The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-08-20
TIE SCHOOLS OF THE POOR
THE TREE TEACHING or WINTER
NIGHTS IN NEW YORK

DIFFICULTIES Une OF tho MOsf Interesting
Features of n Great and throwing CITY.
The public evening schools OF New York
furnish instruction every year to about twenty
thousand pupils at an exDsnso OF over nun
dred thousand dollars. These schools differ in
many respects from the day school. They arc
established on another theory, and the methods
Of instruction AMI discipline, and the Character
OF the pupils are very unlike anything within
the ordinary experience OF the day teacher.
There are few places whero an evening can ho
passed more pleasantly and proftably than In
one OF these schools. 1t Is half past o'clocka as
the visitor approaches tho lofty building OF
brick, lighted up In all the numerous windows
OF its four stories. 1t is one OF the male GRIM
mar school buildings. On every hand arc tow
sring tenc rent houses. 1t Is here, amid these
dwellings Of poverty, that the evsnlng schools
wanted
In the freezing air a hundred pupils or moro
are waiting for the opening OF the gates. There
are bows OF all ages, most OF them roughly
dressed ami incrusted with the dirt Of their
workshops Ful-grown men are Interpreted
In the crowd. Rough talk Ia plentiful. Visitors
enter by the middle door. They mount the
stairs TO the main hall Of the first story. There
the least advanced classes are located The
least advanced means usuiv also the most I'M
ruly and loast teachable. In these sch oos the
ors male aud female, IRE Mt hand. Most
OF them are tcnchsrs from the dny schools. some
nre students from the professional schools. \
Few are clerks or are otherwise engaged In bust
ness. They are all supposed to have been cx-
A Incense to teach from the Superintendent OF
Public instruction Is indis enable Inc hr 3
are lighted IN he class rooms. The blackho rds
are covered with elementary problems IN nrith'
metic or orthograpny. Books and school uien-
sils are piled upon tho to tchers' tables. The
rooms are bare. and having been used most OF
the day bN dny pupils, IRE nut half clean. The
Rtmos phere proves cOnclusively III & ventilation
has nowhere been discovered 90 perfccuun
Overhead the gas lights unme wed by globe
or shade, burn dsmally and ns whole the
are too. Nevertheless II looks good enough for
It's purpose. Doubtless. To those VINO come
there To learn. unused rs they aro TO lives OF
comfort, 1t looks less dreary than to the WIS.,
THE EVENING RUSH
II lacks ten minutes OF seven. Suddenly the
building quivers, ana thore Is a deep rambling
below, mingled with half-checked wells. The
JanitOr has opened tho gates. aud In rush tho
boys through the basement and up the stairs.
1ney grow more decnrous rs they near the
teachers overhead, and as they emerge into the
main apartment, whore their teachers are on toe
lookout for them, they remove their ragged
hats mos,iy from frOwsy heads, and SIP into
.heir rooms II Is practically impossible 10 got
Them TO make more mannerly entrance. The
shHrt would be greater than the result would
compensate for. me theory Is That no time
pnces Odly SO much discipline should be at
tempted Us VIII entble insuuction to proceed
nearly all that viii come to night are here. Some
will be detained 10y extra work Mt their shops
nntil Midnight. Some are playing truant some
are kept at home to assist their folks. A few
will drop In during the next haif hour.
In the room Of Glass there about forty
boys filing four rows Of benches, They are Of
all sizes, ages and occupations. There Is re-
markable diversity also in thor charncters and
dispositions. big fellows APPROACHING their ma
iority, and evidently familiar with most vices.
sit beside mere child en-. BOYS that come from
homes Of drunkenness aud degradation touch
elbows with Others whose fnces, dress and IN n
ners alike bear witness 10 comparative refine
ment aud intelligent training. Next to boy
who heps to support an Invalid father, bedrid-
den for ten years. sits lad, one OF family OF
drunken father. 1t Is well that these pupils
have no opportunity OF association. no recess
and no play grounds. save tne wlntry streets.
as school Is out.
They are also Of every occupation, boins APP
prenticed to bakers, printers. plumbers. black
tiniths, rOofors. silver gilders, aud toy mhkets-
every calling that arises In vast city being req
plOyed at cigar making thirteen at errands.
three at brass finishing, At printing three trunk
making three, cord twisting two. rooung one
silver gliding one, maccaroni baking one, black
smlthins one, toy making one, plumbing Two,
Insnithing two, upholstering two. IN petrOie-
nm factory one. and plano factory one.
An nm sud occupation was tuat pursued by a
epy whom teacher one evening found sitting
quietly on a bench in one 81 the main rooms.
Ieacnot-Well my boy, what do you want2
Boy tponting 10 another lad near by ~Ihere's
TeAcher-Whlt f0rI
Boy 10 see II could cit at the night school
1each,r-lou must bring your father or your
m0tnerwith YOU. or we can'ftak you.
Boy-Mo mother done live with me father
Teacher why not2
B,y-Cause he gifts drunk, and tried to kill hei
Mieet 80 she ruined away from hiln.
Ieachel What YOU do Ia the day time
BOf-l lelGsh blind Lady.
Ieacher-NHat zoe. sne dor
Bov-rhe zoe. round he sores and beys
Teacher-llow fnucn does she pay your
BOY Oh ~ cen duy.
lcachet-hOw much does she make.
Ieacher-WAat does your mother do Tor a
lvingf
BoS-she goes out washIn' and scrubbn'.
HARD TASK.
Take the class as a whole, and II Is collection
" boys, tired, lazy aud mischevous They
have come nom wretthed homes after a hLrd
days woi X, ana the teacher Is called upon to
interest. control, and instruct them.
M lessons have been studied At home. In
itfuction must De directly from the porson OF
tue teacher, ANA must he full ~ life. lie must
lie constantly ia action and must endehyor t'
keep bis class So. tie rehuArs. rdicales. rileuces
instructs, exp aiming everything by relcrencs'
T. the IN II honey Things ana the most familiar
10 maintain discipline Is the min difficulty
That must precede teaching. An instructor VIII
by his cl is-, ana before they are together week
the characterization Of tho class Is open and
Hotous. lhey come to the school ed win
Potatoes, Goals. and other missiles, and raise
bedam every evening. Tho teachers frantic
efforts q keep order are all futile Appeas t.
'DIrIlIzius uuon their Wlckedness uud folly
OItbursi, uf passion and physical violence e1eci
40 Improvement. Inc teacher WI not do Tor d
Ilyht school uud cannot rem.in. 10 maintAil
order l. sometimes u severe rk for the mOsl
j Xtcroua 10 .cher. street hght outside the
school bulliny rr "A target lupauy MARCHING
ul Nilh "a trasa band Throws tue ID rs lutO nucl
Aspirit uf reckle--uess and dHrcdt yllisn that ,
axe fol- ~ WI Gals would hardly Ue lnOle DIN
tult u master.
1he evening session Is divided into two oi
three htcil Ia, Which are devoted chiefly u
reading, writing, ami arithmetic. spelling an
gtUgfAphy arc also moulded lu the li-i e. ( studies
though not taught In all the schools to tn,
tower classes. As he close Of the evening soc
IOu upiruAches the maintenance 4 orlol
9rows more ana more d1cuIt. Tue BOYS grJN
ileepy, and ter WearlnVss Is nearlf AS trOuDls,
some a. their dcylltry. But the bells ring o
last throughout the school 10 get ready Tor dis
mirsal. The states or readers are collected, th'
boss drOui iug and smashing ~ many II then
s. they coLverlentlY can. hey take their hats
lLd Presently word Is received u 20. As =
t.rIl entrance, tho teacher stations himself a
me d ur t. watch those that remain as well a.
tuIsetIat are trOOUing out. All along the line
formed 10y the various classes following upuI
r.eu other through the main hall and down th,
stalIs luto tle tnsemeut, stand teachers TO k0e.
t.eM in uhitctiOn. In the basement Is tho Jam
t.r, auu IL ia. outer door police Nicer. EysI
win al tAs supervision II Is q III alt 10 restrain
tuein, dufluR tbs exodus, from yelling, ngnting
pu.hiug each other down stairs, and even from