southern boundary of the parade, for the home of Battery B of the Missouri National Guard, the foreman's residence in Troost Park overlooking the fine lake in that property, are all features of The Paseo.

The observation towers, massive stone walls and stone stairway at Tenth street and Kersey Coates Terrace, have completely changed the character of this location and make it an unusual point of interest, as it overlooks the jobbing, packing and railroad properties located in the valley at the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri rivers.

Upon Gillham Parkway is located a fine storehouse and yard for the Westport Park district.

At Twenty-third street and Gillham Roadway, directly facing upon the park land is the magnificent new City hospital which has cost the city upwards of half a million dollars. On its high and sightly location it is a distinctive feature of this portion of the city.

Plans are now drawn and during the coming fiscal year a general central storehouse of large proportions constructed of native stone will be built on The Paseo at the crossing of the Belt Line tracks and Twentieth street where switching facilities can be obtained for handling all supplies in car load lots.

For more than two years there has been talk of a zoological garden in Kansas City. Some good natured ridicule greeted the first talk of this improvement, but as the efforts became more determined and the public were made to realize that the movement was an earnest one, opposition disappeared and gradually came general approval of the plan. In the apportionment of the general funds of the city for 1908, the park commission requested the Common council to set aside $15,000.00 for the construction of the first bird and animal building. Plans were drawn and the estimates received upon the same showed that an additional sum must be provided. The City Comptroller, Mr. Gus Pearson, who has from the inception of this idea, being the pronounced champion of this splendid improvement of the general public, placed before the City council the necessity of a further appropriation and urged that it be made. Appreciating that a proper beginning should be made, the additional money was promptly voted and the work is now under way, and before the opening of the next fiscal year the zoological gardens of Kansas City will be an established fact. Ample grounds for a large collection of buildings has been set aside in Swope Park and the location is admirably adapted for the purpose.

The Kansas City Spirit will not falter in this desirable work, and other suitable buildings will be rapidly constructed until the plans of the zoological association are fully realized.

CHAPTER XXVII.

ART MOVEMENTS IN KANSAS CITY.

The varied and far reaching effects of the English Exposition of 1851 would be most difficult to estimate, but one result is easily determined by the sudden illumination experienced in all foreign countries where manufactures are important industries. Almost overnight nations awakened to the fact that art is not a mere fantasy without consequence, a sort of recreation of the bon ton which interests only people of fashion and amateurs who make collections; men began to see in art not the privilege of a class, but something human, universal, practical, concerning the pleasure, well-being and advancement of the whole people. The relation of art to industry was the prime lesson of England's first exposition. It gave vital force to the fact that whenever art is applied to the simplest, commonest product of labor, then will come, order, intelligence, grace and increased value. A knowledge of drawing, perspective, projection color, design, composition, modelling, mechanical drawing and architecture are needed in degree by woodworkers of all kinds, masons, painters, engravers, printers, carriage makers, tinners, molders and workmen in a host of other trades and occupations. To the capitalist, employer and merchant, and to their employees, this knowledge is of the greatest importance if their product is to find ready sale.

Foreign countries immediately took the initiative in attempts to transform workmen into skilled craftsmen whose products could compete with the artistic creations of the French factories. Under government patronage, schools of design, such as the Kensington art school, and technical institutions of all sorts were established abroad. But the United States was in the birth throes of its great inventions, and art was hampered by our frenzied zeal to put the machine in place of the man. It was left for the Centennial of 1876 to rouse the people at large to the lesson which England learned in 1851. No governmental fostering assisted the gropers after artistic culture in this land. The movement was left to private initiative and, as a result, small art schools sprang up all over the country.

Kansas City felt the influence and fortunately learned the lesson on its broad lines, as is clearly shown, not only by the character of its first art association, but by the early introduction of drawing into our public schools. Its cosmopolitan population embraced many who had brought with them from older centers, the traditions of the cultural and practical value of art training, and needed only to be aroused by some definite plan.

About 1885, a group of artists who had rooms in the Deardorf building on the southeast corner of Eleventh and Main streets, at that time the studio

quarters for the city, furnished the impulse which led to the earliest art organization. Mr. Fred Richardson, long connected with the Fine Arts Institute of Chicago, suggested the formation of a sketch club to consist of laymen and artists, meeting from house to house, to talk over art matters in general, and to judge pictures made by the members in illustration of a subject previously given out. The first available roll of membership is for May, 1886, and includes Lawrence S. Brumidi, Lillian Crawford, J. L. Fitzgibbons, Emma Richardson (later Mrs. Cherry of Denver), Luella Sims, Fred Richardson, Miss Nellie McCrary (now Mrs. Henry McCune), artists; Misses Ada Pratt and Mamie Woods, Messrs. C. E. Hasbrook, J. V. C. Karnes, S. B. Ladd, Morrison Mumford, D. R. Porter, Homer Reed, C. C. Ripley, W. M. Smith, W. H. Winants, M. B. Wright, with their wives and Mr. John Van Brunt and Mr. Tauchen. An exhibition of the work of the artist members was given in the Deardorf building in the spring of 1887, the first of its kind in Kansas City. While it contained no works of great merit, it was largely attended and served to crystallize public interest.

Mr. C. C. Ripley immediately suggested that the time was ripe for a Kansas City school of design, with its necessary accompaniment of an art collection. Men of means and influence were willing to entertain the idea though it seemed almost a dream at that time when the city was in the rough; when the winning of fortunes, not their spending, was engaging the attention and employing the energies of the men who best appreciated the value of artistic culture. But it has been characteristic of Kansas City from the beginning that its men of action have been dreamers of dreams that come true; and in the fall of 1887, after a vigorous canvass by E. H. Allen, C. C. Ripley and Edwin R. Weeks, twelve men had each agreed to pay one hundred dollars for each of the three succeeding years, as a maintenance fund for the school, and a purchasing sum of $2,065.00 had been raised for equipment. The twelve men were Charles L. Dobson, Homer Reed, Charles C. Ripley, Geo. F. Winter, M. B. Wright, Edward H. Allen, William M. Smith, Jefferson Brumback, Charles F. Morse, Edwin R. Weeks, Charles O. Tichenor and W. A. M. Vaughn.

On the 18th day of July, 1887, the Kansas City Art Association and School of Design was incorporated, the articles of association being signed by Jefferson Brumback, Edward H. Allen, Theodore S. Case, Charles L. Dobson, Homer Reed, C. C. Ripley, Wm. M. Smith, Edwin R. Weeks, Wm. H. Winants, T. V. Bryant, Thos. B. Bullene, C. F. Morse and Henry D. Ashley. The articles state that the purpose of the association "is to conduct a school for instruction in drawing, painting, modelling and designing, and the construction and maintenance of buildings suitable for such purposes." The first officers were President, E. H. Allen; Vice president, Mrs. M. B. Wright; Secretary, C. C.

Ripley, and Treasurer, Homer Reed. "A complete set of models and casts consisting of statuary, reliefs, architectural and anatomical fragments and drawing solids," one hundred and sixty-four in all, was purchased from the government agencies of Great Britain, together with one hundred and eightyfive fine autotypes and photographs of noted statuary and paintings. Under the direction of Mr. Ripley, these were installed in five rooms on the fourth floor of the Bayard building, 1214 Main street. They formed an unusual collection for an initiatory effort, and the surprise and satisfaction of the public, when the rooms were thrown open for inspection, constituted an asset which carried the undertaking through many troublous times. People seemed to feel that the Art Association had proved itself and was worthy of support.

The School of Fine Arts and a free night school for instruction in mechanical and architectural drawing, modelling and the elements of design were opened on January 2, 1888. The director of the school was Lawrence S. Brumidi of the National Academy of Rome, and the faculty consisted of Miss Lillian Crawford of the Cincinnati school of design, F. L. Fitzgibbon of the National Academy of New York and Miss M. R. Griffin of Spread's academy of Chicago. Thereafter the directors were successively: Elmer Boyd Smith who had studied in Paris; J. Franklin Steacy who had spent three years in Paris under Gerome and Bougereau, and had been supervisor of the art schools of western Massachusetts; and Alfred Houghton Clark of the Boston school. In the spring of 1892, the school had grown both in attendance and scope to such an extent that a curator was necessary, and Mrs. Helen Parsons was appointed in this capacity. The year closed with one hundred and fourteen pupils in attendance. The academic work in

drawing and color had been varied by the costume sketching, composition, pen and ink, wash, still life in oil, pastel and water color, and outdoor sketching from nature. Interest in the classes was so great that a summer session of six weeks was opened.

The list of members of the association now numbered two hundred and forty-four. As a result of a new canvass for a maintenance fund, made by E. H. Allen, C. C. Ripley, E. R. Weeks and Henry Van Brunt, fifty dollars was pledged for each of the next three years by each of the following gentlemen: K. B. Armour, J. V. C. Karnes, W. R. Nelson, E R. Weeks, C. F. Morse, E. H. Allen, C. L. Dobson, C. O. Tichenor, T. B. Bullene, L. R. Moore, L. T. Moore, W. E. Emery, Jefferson Brumback, Thos. H. Swope, August R. Meyer, W. B. Clarke, Witten McDonald, James L. Lombard, George Nettleton, Lindley Coates, Robert Keith, Keith and Perry, W. B. Thayer, B. F. Jones, E. L. Martin, John C. Gage, Nathan Scarritt estate, Edward H. Webster, Tiernan and Havens, and Wm. M. Smith.