Indianapolis Journal, Volume 54, Number 94, Indianapolis, Marion County, 3 April 1904 — Page 26

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G THE INDIANAPOLIS JOURNAL, SUNDAY, APRIL 3, 1904. PART THREE. Movement to Encourage FlowerPlanting in Indianapolis Yards In Order to Revive Interest in Beautifying the City the Civic Improvement Offers a Series of Prizes... How the Most Unpromising Premises May De Made Attractive at Little Cost r Jin

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Specimen of Japanese Gardening in Small Spa

Judge TwinKle Tells of a Conscientious Architect By GEORGE RANDOLPH CHESTER

( 10U can't often get an ordinary. Y every-day business man to lie to you not much faster than a horse can gallop." observed Judge Twinkle, taking his fa vorite seat beneath the portrait of George Washington, "but once in a long time you can coax an architect" to tell just a wee letle bit of a stretcher. " I want to build a $3.000 house. say you. " 4A11 right.' says the architect. 'It will cost you in the neighborhood of $3.000.' " 'Shoot away, then say you. 'It will take about all that's saved up in the little old cracked blue teapot on the pantry shelf, but I'll stand for the pain. "So the architect goes ahead with his rule and his square and his shiny little compass, and It costs you $8,000, not counting extras. But he wouldn't deliberately deceive you for worldä. He just can't help It. "Now, there was Jimmy Smith. Nice boy, Jimmy. His mother let his hair grow down In front of his ears and meant him for a preacher, and the poor kid 'was so well trained that he honestly didn't know how to lie. Not only that, but he went around wasting the truth at a scandalous rate. It's wrong to waste the truth when there is so little of It in the world. And conscience? Why, that boy had a conscience that went pihng Itself up like compound interest on a ten-year note, and by the time he got into long pants he was eo good that nobody liked him but me pastor and his mother. And the pastor was only lukewarm. ' "It was his conscience, though, that aved Jimmy from becoming a mighty poor preacher. He figured It out that he wasn't good enough to be a minister of the gospel, and his argument -brought tears of joy to his mother's eyes. About that time, too. the art bug got hold of Jimmy, and It was all up with him. He went off to one of those institutions where they take any kind of raw material, and after four years of paring and trimming turn it into an architect with long hair and a loose rQktJL;. If It Is a good job and makes "iaxmxrj it gets its hair cut by and by and dresses like any other hustler, but if it don't, outgrow the overdose of Ruskln it winds up In front of a free lunch counter, w Uh a glass of beer in one hand and a fork in the other, and roasts the government uimI the entire social menu, from cocktail t toothpick. ":i, Jimmy came home strapped and hf'i't-: ilown to a keen edge, and brought o : 1.J3 circus board portfolio and his flowli;;: N-rks and his Lord Byron collar to make- sit up and gasp. " 'Howdy, Jimmy!' says I, gripping his hand. 'Not Jimmy any more," said he in the deep bass voice that afterwards gave him chronic throat trouble. 'I've outgrown that. It Is J. Wesley Smith now.' " 'I don't blame you,' said I. 'It's good bii5.nevs. especially if you're going in for Vas-!ety" architecture. J. w. Smith wouldn't look half so well on a gilt sign.' "Jimmy had the good grace to blush, but lie hurried up to explain that it was a mere matter of individuality, there being several other Smiths in town. " 'All right. J. Wesley. I said. 'I'm with you .till you spell the Smith with a "y," then I quit. What do you intend to do? Work as a graughtsman awhile or start In on your own hook?' " 'Well.' drawled Jimmy, flinging back his head and pressing his fingers together, l feel that the message of art with which I am charged can best be delivered by coming in direct contact with my public. I shall open a studio at once.' "I excused myself while I grinned. " 'And what kind of an architect do you Intend to become?' I asked. 'Prayer meeting, pink tea or ward primaries?' " 'What?' gasped Jimmy. " 'Churches, residences or public build ings.' I explained. I had been thinking of the ways to get the business. "Oh: said Jimmy, I shall make no attempt to become a specialist, only striving, In what work comes" to, me, to express structural truth in terms of purity and beauty. " 'Uh-huh!' I observed. 'That sounds as pleasant as juld wine gurgling out of a dusty jug. but it don't sound like money to me.' " 'Money: replied Jimmy in tones of scorn. 'Money! I do not ask for it. I de episc it. It Is the enemy of art. All I ask Is a bare pittance to sustain life that I may follow my chosen art for art's sake!' "I excused my elf again while I grinned. "Jimmy, my boy.' said I solemnly, when I htar a man above thirty-five say. 'Art for trt's sake" I lock up all my valua bles and get two chaperones and a bulldog for my daughter. But with a boy. like you It is different. It's like the mumps and the measles and the .whooping cough. All you need is care and a good diet and an occasional dos-e of boneset tea. " 'Sir!' Jimmy exclaimed. 'Oh. sit down. Jimmy, tit down!' I went or. 'I'm only telling you what you won't beiieve till you find it out for yourself. I've heard about this 'Art for art's sake' idea till I can say it. all forwards, backwards and crisscross and the only man I ever knew that could make a living at it was a Darher. He called himself a Tonsorial Artist' and he was so much stuck on his business that he took to shaving notes, and died rich and despised as we all hope to do And so you hate money! And you old Jere miah Smith's son! Well! Well!' "Jimmy went home Just then. He was a nne noy and I ltkerl him. but Lord. Lord. boys will be boys! He mighty near fooled me, though. He opened up his 'studio with a fish net on the ceiling and a thick rug on the floor, with pictures and easies nd busts and what-not scattered around like junk in an auction store, and the first thine I knew he was giving a series of Heart-toll ear t Talks on wall paper and carpets and draperies and such things before the omen's Art League. Jimmy was the sort of a built man that has n right to admire himself in the glass with his bathing trunks cn and he had that gathering ot 'How Love lvV up In the air und not caring a smash

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ce whether the parachute was on board or not. It wasn't a month till he had a common looking annex to his 'studio' and three draughtsmen working In it. He turned out a whole bunch of high art houses and they were mighty nifty to look at, but I noticed the next spring that the chimneys had settled and the shingles were curling up and the stonework was cracking and the porch posts splitting, so I went around to see him one day. "He still wore his hair long, but not quite so long and he had on a stand-up collar and a decent necktie, but he looked worried. "'Hello J.'Wesley!' said I. 'I notice that 'Art for Art's sake' seems to be getting the coin, if all these draughtsmen are earning their salt, and I apologize. But what s troubling you?' " 'Judge,' said he, mumping nis desK witn his fist, 'it seems to me that this world is made up of thieves and liars.' " 'Well, this is a big country. Jimmy,' I told him. 'It's made up of Irish and Germans and Swedes und French and Italians and a lot of other nationalities and some of such mixed breed that we just have to call them Americans and let it go at that, and every blessed one of them, at all normal, would steal to keep from starving and lie to save their lives. What about it?" " 'The contractors!' he groaned. " 'Tut. tut, J. Wesley!' said I. 'The car penters and the stonemasons and the bricklayers, the plasterers and the roofers and the plumbers, are nil honest, but you want to watch them, that's all. Or else they'll gouge you. louve got a fine business, but you 11 have to stand around with. a club to keep lt. I notice, by the way, that your 'Decorative Hints for the Home lectures are still the silk.' " 'Yes.' he admitted without batting an eyelash, 'I feel that I am doing something to raise The Standard of Art in the House hold; something to further the cause of Truth and Beauty!' "I looked at him hard, but he never turned a hair, and I drew a sigh of relief. He meant it yet. I can t exactly say that I approve of a spoken lie, though I can excuse one because it's so handy and useful. But a man who lives a lie can't slide down my foliar door. " 'And all these women, I went on. 'Don't they sometimes er pall on you Just a leetle bit? Don't you ever come away from these gasp functions longing to kick a etray dog, or slap an orpnan. or some thing like that?' " 'They are a bit wearing,' he admitted. wearily. 'You see. Judge, tht-y mostly change their ideas of architectural and decorative beauty along about the first of every month: and it's a little hard to keep track of them. They are splendidly en thusiastic, though, he added," brightening up a bit. " 'Exactly,' said I. 'I see it so often in my business. Feminine enthusiasm beats property squabbles by about two lengths in getting to the courts.' "I was about to treat Jimmy to a little fatherly talk when a scent of heliotrope filled the room, a human bunch of violets filled the doorway ancf I saw Jimmy's face light up like a Christmas tree. Well, she was pretty. I had to stop and remember my age. "'There's a beauty, all right.' I soliloquized as I waited for the elevator, 'but I don't see Truth lingering around in the hallway anywhere.' "I wasn't much surprised when one day Jimmy bounced in on me with his eyes pushing at the roots of his hair for room to spread. " 'What is it, J. Wesley?' I asked. 'Money or women?" "'Divorce!' he gasped. " 'The violet lady?' " 'Yes! I'm ruined. Her husband brought suit to-day! Wha.t, oh, what shall I do?' " 'Get your hair cut.' I promptly advised him. 'Let any Jury see you with that head of hair, where there's a woman in the case, and they'll return a verdict to hang you without leaving their seats. Singly, men are a mighty tough lot, but you take twelve of them in a bunch and they're painfully virtuous, being especially- severe with men who use their hair for bait.' Jt!PutJ.ude waelJlmmy. 'I swear the riaVoenic m,stake 11 was Purely '"Platonic fiddlesticks!' I retorted Come. come. J. Wesley, you ought to know that was only Plato's little joke. The divorce court was invented along about the same year I think.' !!H.was,.red and s,!ent for a long time. Its all a pick of lie!' he suddenly broke out. 'I've been living a lie for two years aud never realized it till now. All that High Art .splash, all that Eternal Truth and Beauty rot ' "I felt sorry for Jimmy. You see his old conscience had got to work and there he was. probing himself like an amateur surgeon after a dum-dum bullet, and hurtin? a lot in the process. I thought it was good for him. so I let him go home with the arhe. I didn't even tell him there was something real in his art after all, after he got past the hysterical stage, because I knew he had the genuine article in him bigger thnn a horse and it couldn't be killed-only chastened and humbled a bit. "Well, I got him out of his divorce scrape. Had a talk with the elderly husband and had him take Mrs. Violets to Europe for a spell. When Jimmy came around to thank me his hair was cropped close and he wore a black Prince Albert. " 'Going in for ecclesiastical architecture now? 1 inquired. "Jimmy blushed and admitted that he L w as. i uiuugui sv, i repnea. "lieres a little present that will come in handy to a trcKcr aner truin and beauty,' and I handed him a queer little Chinese ring wun an oua du or ya.ee set In it. 'This.' said I. 'is a ring that was given me by an East Indian Buddhist who claimed occult powers, and he assured me that no mau could lie white he wore this talisman.' "Jimmy looked rather sheepish, but he put it on and went away. It was nearly a year oerore l saw nim again, and then met him on the street. I asked how his work was going and he assured me that his office, not 'studio.' mind you. was full of work. He was doing well, only if those cnurch committees " 'Don't get mixed up on that proposi tlon. I warned him. 'Just remember that these fellows were men before they Joined the church and most of them are still men. And men will show a streak of the clay now and then anywhere this side of the pearly gates. I see you are still wearing the ring of truth.' "'He twirled it around his finger with a little embarrassment, but his eye was still clear. " 'Yes. and I'm trying to live up to it,' he assured me; 'but I find it mighty hard.' "It was a long time before I saw Jimmy again, and then !) came into my-office in a neat business suit, with a springy step and a cheerful smile and a most cordial in fact, almost too cordial handshake. "'How's J. Wesley to-day?' I inquired. " 'Jimmy, please,' he said, with a little laugh. 'Jimmy will do for me.' ' " 'Hut why the campaign button? I asked, touching the gaudy badge on his lapel. " 'That? he replied. 'Why, I'm out for Dan Sullivan and the whole ticket, tooth and toe nail. I've quite a bit of influence in my w,anl. you know, and Dan promise me .that if the gang goes in I get the new courthouse. Why. man. If I pull that Job there's a cool twenty-five thousand In It for me and extras!' " 'Good!' said I. shaking hands with him. 'I'll help along all I can. Your father did me many a good turn.' "When Jimmy went to go ho reached in his vest pocket and drew out a little package wrapped up in tissue paper. "'Here's your ring.' said he. 'I can't

1 use It.' "

FIVUÜV lilt CAUUllC JL iUClUJ I citieä and towns in the United

t3Liitra, nit: iiiuiauaiiuua v,aiL Improvement Association has decided as a means of promoting the improvement of private yards to offer prizes for the season of 1004. For this purpose prizes for each of the fifteen wards and Woodruff Place are offered. They will consist in each Instance of a beautiful Caproni cast, which is prepared with an ivory finish and can be readily cleaned. These casts are reproductions from antique, mediaeval and modern sculpture suitably Inscribed to indicate that the possessor has achieved the prize in the effort to make "beautiful Indianapolis more beautiful" in the ward in which he lives. These casts have permanent artistic value and subjects may be selected to 6uit the taste of the winner. The prizes will be awarded to the one keeping the most atractlve yard, front, side and rear, in each of the sections above named. Prizes will be awarded on the basis of definite improvement as well as actual result. For Instance, one who works from an old tin-can yard or dump is entitled to more credit than one who works under better conditions. However, all elements leading to improvement and ' developed beauty will be considered. Trizes will not be awarded to those employing professional service or to professional gardeners. The employment of physical labor is not barred, though it is especially desired that this work shall be the result of the individual effort of the prizewinner. The condition of alley, fences, sheds, outhouses, shade, trees, yard walks and sidewalk lawns, If any, will be considered. Tersons desiring to enter the competition must send their names and location of premises to Mr. Lewis Hoover, secretary the Indianapolis Civic Improvement Association, at the Commercial Club, prior to April 20, 1901. . ' The Civic Improvement Association will name three competent Judges, who will examine the premises entered in competition In the spring and also at the close of the season. A plan should first be made, the Bize of the lot, the relations of the front and rear spaces, the fences, outbuildings, walks, trees and other fixtures being considered. During the first year it is expected that those who have not hitherto made serious attempts In beautifying their yards will operate largely through the help of the front and rear lawns and the use of annuals or plants which grow mostly from the seed. and early transplanting. It is recommended, however, that along with these annuals be planted perennials, shrubs, trees, vines or creepers, which may with time realize a substantial and permanent growth, which may, of course, always be enlivened and bordered by the annuals. Nature adapts herself to any kind of soil and all conditions. There are plants for the rocky places, for clay, for places wet and places dry, for those shady and for others which are hot or cool. There are gardens of the desert as well as those of the oasis. HOW TO PROCEED. The first thing that should be done in beautifying the back yard is to remove all debris and after the place is once cleaned

How Decoration of School May Be Artistic and

Descriptions of Memorial and Patriotic UmbellisKments in Boston Schools Illustrate "What May Be Done in This Line. ..List of WorKs of Art Suitable for Children of Different Grades ttf . .O ENNOBLE somewhat the sur T roundings of school life, to give the children a glimpse of a finer world, should be our wish. The school children of to-day are soon to be the citizens of the Republic." This is the motto of the Boston Public School Art League. In the first article on schoolroom decoration, the subject was treated in a general way, so far as the arrangement, classification and harmony of the various objects placed upon the walls was considered, but it may be welf to be somewhat more spcific and enlarge upon the subject from the point of view of detail. The? plan of decorating a room to serve as a "memorial" to some distinguished citizen, as the decoration of the Phillips Brooks School, of Boston, the John Witt Randall room in the Boston Latin School, and the hall of the Horace Mann School, in memory of a teacher, are striking examples. John Witt Randall was a grandson of Samuel Adams, of revolutionary fame, and the funds for the decoration of the room in the Latin School, of which Mr. Randall was an alumnus, were contributed by a relative. It was appropriately decided to adorn the walls with prints of scenes from the period of the revolution, with busts of Washington, Franklin, Lafayette, Jefferson and Hamilton. The prints represented The Surrender of Cornwall's," The Signing of the Declaration," "Washington Crossing the Delaware," "Capitol at Washington," "The Minute Man of Concord," etc. Beneath each object was placed a tablet giving the necessary data in reference thereto, so that the pupil would not only have the aesthetic side but the practical as well. On the door of the room was placed a brass tablet bearing the name (f the man in whose memory the room was i domed, and with an appropriate inscription. The hall of the Horace Mann School was decorated In the style of the Renaissance, though some of the casts are from the antique. The walls are tinted a soft Pompeiian red, and the woodwork is oak. At one end of the hall is a small stage, and Just above it is a memori panel on a gold background. ' The ornaments and lettering are white and green in Renaissance design. Above this are five casts from Lucca dclla Robbia, In unbroken line, giving a striking effect. To the right and left of the stage are two pedestals also richly ornamented. On these stand two fine Japanese vases of pale greenish hue, unadorned save with their own color. On certain occasions these are filled with flowers. On the walls, to the right and left, are busts of Apollo Belvidere and Minerva. On one large panel of the wall are two bas-reliefs from the Elglu marbles. The electric fixtures for lighting the room are also designed to give further effect to the Reuaissauce feeling of the decoration." In addition to the above mentioned instances of the "memorial" idea, may also be included

not to let It accumulate again. Around the back part of the lot should bo buiit a high, tight fence, which should be true and strong. To take away the formal appearance of this, Virginia creepers can be set out every rive feet along the inside and these should be trained up a little until they get hold. It will not take the vines many weeks to coer the fence completely and' give it the appearance of a wall or hedge. The earth which the lot contains has also to be looked afttr. If Jt Is not already rich it should be fertilized with well-rotted manure, then where llowers are to be planted the ground must be spaded deep an J well turned. It is well, however, if one can afford it. to have the whole lot spaded or plowed thoroughly. It is said by those who have had experience in this kind of work that where the average person makes his mistake Is that he works the ground when it is too wet; this causes it to bake until it gets so hard that it Is impossible to get llowers to grow. After the ground is well turned it should be leveled and smoothed off. Bluegrass seed should be sown over this, preferably in the early spring. About three quarts to every thirty feet should be used. When the grass comes up it will form a lawn fit for drying clothes, croquet and other games. Back from the center or far side of this lawn a narrow path should be laid out, and should extend to the alley fence. It is better to have it straight, for while this Is not quite so artistic it is the only practical manner to arrange a walk, as it is the only kind that people will follow. To make this more picturesque and comfortable a round, square or octagonal grape arbor of simple pattern can be arched over the path and made to form a complete canopy. This can be erected at a small expense, and many men who enjoy this kind of work build these arbors themselves. When the vines cover it sufficiently it should contain a seat or two. Every four feet around It a Concord grape vine should be set, which will secure ample foliage and covering. After the grass plots and walks are provided for the flowers should be next looked into. Flower gardening Is divided into three part;; first, mass: second, space; and third, avoidance of straight lines. I5y massing the effect that is obtained is most beautiful and the open space in the center of the yard admits sunshine and gives the children a place to play. In the arrangement of the yard as a whole straight lines should be avoided, because it is the idea to give the place the rustic appearance of nature. Straight lines are harsh, and hash lines in nature are unknown. Of course in planting flower seeds the manner in which they are to be sown and the time depend much upon what variety of flower It is. If they are bought from a seedman the directions will accompany them, which will aid in their planting. In this experience is the best teacher, and knowledge soon comes. FIRST YEAR THE HARDEST. It Is in starting a flower garden where most people become discouraged and quit, for then there is much laborious work attached to it and one can hardly see what he is accomplishing, but the second season this work becomes much easier and more pleasant, for then the gardener is better acquainted with his flowers and their manner of growing. In placing plants one must be careful not to get the taller plants where the border and smaller plants go. The tall plants should be put on the outer edge of the yard and should gradually descend to the smaller or border plants. The flowers that are hardy and best suited for the outer edge of the lot are phlox, larkspurs, dahlias. hollyhocks, goldenrod, asters and golden glow. The last named is very conspicuous and when it is well massed in each back corner of a lot -it makes a very beautiful appearance. The border plants that may .be used along the walk are geraniums, pansies and verbenas. The old sheds, which are always conspicuous and have much to do with destroying the beauty of a yard, can be beautifully decorated with vines such as the

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'Z --".v.r J Memorial Room, Horace the Gilbert Stuart School. And in recognition as well as in appreciation of the naming of this school after one of the most.tlistinguihed of American painters, the Boston artists contributed pictures in oil, water color, pastel, or blacks and white, to adorn the walls of the principal's room, which happened to be a very large and handsome one. In consequence, the school contains a collection of original works of art, most of them signed by men of wide reputation and high standing in the artistic world. This school is also the most complete as to wall tinting In the city of Boston. PATRIOTIC DECORATIONS. When a handsome new building ifv the North .Knd of Boston was named for Paul Revere, the four patriotic societies of the State, namely,, the Sons of the Revolution, the Sons of the American Revolution, the Daughters of the Revolution and the Daughters of the American Revolution, formed a joint committee, which, acting under competent leadership, decorated four of the rooms with pictures, casts and flags. The pictures were all subjects relating to the days of 1773; the casts were bust portraits of the founders of the Republic. As this school is situated In the heart of the "Latin Quarter" of the city, the pupils being the children of the most recent comers to the new world, a splendid object lesson was presented, beginning with the name of the school and ending with the delight these eager little souls manifested in their ardent desire to be children of the stars and stripes. These patriotic societies justified their existence in the attitude they presented in this matter, and it led to a wider and broader scope of work. Some years before this last instance, the Sons of the Revolution presented to every public school in Boston a fine large photogravure reproduction of Stuart's portrait of Washignton, and this society is continuing this special work throughout the commonwealth. Other societies which have contributed to schoolroom decoration, besides those already mentioned, are the Appalachian Mountain Club, Twentieth Century Club, Woman's Educational and Industrial Union, the Historic Art Club, and many of the chapters of the patriotic societies. The question 13 often asked: What is suitable for schoolroom decoration? If we have the primary grade, the following list may be suggestive as to what is best within the mental range of the pupils: "Madonna." by Raphael; "Angel," Fra Bartholomew; "Divine Shepherd." Murillo; "Beggar Boys." Murillo; "Infant Don Balthasar," Velasquez; "Girl with Dog," Greuze; "Shepherds and Sheep," Millet; "Age of Innocence." Reynolds; "Angel Choir," Reynolds; "King Charles's Spaniels." Landseer; "Sleeping Bloodhound. Landseer; "Head of Bull," Por.er; "Landscape." Ruysdael; "Landscape." Hobbema; "Chil

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night shade, wild cucumber, morning glory, vining nasturtiums, clematis and the rambler. The latter is very good for covering up old sheds, for it grows very fast and is very profuse; consequently no part of the rough edges of the building can be seen. Many people in arranging their back yards desire to put in a small vegetable garden, and this does not take away from the beauty of the place in the least if properly laid out. The best plan to follow in the vegetable garden is to have a path through the center of it and have the green vegetables growing on both sides. These should be planted the same as the flowers, in that the taller ones should be at the outer edge and the smaller ones be used at the border of the path. Vegetable gardening affords one a great amount of pleasure besides being useful. The only hard part of it is to get the garden started. After this the principal work is to keep it well weeded, and a man can do this after he returns from work in the . evenings. In almost any ordinary sized lot a garden large enough to furnish the average family with all small vegetables it needs can be had. At the sides of the house and coming around the corner a little in front shrubs, such as syringa. the rosa rugosa and the Spiraea Van Houttii, should be planted. The object of this planting would be to give the foliage support around its base, which makes a house look at home on the ground. At one side, if it is desired to have a path go round the house, an inconspicuous arch could be made over the path, and Hall's honeysuckle or akebia trained over it. The sides of this arch would be flanked by the shrubbery already spoken of, with the tall growing syringa in the background and the rose and spiraea and Berberit Thunbergii In front in the order named. If some seclusion for the front windows from the sidewalk is desired, lilacs will do as well as anything else in the shade of the usual street trees. Any attempt to have a shrubbery screen should be preceded by the erection of some simple low fence to keep out dogs and street children. ' HEDGES ARE DESIRABLE. Many of the suburban homes are surrounded by these low fences, but a neat, handsome hedge is not altogether undesirable, and is finding much favor with those who have homes a short distance from the city. These hedges, for the most part, are composed of Thunbergii, which is conceded to be the best, though California, privet, which is not quite so hardy, is quicker and will grow taller. Over the front door or beside the piazza posts nothing is equal to clematis panicultata. which is very hardy and retains its foliage very late in the fall. The crimson rambler rose is another favorite, and while it is not so good in foliage or quite so hardy, is gorgeous in its bloom beyond any other hardy rose. It is a. climber and may be usd on the porch posts or at corners. The labor that is attached to the work of making the yard beautiful is considerable, but the worker is well rewarded for the trouble, not only from the standpoint of having a pretty yard, but also because of the amount of good wholesome outdoor exercise that is to be obtained. The vines require netting and stringing so that they can climb. The flowers that grow in the back yard depend on the time or. has to devote to them as well as- the size and condition of the yard. Some flowers will grow without any attention, while others will require considerable. The grass plot in the center of the yard should not be forgotten in the raising of flowers and plants, for it will also demand some attention. It should be well watered: about once a day is iufliclent. though it should not be watered too often. One of the bet ways to keep the ground perfectly smooth is to have a hand roller which will press the ground down where the frost has caused it to rise. The one thing that should be remembered 1 in arranging a back yard Is that one should not under take to grow too mUch in a limited space, for it is necessary to give room to cultivation and sunshine.

Rooms Educational 3 i hi x .... y Ap . . . . . .. ........ A . .. wv v. - v vv( y f V.V. -jl . . 1 9 ' c v. .: ,, i f i 6 ' f Mann ScHool, Boston dren of Charles First," Van Dyck; "Baby Stuart." Van Dyck; "Singing Angels," Mcmliug; "Cupid," Mengo; "Singing Boys," Lucca della Robbia, and "Saint George," by Danatello. If we have the grammar or high school grade, the follwing list will indicate what may properly be selected: "Head of David." Michael Angelo; "Lorenzo Medici." Michael Angelo; "Roman Forum," "Basilica of St. Peter's." "Basilica of St. Mark's," "Giotto's Campanile." "Temple of Philae." "Parthenon. "Venus of Milo." "Hermes of Praxiteles," "Winged Victory," "Caesar Augustus." "Adoration of the Magi." by Durcr; "Portrait of Durer," "Luther," by Holbein: "Charles I." by Van Dyck; "Henrietta Maria," by Van Dyck; 'Trince and Princess of Orange," by Vau Dyck; "Duke of Buckingham," by Rubens; "Richelieu." by Champagne; "Cromwell," by Sir Peter le-ly; "Marie Antoinette, by Madame Le Brun; "Madame Recamler," by David; "Joanne d' Arc," by Lefage; "Marie Therese,' by Velasquez; "Aesop," by Velasquez; "Three Fates," by Michael Angelo; "Madonna," Andrea del Sarto; "Apollo and the Muses," by Romano. These subjects indicate the level and high grade to be maintained, as nothing but what is recognized as "high art'," so to speak, should find a place on schoolroom walls. FOR INDIVIDUAL ROOMS. The ideas to be carried out may be shown by the following schemes for individual rooms: American history, literature, as, for example, portraits of the poets and authors, with pictures of their homes or illustrations of their works; American scenery, characteristic views of different sections of the country. English history: Historic buildings like the Tower of Lonüon, Westminster .Abbey, houses of Parliament, St. Paul's, together with portraits and reproductions of paintings of historical events. English literature: Portraits of Scott, Shakspeare. Milton, etc., with scenes from Stratford-on-Avon, Kenilworth Casile, Canterbury Cathedral and similar Illustrative material. The field of German, Dutch and French subjects along the same lines is a broad one, and it would be well, so far as is possible, to choose such subjects as have important bearing on the development of the race, and especially the discovtiy and settlement of this country, together with the foreign influences which have had their effect upon the American Nation. Battle scenes are not welcome in the schoolroom: only such subjects should be chosen a? have some direct moral to convey, or which possess a literary motive. With the arousing of a public spirit a wide field of usefulness presents itself to those -ho are desirous of bringing about a greater appreciation of the value of the aesthetic in our daily lives, and no better ot broader view can be obtained than through our public schools. "The children of to-day are soon to be the citizens of the Republic." NATHAN GILMAN PAGE.

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A. Prlxe DacK Yard. Dayton. Ohio

Effect of AtKletics on tKe .Health Sanely Considered Br W. BEACH THOMAS

HERE Is a class of persons who have a wholesome horror of all athletics. We hear much about "the brutal athlete.' as if he were a creature who only en T joyed kicking his neighbor's shins and had no share in the usual amenities of polite life. Again we are told that athletics are 1 the ruin of health as well as of manners, that athletes in their later years find themselves less capable of violent exertion than their unathletlc brethren, that heart and lungs and legs are all Injured by great Indulgence on the path, or field, or river. In each of these accusations tthere is a rudiment of truth; some athletes are brutal. some damage their internal organs and their limbs; but that athletics in the general way are at all Inimical to health, mind or morals is a contention we wish to combat. It would be possible to talk at large on the subject to any extent. Anyone could write a vague puff of the athletic spirit; we can argue and truly that the Anglo-Saxon must have his games, that exercise, violent exercise. Is a safety valve, letting off the steam that else might produce all manner of explosions. Again we can go back and quote the Duke of Wellington to prove how courage Is formed by the mimic fights of football, and endurance by races on path and river. Doubtless also it is true that our battles have been won on the school "playing fields," that discipline, self-reliance, acquaintance with danger, are fostered by all branches of athletics. Yet again Intellectually we can point to the past athletic prowess of many of our most commanding intellects. Four of his Majesty's judges, for instance, were In the university boat; a number of the bishops have been distinguished . athletes. The attorney general defeated Lord Jersey In the earliest days of the intcr-'varsity sports. The subject is long and interesting and abstract talking "in the air" could make out a very pretty case. But In this article we propose to stick rigidly to facts, the facts furnished by carefully gathered statistics, and by the physiological Investigations of well-known physicians. ARE ATHLETES HEALTHY? It happens from time to time that a wellknown athlete dies suddenly. The world, genuinely sorry for the mishap, Is too ready to attribute the calamity to the violence of past exertion. One such . death was announced in 98, when the American Myers, perhaps the finest quarter-miler of all time, succumbed to rapid heart disease. As long ago as 67, public attention was largely directed to the subject of the effect of athletics on the health by the collapse of a great sculler and also of a famous prize fighter. The consequent outcry against the excessive indulgence In games induced Dr. Morgan, a great physician and a considerable athlete, thoroughly to investigate the statistics of the subject. He started, it Is true, with the a priori notion that exercise must be a good thing, but it is impossible for anyone to say that his prejudices had even the slightest effect on his scientific investigations. . His plan was to inquire as . to the health and life of every single man who had rowed in the Interuniversity race since 1S), and to compare the body of facts thus collected with, the life and health tables of. the insurance companies. So thorough were his inquiries that he succeeded, in getting, either from their friends or the actual athletes, full accounts of all but three of the competitors in the races between 182S and 1863. The results of his search were published in 1S69, a number of the letters from the "old blues" being given in full. His conclusions, based on facts tested by extreme scientific accuracy, were beyond all expectation favorable to the cause of athletics. Out of nearly three hundred instances only seventeen confessed, or were said by their friends, to have suffered ill effects; and even of this small number Dr. Morgan shows that a majority indulged in the race at a time when their health was in a precarious state. Dr. Morgan applied also another test, that of longevity, and again in this direction he found his statistics all in favor of the oarsmen. His calculations tend to show that the aggregate lives of a crew of eight rowers totalled fifty years in excess of the average life. Yet again. Dr. Morgan went into the question of heart and lung troubles, as it is supposed that these two organs are specially liable to the ill effects of over exertion. . The athlete once again came out successfully. For whereas some 4G per cent, of grown men die on the average from diseases of the heart and lungs, among the old university oars only an average of 37 per cent, succumbed to affections of these organs. Now these statistics refer primarily to oarsmen, but if they be considered in relation to the truths of physiology underlying them their conclusions will apply with equal truth to any form of violent exertion, athletics proper, football or cycling. We will. then, en deavorwith as little use of technical terms as possible, to expose the actual effects produced on the organs of the body, principally the heart and lungs, by suaaen ana maintained athletic exertion. ADVANTAGES OF EXERCISE. In the first placu It is indisputable that certain forms of exceeding effort may so affect the body as to produce death. Skilled veterinary surgeons, whom we have con suited, say that racing greyhounds very frequently die of sudden heart disease The fame disease Is found In an acute form also In racing horses, and every year many hundreds of draught horses suddenly collapse from a similar cause. Doctors, again, whose practice lies among operatives, among men whose daily task is to lift and carry heavy sacks and weights of all sorts, report numerous cases of men who about middle life suddenly lose health and vigor from the giving way of blood vessels of the heart. We have elsewhere quoted the instance of one prize fighter and one sculler who both met sudden death. Tne problem is how to make this extensive group of facts tally with the statistics above quoted from Dr. Morgan. For the moment we have statistics cutting statisticstwo bundles of facts mutually antagonistic. -The studies of yet another doctor who has taken special interest in the subject WH1 help us to escape from the apparent dilemma. In a general way we are apt to consider the internal . organs cs quite separate in kind from the constitution of the limbs and muscles. We divide training under two heads studying separately exercise and ailments as though the exercise did not affect the inner man nor the food the outer. Facts do not favor this view. It must be remembered that the heart itself is composed almost entirely of muscular tissue, and that the exercise which hardens the muscles, say of the thigh, hau exactly the same ort

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VaT . of effect on the muscles of the heart. Thl more quickly the heart beats the more rapidly is the blood pumped and the mora violently is it thrown against the walls of the principal blood vessels (the Aorta). The result of this frequency and violence of the heart action enlarges and strengthens the muscles of the organ exactly as the movement or tne leg increases the strength of the leg muscles. The result is that the athlete at the end of the course of training possesses a heart, and lungs also, which have reached a state of development that ought to be of the utmost benefit to health. Of all constitutional ad vantages the possession of a powerful heart and lungs is perhaps the most valuable. So far then the athlete, especially if he was originally rather weak In these respects, has reaped nothing but advantage for himseir. DANGERS OF EXERCISE. However, pari passu with the beneficial development has grown up a corresponding risk, or to use a more accurate word, responsibility. The comparison with the muscles of the limbs now no longer holds) good; for while a man runs no particular risk by letting his once large thigh muscles degenerate, the shrinkage In the muscles of tho heart entails a very serious danger. The athlete, we will suppose, after several years constant exercise, has suddenly to adopt a more or less sedentary mode ot life; as time goes on he will take less and less exercise, and in consequence, though without necessarily incurring bad effects, he will have lost the constitutional benefits that his athletics once brought him. In the meanwhile, however, his desire for such bouts as he enjoyed in the past will come upon him, when opportunity offers, with not less than their former force. In consequence, by a race or a long cycle ride, or even an excessive walk, he will call upon his muscles (of heart as well as leg) to do In a day the work that should have been extended over several weeks. His subsequent stiffness of limb will soon make him realize how great the effort has been, but the stiffness, or. technically, the overdilatjon of the msucles of the heart and; Aorta, will not give tho same Information to his senses. Nevertheless that one day's bout ot exercise may have set up the beginning of the disease though the day. previously there did not even exist the germs of such a weakness. To sum,up the conclusion what happens Is this,- that the athlete who trains carefully and not too quickly benefits his constitution lmmenselybut at the season when he allows himself to run down, he incurs greater risk than other people from sudden strain. His organs are more elastic, and If you stretch elastic too far it tends to lose its native resilience. There Is one more point to which tha athlete must pay close attention. The study of the heart makes it clear that exertion extended over a long period of years produces much the same effect as anv excessive and sudden strain. The men whom Dr. Morgan studied owed their salvation and the accruing benefit to the fact that their athletic career, that is their violent athletic career, was not continued past the age of twenty-tcur, or so. Unless a man is of exceptional physique, and takes infinite rare of himself, it Is almost certain that his health In later life will suffer, supposing he has continued to apear In tho competitive arena up till the age of. say, thirty. It is a very different thins to be an athlete and a competitive athlete. We believe that the maintenance of vigorous exercise up till the threshold of old age is the first seCret of health, of keeping a sound mind in a sound body; but that racing, exercising, against some one else demands a very much more trying and exacting form of energy. A GYMNASTIC COPING-STONE. If we may take It as accepted that the athlete must take more care of himself than other people, the center of the problem all lies in the difficulty of maintaining the career he has begun. He. has begun by putting himself on a higher plane, hygienically, than the refet of the world; how is he to prevent his fall being of similar dimensions to his rise? Is It possible for a clerk or any one engaged In sedentary and office work to keep up his athletics? There is, of course, the bicycle to help him, to take him out of town, out of himself and out of his lethargy; but on the body the bicycle has small, and not always beneficial effect. To us the solution seems to lie in a great cultivation of gymnastics. Any one can practice gymnastics, and that without the need of a gymnasium or even of any gymnastic paraphernalia more expensive than dumb-bells. Even a dumb-bell is not necessary. The Immense effect produced by any regular dally movements on both muscle and health will seem incredible to those who have not made any, practice of such. Any . man who by Indulgence In athletics has properly developed his physique can maintain (not produce) that physique by as little as ten minutes careful gesticulation in his bodroom. A gymnasium, paraphernalia, the study of gymnastic manuals will assist him. and will render his exercises less appallingly dull, but necessary they ore noU Personally we are convinced both from & priori reasoning, from surgical investiga- . tions, from exeprienced fact, that in the imposition on himself of some regular gymnastic exercise lies the first secret of sound health. We have spoken largely of rowing, and from what we have seen, we believe rowing to be the most exhausting of all sports --and for this reason: that the continuance of seven other oars in the boat makes shirking or withdrawal from the race an absolute impossibility. If therefore men may row the hardest race in the world from Putney to Mortlake and afterwards contrive to enjoy cxeccptional health, we may conclude that other forms of exercise are at least not. less topdueive to the generaKhealth of the body. Rut let it be u&iln said: The athlete both in the domain of muscles and morals must always take the trouble to continue and maintain the good state he has acquired. Copyright, 19M.) Itnre Snlcldr nnd ttn Incident. St. Louis Globe-Democrat. A widow with three pairs of twins, the oldest fifteen vears of age, arrived in St. Louis from Alton a day or two ago. The two older children had been employed ia the glass works at Alton, but had been discharged. As they were the only support of the family ;nd could find no other work, the mother with her tlock came to St. Iuis. ( where, having no means, she fell into the hands of the police, who made what provision they could for her and started hir forward to the home of a relative la the country. In the licht of the recent discussion n "race suicide." brought into puhlle thought by the President, thi cae has pome interesting phas. If the contribution of sous and daughters to the state is one of the highest of human aspirations, this is a most deserving instance, and what has "the state" done to reward this highest service? Turr.d the whole family adrift o shift for its If, when its youthful breadwinners are unable to earn brrad. Is this the best "the state" can do? Are not six strong, healthy, promising youn twin of any present or future value to the community? If the eountr- is opposed to "race suicide." it might take better care of those who are saving it from that catamlUr.

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