | which is a likeness of the artist's mother knitting, is very seriously studied. Since his return from Europe Prof. Schwartz's studio has been adorned with numerous specimens of his handiwork in| the decoration of china. Among the many interesting things,is a plate with a portrait | of Marie AntuinM™e in the center, and a | border design adapted from the decoration | pen the jewel box presented to the queen by the city of Paris. Two other effec pieces are a cluster of chrysanthemums | studied carefully from nature, and a well- executed mass of ho'lyhocks. While he does | a great deal of flower painting, his skill in | ceramic decoration is best shown in the | i ures and heads which he as done. He | always gives an exquisite finish to his but while minutely elaborating the does not lose sight of the effect of His rendering of flesh tints is admirable, aad the color and texture of the skin is especially good in a beautiful head | which he has painted. The fabric, which wound loosely around the hair ser} headdress, is also painted with er ity, and has the effect of changeable silk. | Prof. Schwartz has recently made upon china careful copies of a number of cele- brated paintings. s fora t fidel- x * * Eleven pictures were sold at the exhibit of the Water Color Club, and the success of the show both in an artistic and a financial way is quite gratifying to the members. While ro single sale for any very large amount was made, the sales were distrib- uted among a larger number of artists than usual. * Mr. Ferdinand C. Leimer has been work- ing upon a bust of Mr. Simon Wolf, and | the head promises to be a very effective | piece of modeling. The sculptor is also busy with a small medallion head of the President-elect, and though it is yet in a | rather early stage it is already developing | into a striking likeness. Mr. Delmer is| raking around this head an ornamental border in the rococo style. * * Miss Helen Nicolay has been elaborating several of the sketches in oil which she made in Holderness, N. H., during the sum- mer. She is very fond of white birches, and is at present working upon a landscape in which these graceful trees play an im- | portant part. Another study which she has been working up is a scene on one of ihe | New Hampshire lakes. It was paint a misty .mcrning, when the veils of fog s hung around the mountain tops and is a | very faithful rendering of a difficult at mospheric effect. Miss Nicolay’ invariably | paints her landscapes in a light key, and as | a result the genuine out-door quality is seldom lacking. During that part of the | year when sketching in the open air is im- possible she devotes herself largely to tig ure painting, and she has recently finished an effective study of a girl in a pink gown. * Of all the rooms in the new Congressional Library which has been decorated by the artist staff, headed by Mr. Elmer E. Garn- sey, the librarian’s room is perhaps the | most completely satisfactory. It is differ~ ent from anything else in the building, in- asmuch as in its decoration Mr, Spofferd's tastes and personal preferences weie con- sulted to a great extent. For example, the color scheme was adopted out of a defer- ence to a wish of Mr. Spofford’s, and the owl, for which he has a great fondness, ap- are a number of times in the designs. e room is finished in oak, and the walls | are lined with shelves and drawers, thu confining the actual decoration almost en- | tirely to the ceiling. In the center is a cir- ‘cular panei representing Literature, and in the four corners are smaller panels of the game shape, which in subject are closely ! { | | | i We may 514 10th St. | 1104 14th St. —Plant, 43 G St. related to the main decoration. els were executed by Mr. Holslag, and are admirable in color. The ceiling around central painting has been enriched with signs in bas relief by Albert Weinert. Thera are four graceful arabesque designs fl lunette-shaped spaces, which were des by Mr. Garnsey and painted by 1 Thompson. The general color me of these is based upon a warm green, and the figures carry out a quaint poetical fancy of the designer. These pan- * ~*~ * Two o2 Frank W. Beneon'’s decorations for the library were put in position sor time ago, and now the entire series is place in the corridor on the second floor, south of the grand stair hall. His three octagonal panels for the ceiling represent the graces, Euphrosyne, Aglaia and Thalia, In the first named he bas given us a land- scape background with a flowing which, however appropriate it ue figure, seems a trifle incongruous in a ceiling decoration, which must always be looked at from by very pleasing in c Ww. or, His paintings are but are painted in sober tints, and as result they suffer when It placed in the brilliantly is to be regretted that so many paintings should have been placed tn galleries around the west entrance ha the decoration in this part of the bui extremely - and rmor color. Mr. four circular pane representing the ons are a little ri in color, and are ccnsequently better to hold ‘their own in this strongiy col olored cetling excell ab setting, Of these smaller panels nd Summer are especially good. * * ok The pair of bronze doors which the late Olin L. Warner designed for of the three doorways of the west main entrance have arrived and are being put up. These docrs are being placed in the doorway north ef the central one. * * * Mizs D. B. King finished a short time ago a sketch of Commodore Matthews’ litle daughter, and she is now at work upon a bust of Mr, Graham. Her work in clay cecupiee most of her time, but she {s also busy with a portrait in oil of Mr. Andrew Rankin, and finds opportuni( at odd moments to carry on the fri which she is making for her studio. She is cxecutirg this m charcoal upon shee s lof pzper, ard when it is entirely finished it will extend ccmpletely * * * ‘ound the room. A> excellent pen drawing by Mr. Har L. Macdonald, which appeared in Harper's Weekly a short time ago, showed the White House with the proposed additious by Mr. Dillon. In the latter's design a wing ts to be added at either end, and through his plan the much needed ro: will be afforded, and the appearance the building will be improved rather than otherwive. His pian will be brought up for ection by Congress this session. A Bad Sign. From the Chicago Post. “Do you believe in signs and ome! “Wh: —in a measure.” “That's rather indefinite. “Well, I wouldn’t try to court a girl after 1 had seen a quod wide-awake watch-dog in her father's front yarl PROP | Aclnijpicona5t “Wants his quarter back.” Harper's Weekly.