Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-11-19
OPENING THE NIGHT SCHOOLS
Large Number of Pupils Enrolled
Last Evening.


| Last Evening.
CROWD AT THE SCHOOL DooRs-scENEs ATTEND
| mo THE ENROLMENT - YOUNG GIRLS AND
MATURE woMEN-How A QUESTION OF TITLES
WAS SETTLED.
In the face of a cold drizzling rain the public
| night schools were opened last night to a
| largely increased attendance. At every build
| ing in which a school was located there was a
waiting crowd long before the hour of Z, shiv-
erlng. stamping, budding in corners, anxious
| for the doors to open. They were of all ages.
both sexes, all sorts and conditions, but they
were of one mind in thing, that they
wanted to learn. As soon as the portals of the
Franklin building swung open there was a rush
inward. but the stream suddenly damned
by an obstruction in the shape of two men and
a large table across the corridor. Large sheets
of foolscap paper with lines ruled up and down
them lay in front of them ready to receive the
entries.
TAKING DOWN THE NAMES.
The would-be pupils name and age, the
name of his parent or guardian, the address
OF the Inter and the occupation of the
pupil were taken. The crowd was so
great that the process of enrolment was
very slow at first and the two gentlemen
were for few minutes almost at their wits
end to write the score of names that came
at them every second from the surrounding
throng. One by one, however. the pupils were
lnterrogated and as soon as they were released
they went bounding up the steps for the realms
of knowledge above. There were a few young
girls and a fewer women of a more mature age,
who seemed just trihe shy and bashful.
The males were mostly young boys of
from thirteen to eighteen, who soon
assumed some of that Indifference that they
once wore when they had to go to school, 1t
was only assumed however. for there was an
air of earnestness over all that promised hard
work in the school room this winter. The
majority of the applicants were learning trades
OF one kind or another, with here and there a
clerk in an office and occasionally an employe
OF one OF the departments.
IN THE SCHOOL ROOM.
Upstairs on the landing of the third floor
Principal kimball stood ready to meet the
pupils. lie asked them few questions, elicit
ing whether they had ever attended the public
schools before, what they had studied, if they
could read newspapers intelligently, if they
knew what a fraction and so on, until he
had obtained an almost instantaneous photo
graph of the pupils mental state. Then few
directions sent him or her to one of the three
school rooms where the teachers sat waiting for
their pupils. Sometimes 1Ir. Kmball recognized
a person who had attended last winters sessions
and gave warm welcome. The three rooms
were graded so that the old pupils-that is
those who had attended before-were given
higher work, while the new ones were started
in room where only the very elements were
taught. The teachers change about during the
evening. each one having special topics to I'M
part to their classes.
There was little or no teaching done last
night. most of the teachers being engaged in
an effort to become acquainted with their
pupils. One new teacher went to Mr.. Powell
in great distress. She said she had a fear lest
she should offend some of the females in her
class by mistake to their titles and she
wanted to know what to do. Mr. Powell ad-
vised her to call them all Miss until she
learned TO the contrary. This was a safe plan
and the teacher proceeded on it with feeling
of relief
THE ADVANCED CLASS.
The 'high school," as the advanced class in
the Franklin building has been styled, was not
started last night owing to the fact that the
pupils who are qualified for that instruction
will have to be culled ont from the other
schools and sent to the building. This will be
accomplished by tomorrow night, when the
higher class will begin work. The sewing class
in the Franklin had also to postpone its open
ing for the same reason. The cooking school
on street opposite the high school building
was started with a small class, and the first
lesson was given.
THE NUMBER IN ATTENDANCE.
The figures which were reported to Superin-
tcndent Powell of the white schools this morn
ing from the various buildings of the pupils
who attended the night schools under his
charge last nig hit are as follows: Franklin. 1872;
Henry. lO5; Jefferson, 101; Wallach, 1856; Curtis
toto