William Kent to Jane Addams, March 28, 1910

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William Kent

Kentfield, Marin Co., Cal., March 28, 1910

Miss Jane Addams,
Hull House,
Chicago, Ills.

My dear Miss Addams:

Pardon this typewritten acknowledgement of your kind letter. I shall write at greater length later.

I have been greatly distressed at the idea of selling the playground but it seems that we had struck an impasse and the City had best be urged to take steps for a permanent location. Mother and I have been spending money freely here and hardly feel equal to making a full donation to the City under the circumstances especially when such a donation would not reap anything final or satisfactory in the way of a playground.

I shall request Mr. Langbein to send a check of $500 to Mr. O'Neill of the Small Parks Commission, to aid in restoring the apparatus and shall also ask him to send a check for $500 to Hull House.

The initial sketch in the American Magazine of your early life, is a charming piece of work and full of the wisdom of experience which you have acquired. Hoping that you will not consider my remarks flattering, I know of no one whose mental foundation is so firmly entrenched in democracy and whose insight and reasoning is clearer in social ethics. You cannot write too much and if any influence of mine has been used to [page 2] start your pen moving I shall always regard it as one of the best services that I could render.

I do not believe that our time affords anything like such a constructive school of democracy as a few of you people in Chicago have formed, and you are certainly the superintendent.

Yours truly,
William Kent [signed]