Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-09-17

The RAGGED School OF ENGLAND
Joseph Story, Esq, at Boston, gave an inter
esting lecture, last evening, at The Park street
| church, on the London Ragged schools" He
commenced with graphic description of the
city of London, as seen by one surveying it
from the vast dome of St. Paul's cathedral, in
the heart of the city, at an elevation of over
400 feet from the ground, from which mag
nificent prospect of that vast metropolis of
buildings and people, is presented to the OBJ
server London, the building of which COM
menced 200 years ago, now contains about
three millions of people, being as many
as are comprised in all six of the
New England states. With much that is
good, this city is the theatre of vast
amount Of vice and sin, containing no
less than 100000 habitual drunkards, 10000
beggars about the streets, and 10000 gamblers,
with uncounted thousands addicted to other
vices, there being no less than 100000 chill
dren without the benefit of the sabbath school,
to whom the thought never came of attending
the house of God. He then spoke of the rag
ged school system, rendered necessary by
that vast and concentrated restitution, misery,
and crime Previous to its institution, the
regular sabbath school system had existed to
considerable extent, but the poverty of so
large a proportion of the laboring and lower
classes forbade their attendance, so the ragged
schools were instituted, enabling tens of
thousands of destitute children to avail them
selves Of the privilege of religious and mental
instruction. The Earl of Salisbury under
whose auspices these schools were started is at
the head OF the enterprise, and a noble and
| glorious movement it is. There are now $50
Of these schools in England, containing over
10000 scholars, and supported by voluntary
subscription to the amount of about S150O00
! per year. Mr.. Story, who has visited some of
these schools, gave a description of one--the
Fields Lane ragged school situated in ST. Giles
district, near ST. Pauls, in the heart of Lon
don, district noted for being the most infa-
nous den of iniquity and misery in the world.
The school was in large two story building,
and divided into various classes according to
age, sex, and degree of crime, comprising per-
sons OF all ages from ten to sixty and over,
and addicted to all manner Of crime and vice
picked from the highways and byways of that
niquitous district. This school is maintained
by sixty four voluntary teachers, under the
supervision of the Field Lane Ragged School
Association, Of which Lord SALISBURY is
president, and devoted in his attention to its
interests. Besides the Sunday school, there
is the day school, the evening school for
adults. and the boys and girls industrial
schools, manufacturing annually large guam
tity of shoes, garments, and other useful pro.
ducts. There was also connected with the
school the Samaritan fund for cleansing the
novels of the poor, and the Ladies' Clothing
Society, for supplying the poor with cheap
clothing, &c. The rag fair near by, was
store where comfortable second hand clothing
at the cheapest rates could be furnished. com.
pletng whole suit at us low a rate as three
shillings each.
Other interesting details were given of the
operation of this school, as a sample of others
whose operation the speaker had witnessed,
and from which vast amount of good had
accrued in their instrumentality towards the
reformation Of the vicious.
The speaker then gave description of the
scene OF misery, restitution, and iniquty pre-
sented by tour through St. Giles district and
closed by an eloquent and pathetic appeal to