, 1888-03-01
CHILnREN'S SAVINgS.
THG FIRST SCHOOL IN AMERICA
10 TEACH PRACTICAL. ECONOMY.

The sy item Of school Savings Banks ~
Explained By Catherine Baidwin-How
tho Pennies Aro Gathered In-Ths Re-
suits.
Tho system Of school savings banks as
explained by Catherine Baldwin In Har-
per's Bazaar Is ono Of the most practical
and sensible schemes that have been put
forth for some time, II being really prob
able that the quality claimed for Dt, that
"school banks arc to the lesson In thrift
what pen, ink and paper are to the lesson
In writing" Is in It, No better lesson can
be taught child In any branch than u
lesson In Consequences. ChilqIen, and
for that matter children OF b larger
growth, have to be taught tho conso-
quences of this, that or the other folly be-
fore they learn to shun them, and there Is
no reason why teaching them the conse-
quences of wisdom should not be a lesson
equally strong. A child that learns that
penhies saved mean something n great
deal better than sticks OF candy and ponny
ices-perhaps whole week In the cOun.
try or even a goat team-is learning
valuable lesson. The amount Of money
saved may not be great, the sum may be
spent whenever it amounts to 50 or S5,
but tho small capitalist ia learning the
valuable lesson OF the Buddhists--self
control, az well as thrift, the first object.
The first school In America to adopt
this savings bank plan did so In 1885. the
principal, woman, too, by the way re-
cognizing how great n power lay behind
so apparently simple beginning, Out
Of i5O scholars 403 are dopositors, and
they saved from March, 1885, to January,
1887, 50, 3S2, an average OF $5.0l to each
child On Jan, 1, 1887, seven schools in
the United States adopted savings banks,
small beginning when compared To the
number OF tho same organizations in
Europe, 1t Is true, but beginning never
theless. France the only country with
national system, has, Miss Baldwin says,
$4,000 OF these banks, whose savings
amounted to nearly 81, ,400,0
A SCHOOL DANK's METHODS.
Tho modus operandi OF school bank Is
as follows, told in our au.ho<ity's own
words;
Having arranged with sone savings
bank to receive deposits the principal Of n
school gives notice to tho several classes
that every Monday morning their teacher,
when calling the roll, will receive their
small savings from ono cent up To Nifty
cents). On making the first deposit
pupil Is given card with his or her
name, date and amount deposited, re.
ceipted by the teacher; this card the pupil
keeps, presenting 1t every time n deposit
Is made, the card having dases for the
whole school year.
"After the first few collections when,
like any other new drill, children ar- s~ls.
ward, fifteen minutes Is sufficient to re-
ceivo class OF tfty.' The teacher APP
points some bright pupil collector whc
takes tho card and money from each child
and hands II to the teacher, who counts
the money, receipts the card and returns
1t to the scholar. The ordinary roll book
serves as record book. For instance, a
name is called--'Jane Smith She makes
answer, Three cents and three cents Is
entered In tho savings column opposlte
Jane Smiths name. IL nothing has boon
saved cross so indicates and merely
attendance Is marked. Tho principal,
who is the dc facto treasurer, requires a
special book for names OF depostors and
amounts saved as the savings OF all
classes are handed to him. and no sends
them each day to the savings bana, get
ting n receipt for the whole amount.
When pupil has saved twenty cents
Tor any other sum agreed ON he IL given "A
bank book and becomes regular con-
tributor--although interest is rarely paid
on very small sums-and until he receives
q book his name does not go on the
Journal of the savings bank but his
savings are kept to the credit Of the prin-
cipal in what Is called general fund.
These pupil bank books kept by the prin-
cipal are sent to the bank monthly to bs
balanced. They can be takon. home at
regular dates 10 be shown to parents; and
during vacation, or when pupil leaves,
he receives his book. Money Cap be
parents or guardians, by procuring the
principals signature. After leaving
school permanently o scholar can still
continue to use the school )ank book fog
other savtngs"
THE IHrLUENcR OF BABES
Goody goody books have occasionally
examples Of childs reforming its de-
praved parents, and It was F. Anstey,
think, who wrote an essay on the bring
ing up OF parents, but it. Is not often that
we meet examples Of 1.-THE Influence Of
Babes" in real life. was talking with
the receiving teller Of dime savings bank
the other day, and ho told me neat little
story quite out of the ordinary. Two
small boys came ono day and took ont q
book, putting in fifty cents each. Every
Saturday night after that they came reg
ularly, with their fifty cents apiece, and
sometimes, after birthday or something
of that sort, apparently, with more.
When they had osch saved a hundred
dollars they then told their father and
and proudly showed their bank books.
He was completely taken aback, for he, r
man with n good income had never saved
q cent. 1t opened his eyes, and "before I
knew IT, almost" said the man at tho
desl1 she had 81 800 here What no did
with it, 10 not know, but know he's o
rich man now"
So, you see, II these school banks arc
encouraged, and the children take hold In
earnest, there is no knowing what they
may do for us some day. We may be
rich before We know itA-New York
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