Morning journal and courier., 1886-01-19
rHE EVENING SCHOOLS.
The German Department Ana Ho" III
 Ia Tam0hf.

Is Taught.
 Perhaps of all the institutions to which taxpayers are called upon to contribute the public evening schools is one about which but little is known. In view of the peculiar position which they are called upon to i'll perhaps few statistics and brief description of their methods may not be unlnterestlng' Tn New York and all cities of pretens1on their importance as a means of elevatlng the condition of those who are obliged to work for a livelihood is we'll estimated. Accord ing to the last report of the superintendent of schools there are six schools in this city at present: The Hamilton street, conducted by MT. s. c. Johnson, with two assistants; the Woolsey, in charge of H. w. Loomis and one assistant; the Washington, kept by L. A. Cooper; the Goffe street, looked after by c. E. Carr; the German English school under the care of MT. J. F. Goodhart, ana the Whiting street school for Italians con ducted by Paul Russo. Since the report a department for females has been opened Ill the High school building. The whole mum Der of teachers employed IS eleven. The total number of pupils registered during the year was about 450; the average daily at tendance 162.
 Perhaps one of the most interesting de- nartments is that where the Germans arc taught, and which the superintendent 1n hls report calls "a model school as regards earn est study and fidelity on the part ot the teachers" Sessions are held here four times week from 10 of Messrs. Goodhart and Zunder. A visit to the school one evening last week discovered about twenty-five or thirty per sons of various ages earnestly occupied III trying to make clear the intricacies of the English language. "What method Tn teach ing do you adopt9" was asked. Well, that deDends somewhat upon the character of the individual D was the reply, ''You see we have several nationalities represented. :" ''Then this school is not exclusively for Ger mans?' "By no means ;there are numEer of Russians, Poles and Swedes. whose knoWl- edge of German is sufficiently extensive to make it possible to mix with the Ieutons proper. AS to the method,lt may be broadly Stated that the conversational is the one used" "Which of the nationallties men toned do you regard as the most easily taughtS' "That would be difficult to say. A person well educated in any language is apt, especially if he is at all versed in Latin or kindred tongue. s'Then your ranks are not supplied from the iIliterates' stQuite the reverse; the unedu cated German, Russian or Pole is no mere inclined to this than his own language, while the first thing that an intelligent emlgrant fries to do is to acquaint himself with his new n,other tongue" "Do you teach them in ciasses:' was next asked ''In the main, yes , was the reply, "end here is where our ereatest difficulty lies. The provincial dis, fricts of Germany are vided into small communities These, although but few miles apart have at 1meS and often with difficulty understood by the others Tt is sometimes therefore, quite impossible to teach collectively, and until the beginners are broken in the rudiments of English lndlv1d- ual instruction is necessarily gwen. aoW about those coming from the cltlesE' with these we find no difficulty. In all my ex- narience with the Germans, which dates back for years I have never found one unable to read and write his own language. Those coming from the cities are very frequently graduates of universities, at any rate ot gymnasiums Equivalent to our American sHigh schools) and are exceptionally doe1le
 "Do you ever have any trouble ln the mat ter of deportment?'
 FNot the slightest. All come Wlth an evl- dent desire to work and master the work, and manifest the greatest disapproval at the faintest show of inattention on the part of their fellow pupils"
 ssRog long do they remain at schoo!t"
 HIt varies Some have been regular at tendar,ts for the last three years and are very proficient; others come with the best ot in tentions, and on discovering that Engllsh h cannot be learned in a week or two become discouraged and drop out
 q ses you have ladies also."
 "We have a fey, who are indefatlgabie workers. Last year two taen, with their wives, were constant attendants, and not un- frequently was called upon to decide some some noint of grammar which had been the bone of contenlion at the supper table. Perhaps some idea of the intsraet manifested by the scholars may be gained from 'lle fact that tbere are among our attendants those who live in the suburbs of this city and who postpone the eating of supper on returning from work until they return from school, in order to get the benefit of the entire session. "
 "How long will the school continue:" in- quired the reporter.
 "Until about the 1st of March"
 MT. Goodhart is in possession of set ot Dickens, Thackeray's and Shakespeare s works, gift of one of his classes couple of years ago.