Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1882-12-13
A Good Chance for Young Men,

The winter months are now upon us and
with the closing of the mills there comes
for Alpena time of comparative quiet.
Many of the young men and boys who have
been busy during the summer, now find
themselves with leisure time on their hands,
and the question which ought to interest
each of them is: "How can best employ
it" 1t is pretty safe to say that unless
some employment is found which shall
both benefit and interest him, that many
young man in this city will, when spring
comes, find himself some months older and
worse off in every way than he is now
The attractions of the saloon and the
gaming table will consume his time and
money as well as leaving him with moth
ing but bad habits as recompense.
"Well, what shall we engage in?' Why
not attend school? The city of Alpena is
maintaining system of schools at large
expense and for whom? For the boys and
girls, for the young men and women of our
city. 1t may not be uninteresting for us to
inquire just how many of the latter class
are now attending.
AS our schools are now arranged, all
scholars below the fourth grades are in the
ward schools, thus leaving the Central
building for the grammar and high schools,
in which there are few scholars in atten-
dance who are less than ten years old. The
Superintendent report, for October, shows
that, in these departments, there was an
average attendance of 234 scholars. To
put the statement in more stricking shape
this means that in city of 5000 inhabi-
tants there are only 234 children between
the ages of 10 and 20 who are attending its
schools-the remainder being below the
former age. No doubt many of those who
were not in the school during October, were
at work, but during the winter months this
excuse can not be given, and instead of 234
the next term should see at least 800, in
regular attendance.
To say that there are only 234 persons in
this city of 5000, between the ages of 10
and 20 who might proAtably attend school,
is an absurdity on the face of it. Why
don't they attend? We do not propose to
make careful enumeration of all the rea-
sons which can be thought of, but there are
two which we propose to examine some
what.
We have heard some of the young men
say that there is no chance for them to go
to school because they can not pursue studies
which are of real value to them. They
wish to study arithmetic most of all, but
under this graded system they are obliged
to study great deal which they do not
want, to get very little which they do.
More than this they say that all new studies
are begun in the fall, and that it is impos-
sible to commence a study to advantage
when class has already pursued it for one
term.
That we might answer these objections
Understandings, we took the trouble to
find out just what studies would be pursued
in our grammar and high school. There
are six rooms in the Central building, one
of which is occupied by the high school
and the remaining five rooms by the sever
al departments of the grammar school.
In room one of the grammar school we
find that examples in writing, numbers, adj
dition, satisfaction, and multiplication will
be given. This grade will read in the
Childs Books Of Nature, study Europe,
Asia, and Africa in the primary geography,
and learn how to write simple sentences,
which shall be correct in spelling, punctua-
ton and the use of capitals.
In the second room 10Th grade BY, frac-
tions are to be commenced and studied
through the term. North America, Cana
da and the special geography of our own
State will be studied, while ample time is
here given to teaching the pupils how to
write good English.
The work in room three will be essential
ly different from that already described,
with this exception the class in arithmetic
is expected to finish fractions during this
term, which is not the case in room 2.
In room thorough drill in finding the
contents Of surfaces and solids and in de-
nominate numbers will be given. Elemen-
tary grammar will be commenced, while in
geography the central and Pacific States
will claim the attention.
In room five there are two grades--the