Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-08-06
A Chinese School i'm San Francisco.

The subject of the education of the Chi
nese in San Francisco has attracted con-
siderable attention for months. The first
efforts were made in the interior towns
and met with but poor encouragement.
Both in Sacramento and San Jose, build
ings occupied by those engaged in this
phllanthropic enterprise were mobbed and
burned. In San Francisco persons who
engaged in the work were threatened with
loss Of property if not of life Notwith-
standing these threats, however, the work
of educating these foreigners was com
menced by few enterprising men and
women, and the results thus far have great
ly exceeded their expectations. On the
10th of January last a Chinese Sabbath
School was started in connection with DR..
Scudder's church. The school opened with
eight pupils, and the number in attendance
constantly increased The greatest num-
Der of pupils ever present at one time was
127 but the interest in the school-rooms
seems constantly increasing. The exer-
cises are held in the chapel adjoining the
church. So great is the interest manifested
by the Chinese to learn that, long before
the hour arrives for the opening of the
school, they assemble in the vicinity The
doors of the chapel are opened at about
1890, or directly after the conclusion of the
regular morning church service. The
school is not regularly called to order until
2 o'clock, but teachers are on hand from the
time of opening the doors and commence
their work. The work of the teachers is
all voluntary, and seems to be purely
labor of love- The Chinese are divided
into classes, and taught reading, spelling,
arithmetic and geography, according to
their ability and evident desire to learn.
Upon visit to the school, we were sur
prised to see such large and orderly at
tendance of pupils, each of whom seemed
extremely anxious to make the most of the
opportunity afforded him for acquir-
ing a knowledge of the English Ian
guage and the rudiments taught. As
rule, the pupils were orderly and quiet
in their manner, and showed the greatest
respect toward their teachers. There
were present at our last visit 107 pupils
and 90 teachers After the school had been
called to order by the Superintendent, and
upon the sounding ofa bell, the pupils adj
vanced to the centre of the room, while the
teachers took their positions on the right,
left and in the rear. The Superintendent
and assistants then gave the pupils lessons
from the blackboard in reading and spell
ing The singing exercises followed. The
hymn to be sung is printed in large letters
and stretched on cloth over frame, ele-
waited at such height as to be visible to
all scholars. The musical exercises are
conducted by Mr. Volge, and the singing
accompanied upon parlor organ belong
ing to the church. The hymn is sung by
the Americans and Chinese together, and
~- afterward repeated by the latter. When
sung by the Chinese pupils alone, the
words were each pronounced clearly and
distinctly, and the time kept was excellent.
Among the most noticeable features of the
school is the class in geography. The
knowledge which they display would seem
incredible to one who did not know the
diligence and perseverance of the teacher.
The Superintendent says that he has never
found more docile set of pupils or those
more anxious to acquire knowledge. The
principal effort now made by the Superin-
tendent and teachers is to instruct them in
the rudiments of the English language and
morals, without interfering with their re-
lgious prejudices. Education upon the
latter point will follow later AS an evi-
dence of the capability of these pupils, it
may be well to mention the fact that a class
of the most ignorant portion of the Chi
nese have within four months, with only
the Sunday teaching, become able to read
English quite f1uently. The school is
opened every Sunday afternoon.-AHa
CdltJ0rnidn.