The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-10-20
FIVE POINTS SCHOOL.
ORIGINALLY THE PUPILS WE'RE RAG
GED AND DIRTY STREET ARABS.


Glass demonstrating and Sewing
Taught-The School in CaIisthenic Ex-
ercises-The Noon Hour.
The Five Points mission school reopened
the other day for another years work. 1t
numbers over 100 children, nearly all under
10 years of age. 1t occupies the building
known as the OH Bowery, 81 Park street, at
the Five Points. The school is one of the adj
miTnble works of the Ladies Home Mission
airy society of the Protestant Episcopal
churches of New York and Brooklyn.
This year a large per cent. of the children
are Italians and many of the Others are Polish
Jews They come from the most destitute
families and would have no training what
ever, but would be allowed to run the streets
the entire time, if it were not for this school;
for their parents are not able to clothe them
sufficiently to send them to n public school
But the mission school clothes them free Of
charge, and more than that, it gives them
every day substantial dinner in the bar
gain.
Originally they Were the ragged and dirty
clfs that make the Bowery Mulberry, Baxter
and the adjacent streets hideous with their
crying and quarreling. They lived on what
detayed food they found on the street and in
the cutters or could hunt out of the garbage
barrels. They were only half clothed and
calico slip at one time. They never saw any
thing of earth or sky save what view their
own street afforded, and as to natures beau
ties of field and mountain that was a creation
entirely beyond the pale of their imaginative
powers.
Many of them were born i'm the streets
where they lived, and of parents who them
selves were born in the same region. And
thus handicapped with mind inherently at
useful or happy life for these children was
exceptionally dark
THE INFANT CLASS ROOM.
They come at $50 o'clock in the morning
and gather in the main school room for the
opening exercises. They ere then dismissed
10 the class rooms of the respective grades,
where the rest of the day is spent.
Perhaps one of the most interesting rooms
is the infant class room. Here the little ones
are ranged on benches, tier above tier like an
amphitheatre, and below them is the piano,
desk and black boards. Here takes place all
Important rudimentary training under their
most accomplished teachers.
The older children are taught in other rooms
fitted carefully with the best modern appli-
ances for thorough instruction. The common
English branches are taught and few classes
III industrial work have been organized. A
cooking class instituted last winter for
Thursday nights and was attended by about
twenty of the older pupils The children were
first told how to cook, then set to doing it. and
then TO their unbounded satisfaction were
allowed to eat what they had cooked.
y sewing school has been in operation
among the scholars and was attended by l2S
pupils. both boys and girls. They learned
the plain stitches first, then to hem and
gather, and then proceeded to buttonholes
This fail those who have progressed far
pnOuerl will he tan fri
Reward of merit cards are given for
punctuality, neatness and Improvement and
when certain number of cards have been
awarded the child can purchase the garment
with them. These tickets are as good legal
tender the Five Points children care for.
and to their needs are quite as useful as gold
pieces.
They meet in one of the large class rooms
to sew, and are taught in small groups by
benevolent young ladies, who devote their
services two hours each week to this laud-
able endeavor. Last year many applicants
TO the sewing school were refused because of |
the lack of teachers. The classes were all |
largo too many, in fact, for one teacher to |
satisfactorily instruct. 1t is to DO hoped that |
more young ladies will offer themselves this |
year, that every one who desires it may re |
ccive thorough instruction in this important |
industry.
CALISTHENIC EXERCISES.
Perhaps the prcttiest sight to the spectator |
Is that of the school in calisthenic exercises
The 400 children march in time with piano |
music and then go through with the muscular |
movements to the regular cadence of the |
music 1t is indeed pleasant picture for |
every movement is uniform and falls upon |
the accented tone. Yet there is nothing |
strained about it, for its rhythm is inspired |
by the music, and the movement becomes |
almost involuntary with practice
At noon the children march in double line |
up the stairs TO the top of the building, where |
the dining room is There are long tables on |
iron standards, and on the tables a double |
row of bowls or plates according to the bill |
of fare Sometimes the meal consists of meat |
and vegetable soup, with buttercd rolls, and |
of fish and bread, or vegetables |
and coffee. There Is a coating of white sand |
on the floor to protect it from the hundreds /
of restless feet upon it. At the close of the
meal the elder girls assist i'll rearranging the
tables.
The noon recess is the best hour of the ciay |
in the childrens estimation, for after their
hearty dinner they 60 to the playground in |
the rear and basement of the building The |
neighbors always know when it is noon, for
the combined noise from 400 Threats and 500 /
small feet is quite enough to notify the whole
Looking down upon them with |
ones ears filled with the deafcning chatter,
the most natural expressions are: "Pan,,c-
monium.- "Bedlam let loose!' But they |
enjoy it, Every shout comes from a merry |
throat and every stamp of a boot heel is but
the echo of n happy, Overlooking spirit
within.
The smallest ones prefer the basement for
their playground, and in here, inclosed by |
foundation walls of sandstone, they play |
Ring around the roses Pussy wants a
corner and Blind mans buff to their
hearts content. To see them ut recess time
1ne would not think them the children of the
most appalling poverty, neglected and for
gotten by their parents, left 20 feed upon
refuse. to learn the lessons for their future
life from the shameful scenes all about them
n the streets, and to crawl into filthy closet
1t night to sleep upon a pallet of straw, or
perhaps upon the floor itself.-New York