Chicago, May 20, 1912.
My dear Miss Addams: --
The enclosed is <as much of a> description of our May Festival as my Daily News editorial column last Saturday gave space for. It was by far the most successful rounding out of our winter's work we have ever had. We combined with it a Civic Welfare Exhibit, with the [cooperation] of the Woman's City Club and many other agencies in the district -- schools, churches, settlements and clubs, together with some departments of the city government.
Despite the heavy rain storm on two of the three days, the attendance of our immigrant families from the neighborhood was amazing and beyond anything we ever had before. The public schools sent their higher grade scholars with their teachers all day long, to study the exhibit screens. In the evenings, at the living exhibits of the interesting songs and folk dances which each nationality could show to the others, so many came that we had to limit the attendance to the adults, and then had to get the help of the police in persuading the crowd outside that there was no more room inside. The daily attendances were thus not less than 1,500 -- largely men in the evenings -- all to see and hear about bettering the conditions of their homes and streets, their health and children's welfare and their [everyday] lives. Perhaps our school for citizenship running all winter, had something to do with preparing the way for all this new interest, as well as our flat for training in housekeeping. I wish so much you could have caught a glimpse of this most characteristic and encouraging Chicago Commons occasion.
The responses to the announcements of our summer work are beginning to arrive by mail in small amounts. It is a great advantage to know in advance what we may depend upon, so as to plan our work in accordance with the assured income. If you can use more of the folders in enlisting the interest of others, we will send as many as you want, or if you can send us any addresses, we will save you the trouble of mailing, using your name or not, as you prefer, in accompanying notes.
Very truly yours,
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