December . ' 11 , 1SH ! ) . OMAHA HE13. braska's Public School System /listic / Element in the School < V question which for many years has had a leading place In tiio school world , and in fact is far from soM'lion today , Is : What subjects are most deserving of a place in the couiee of study ? .Oplnii . us differ widely , from the extremist ° 'i the one hand , who claims that it makes dllTeienoe what the material is , If It Is to the one who says that the time of our schcols should ho devoted to m sub jects save those which have a direct bearing upon practical business life. A few timeworn - worn studies hold their place with undis puted right , but as the pendulum of public opinion swings to and fro home of , lhe less stable oiittj must be il aside. In Nebraska nuisl , uily has bn'ti aim UK the last to ed , but It.-I ? steadily advancing ity. A few years ago the quc U' ' advisability of teaching music came school board of Grand Island. It 'decided either to drop It altogether to employ a special teacher and give prominent a place i n the pn gram a'S any other branch. The latter - tor plan was adopted and as a result the W-f music of Grand Island compares favorably of having the class raise the money cither tluough voluntary one-rings from Its moiu- hers or by means of an entertainment. Chll- dien appreciate a picture which they feel that they hnvo had n share In purchasing , and In one school no money Is accepted save that which the child has earned or saved fiom his own allowance. A few school boards , fearing the avarice of designing persons , have prohibited the raising of money In the schools for any cau.so whatever. Other boards have in. tl illed this rule by making it allowable for purposes ? approved by the HUperlnteiident. In most of our schools , however , this Is not a point which has to be considered and teach ers are free to stimulate pupils to Improve their school rooms In every way. Si'lioul AH ( 'oll . . | IOHN. The full beauty of truly artistic decoration may be seen In several of the large schools of Omaha. Here the collecting of pictures has been going on for many years and the classes of today are reaping the bonellts. At llrst pictures of almost any quality were used , but these have been gradually dis placed by high-grade pictures , till few re main which are not worthy of admiration an ! study. Kvcn the available space in halls ninl stairways is filled , until the entire build ing is a gallery of the world's masterpieces. An eastern picture company Is largely responsible for the great movement toward NEBRASKA'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS- DECORATIONS IN WEST SCHOOL , BLAIR - MISS MINNIE C. LUND , TEACHER AND PRINCIPAL. with the best of the stale and the young people who have received their training in the schools are filling the city choirs. Six-rial MiiHlc TcnchrrN. What Miss Arnold has done- for the Omaha schools Miss Mullen is doing for the schools of South Omaha. In the Hawthorne scliool the last twenty minutes of each Friday afternoon are devoted to a llltlo muslcalc. The doors of the various rooms are thrown open and as the singers stand In the central hall the music may bo heard and enjoyed by all. Teachers have felt amply repaid for Ihelr time and trouble by the keen enjoy ment which the children have displayed and the refining effects of these llltlo rauslcales are felt throughout the whole school. Of many branches it Is true that the dis cipline of acquiring them is more important than the knowledge acquired , but there ! s probably not another subject taught today that brings moro genuine satisfaction and pleasure to the ono who lias studied It and those who are associated with him than the oubject of music. Scarcely half a dozen towns In the state have as high as fifteen teachers where a spe cial teacher of music Is not employed , and In several places much smaller in size the people ple realize tnat it is too Important a subject to bo loft out of their course of study. In deed many people express Iho hope that the day Is not far off when all will consider a knowledge of music as essential as the prac tical "threo Rs" of former days. . Tin ! Sillily of IMcliiri-N , Closely akin to music In the refining Inllu- eiicu It Imparts Is the study of pictures. The 1 power which beautiful surroundings exert In developing the liner sensibilities lint , till recently , been Ignored go far as It related to 1 the school and too many times The warping tloor , the battered weals , The jackknife carved initial were not entirely confined to the school ' house by the country road. Bare walls 1 looked down upon the pupil , relieved , per ' haps , hero and there by a cheap chromo 1 which , not being good enough for the homo , was generously donated to the school. Yet this was the place where boys and girls 1 spent nearly one-half of their waking hours. In the Nebraska schools , with the excep tion of Omaha , the movement toward mak ing the school rooms the attractive places they should be Is still In Its Infancy. A few schools have done nothing , but a largo per com have within a year or two adopted some plan whereby a good picture ( which usually means a copy of a masterpiece ) may be . ' . ? added to a room each year. In some fuw > w schooJs tbo'leachcr has purchased the pic ture , % ut the plan in most general use Is that t the better understanding and appreciating of art which is sweeping our whole land today Fair copies of genuine works ol art may bt placed in the hands of the child for the in credibly small sum of 1 cent each , and , since it is within the reach of all , a knowledge of the world's great artists and their produc tions will soon bo as essential an clement ot education as a knowledge of good literature. It is an unusual thing to enter a school room and not BOO a group of these pictures an-1 several schools have given picture study a regular place in the course. In Nebraska City a lesson is given once in two weeks. Each child has the privilege of ordering it copy of the picture studied If ho so desires ( and few do not ) and after It is studied It is his to take homo. It Is surprising to see how much these little people , under guid ance of a skillful teacher , get from one of these pictures and the collection ot pictures studied is something which they highly prize. The following is taken from a second grade in Nebraska City , but it should be re membered that the examples of school work reproduced In this and subsequent articles are not something especially prepared as ex hibit work , but lessons as they come from the hands of the children , In many cases without even having been examined by the teacher : "IV.MJIMU Ill'lIIInlN. . " "This is the picture of a mother feeding her Ilttlo children. There are three of them sitting on the doorstep. The house Is stone. "Tho grass and vines tell mo It Is summer. The man working In the field tells mo it Is summer , tco. "It la a sunny day , for I see a shadow , The chickens tell me it IH daytime. "Tho Mother Is sitting on a stone In front of the children. She is feeding the baby with a wooden spoon. The little girl on the left has her arm mound the baby. I think she loves the baby. The- girl with her doll wants to bo fed next. "They have wooden shoes like thcso In Mr. Kodtmhrock's sttre. "I think Mr. Millet saw the mother bird feed her Ilttlo ones when he was plowing In the field. I think he liked little hlrdB and little girls , too. Ho thought of the mother robin feeding her little robins , so he culled ( his picture 'Feeding Her HlrdB. ' " The child who knows what tsee In a plctuio and how to sea It has a rich treasure mine opened up to htm. The casual observer In looking at the picture just described would see an old country woman feeding a little child , but the child who has studied the pictures says : "Tho grass and vines tell mo it is summer. The man working In the Held tells mo It Is summer , too , It Is a sunny day , for I see a shadow. " For the NEIUIASKA'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS A CLASS IN MUSIC IN A SKCOND GRADE AT GRAND ISLAND. time he is transported to the laud of the artist's conception , and the soft summer air , tlu > warm sunshine and the various sights and sounds of country life are real things to him. rails or I'rnclical Work. lint the question naturally arises : "Aro these things to supplant the practical work of the schorl ? " The criticism is not in frequently Hindu that the time of our schools is devoted to fads , but in Nebraska It Is a noticeable fact that , with few exceptions , those schools whlcJi find tlmo for the newer lines of work are the very onus that are do ing the strongest work In the common branches. These studies which lend culture and refinement to the scliool . .should sup plement and strengthen rather than take the place of the .noro practical lessons. Hut be cause they are supplementary they should not be neglected. It should be the duly and pleasure of the scliool to awaken and de velop all of the possibilities of the child's better nature through the various avenue. ? open to him. It Is hardly possible to esti mate the silent influence of pictures upon the inner nature , and Iho child who is taught to appreciate the truly beautiful , and w.hat . naturally follows surround hi'insclf with It- has received something which will bo a source of enjoyment to him throughout his whole life , enabling him to beautify his sur- DRAWING BY A PUPIL IN FIRST GRADE. CRETE , TAUGHT' HY MISS HANNAH JOHNSON. ronndings wherever ho may be placed , and elevate those with whom he Is brought In contact. L , S. W. Bunch of Short Stories Decidedly the homeliest man In congress Is Eddy'of Minnesota , according to the Washington Post. Ho rather glories In the distinction of ugliness , especially au all hl olhoi characlerlsllcs are enviable. During his last campaign the enemies or Mr. Eddy charged him with being double foced. Ho met the charge In a manner that disarmed all criticism. "Great heaven ! " said Mr. Eddy to hl audience , "do you think that If I had two ft'cos I would wear the one I am allowing you now ? " Meeting John Allen of Mississippi thm morning , relates a correspondent of tin Chicago Record , I asked him how ho wa coining on In the senatorial race. "I'm afraid they've got me beat , " ho said "It lookn mighty Ilko It. " "I'm sorry to hear that , " I said. "Yes , " ho replied , "I got a heap of sym pnlhy moro sympathy than vo'cs ' 'but nevertheless I have the consciousness or mv own superiority and rectitude , which U a great consolation and support In tlmui of tilal and adversity. " She sailed Into the telegraph ollico and rapped on the counter , reports Collier t- Weekly. The clerk remembered that shr had been there about ten minutes before as ho came forward to meet her he won dered what she wanted tills time. "Oh , " she said , "let mo have that tole- graiii I wrolo you just now. I forgot some thing very Important. 1 wanted to under score Iho words 'perfectly lovely' In ac knowledging the receipt of that bracelet. Will it cost anything extra ? " "No , ma'am , " said the clerk , as ho handed her the message. The young lady drew two heavy lines beneath the words and said : "it's awfully good of yon to let mo do that. It will please Charley so much. " "Don't mention It , " said Iho clerk. "If you would like It I will drop a few drops of violet extract on the telegram at the name rates. " "Oh , thank you , sir. You don't know how much I would appreciate It. I'm going to send all my telegrams through this olllcc , yon are so obliging. " And the smile she gave him would have done any ono good with the possible excep tion of Charley. At the reception given to ex-President Harrison by the Commercial club of In- ilianapolls the other evening William P. Fishlmck told ihls story of their college days at Miami university , Oxfc rd , 0. : "llcn- jamln Harrison once played a mean trick on mo. Wo boarded with a widow in Ox ford and there came to bo. a discontent among the boys about the froil not being sufficiently genormis In supply. A meeting was held In Harrison's room to arrange a formal protest. Lots were cast as to who should present the case al the breakfast table. The ballot box was stuffed and I was elected. I spoke at the breakfawt table anil stated that the boys objected to paying so much for so scant a menu. I expected to be supported by the others. Honjamln Harrison spoke and to my dismay said : 'We d' n't know how .Mr. Fishlmck has been living at homo. Ho may have been a pam pered son of luxury , but an for the rest of us , wo have no complaint to make. ' And that disposition of Tun anil humor has never left Henjamln Harrison. " Representative ) Allen of Mississippi must lot k to his laurels , Hays the Washington Post. There is a new humorist In con- grcds. The discovery Is Cu.shman of Wash ington , whoso wit is keen , whoso HCUSO of the ridiculous Is aculo and who tells n good story In delightful fashion. Cu.shman Is ! tall and lank , of the Abe Lincoln style ot architecture , with legs HO thin that he him self oays he has often been arrested for being without visible meant * of support. Another quaint expression Is that ho was once so poverty-slrlcken that ho sowed buckshot In his summer coat to make It heavy enough for winter wear , lie huhlilm over with original sayings and ho utters them in a Hpontaneuus , unconscious way that adds to their elfectlveness. Mr. Cushman is put down in the con gressional directory aw a congressninn-at- largo , his slate being without dellnlto con gressional districts. This reminds him of a story , lie was once approaching a town where ho was billed to make a speech and Htopped at a house on the outskirts of the town to get a drink of water , lie met the farmer's wife at the well. "What Is Iho political sentlmenl around here ? " nsked Cuslunan. "I dunne , " said the woman. " 1 don't go to political meetings. They say there Is a congressman at largo and 1 think Iho safest thing for mo to do Is to ttlay al homo ! " Howard C. Illllegus , whoso recent book on "Oom Paul and His People" has attracted wldo attention , him been besieged by people desiring Information on South Africa and the Hoers. A young woman , a writer In ono of the big newspaper syndicates , called on him Iho other day , relates the Now York World. She wished to got material for a Hoer arti cle , but had been sadly misinformed. The Ilttlo woman was somewhat timid when she enlered Iho room , but llnally asked coyly : "Aro you the writer ? " "Yes , " replied Mr. Illllegus. Taking courage , she then burst out In a pleading , nympathellc voice : "You will not mind , will you , tolling me Just a few facts about your poor , struggling people ? " "My people ! " gasped the young writer. "Why , the last 1 heard they were prosper ous and living lu Pennsylvania. Have they mot with misfortune ? " The timid woman seined the arm of her chair for support. -1 thought you were a liner ! " she ex claimed. "Indeed I did , " I-lectric Cloth Cutter Cloth cun bo rapidly c-ul by a newly pat ented Implement which lias an electric motor suHpended from tlio cellingby bal anced i-orils , with a gear wheel at the lower end of the vertical huft to connect with it horizontal Hlinft. which carries the rutting dink In proximity to u shoo , slld- Inn under the cloth as It In cut. NEBRASKA'S PUBLIC. SCHOOLS WALL PICTURES IN LAKE STREET KINDER- GARTEN AT OMAHA.