The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-12-15
AT THE NIGHT SCHOOLS.
Continued from Elryt page.

Continued from F1rst pn9e.
basis. awe. question n boy or mat
when he cutters as TO how far he has ever
studied aritilns ic. II he can tell at what
grade he left off it affords an indication.
What to do with the foreign element WAS
Que OF the problems we have successfully
solved by dividing MP the lower grades.
l. its come to us who can't speak u word
OF English, vet who are well up in arith-
metjc. Our fourth gra'le, composed
mainly of this class OF pupils, grew SO
large that we were compelled to divide
tue fotiy-eight pupils into two classes,
making altogether our classes OF the
fourth grade. We have one Gdllician who
couldn't read or write any language. and
whose English vocabulary is very lin
tied, and we have O Pole student who
knows absolutely nothing of arithmetic,
yet he is well up in Latin.
Our first grade is composed of those
who nave studied per centage: second
grade, those who have studied beyond
fractions; third grade. those who can do
loug division. The fourth grade / have
already mentioned. Provision Is made
for those VINO know arithmetic but have
neglected their reading" b
With reference to the classes studying
bookkeeping, the professor said ms pupils
had not yet advanced beyond single entry.
He showed the writer Il great stack of
books showing the progress the pupils
were making. The receipts, checks.
drafts and other business forms, not for
getting ON of The original business
letters written, were an interesting
study.
Sitting alone talking with the professor
the noise of chalk gliding over black
boards appeared to come from all direc-
tions!d1In a trip through the class rooms
the writer found each teacher at the
board aud every pupil bent over his desk
hard at work. MOI an idle pupil was Co
be seen, and it was comical to see bearded
men raise their rand for permission to
ask u question. In the foreign classes
alluded 10 above, the writer found the
aged colored pupil in the midst Of Ger
mans, Poles Il Italiaus la boring indus
triously at IN effort to master the spelling
Of such words as sail" Caught" etc.
He had learned the alphabet and mas
tered what used TO be termed the "a b
abbs." Whena German was called upon
to spell caught" he glibly ran over it In
this ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS" with
a soft q and was obliged to go back aud
Americanize his pronunciation OF each
lett Ter.
THE CoLoRED PUPIL.
The old co(ored gentleman had an elop-
gated srreak of badness running from the
back of his head and was dressed as sleek
as Il parson. Among the aspiring young
bookkeepers was observed a number OF
bright, hustling errand boys whose faces
are familiar on Exchange Place and the
crowded avenue. Others were men, en-.
gagged as clerks in various stores, while
still others were peddlers and other perse-
vering men who had built up Il small bust
ness for themselves broadening out co
such an extent as TO neceS5itate the keep
lug of accounts beyond the knowledge
CLEANED by a totally neglected school ed
ucation.
Every blackboard was scored with fig
ures except those cont aiming written sen
fences that were exc rel ses in language
For example, Write Il statement abou
81 wolf" "a question about u knife.
Others were blank sentences with lnstruc
tions to the pupils to fill them out with
''a'' or ian" .this" or THAT" these" or
''those."
The professor then led the writer to the
floor above where the girls department is
located. Before ascending the stairway,
however, the voices OF some young men
to master the air OF Com
rades," was necessarily marred Dy raise
notes of the pianist who accompanied tho
singers. "They are rehearsipg Tor en- en-
tertainment the pupils propose giving on
the closing night" said the professor.
The professor was suddenly confronted
with the ~janitor, who had lugged hin.
self up from the basement. holding both
hands to his ears.
''For Hivyin's sake. professor, sind
down one av the young lady teachers as
sing like c~anaries, but not q dlvvil nv a
one of them can get the chune av the in
stitution."
AMONG II GIRL PUPILS.
When The writer was usherei into the
girls department he found himself con-
fronting two open class rooms OF young
girls and m Everyone of them was
tldily dressed, aud showed a much high
er -regara for her personal appearance
than the majority of male pupils. There
were several neatly dressed colored girls
among the pupils. The girls depart
ment is not near so large as that OF the
boys and men, but only three of the ftty-
seven pupils were absent, and two rthese
lad put in All appearance early IN the
evening and asked to be excused. though
such p proceeding is not compulsory.
One of the classes Is under the care of
Miss Minnie Stanley, the clever and bril-
liant young assistant of superintendent
Poland. The other class is under the
care of Miss JENNIE Hamill, an equally
Shanley's class room WAS decorated with
flags in honor Of the event Of a 100 per
cent. attendance.
The grades taught in the girls depart
ment are pretty much the same as those
taught In the male department. The
pupils, many OF whom are grown. and
one OF whom, a colored ia ap-
preaching middle age. had just finished
their lessons and were about to close ny
singing. Miss Stanley was at the piano
Several national airs, and Comrades"
too. were sang sweetiy and with much
enthusiasm. Speaking of the deport
ment of her pupils Miss Stanley said
Il find them, without exception, indus
trious with their studies. They are earn
aft ant nersaverinr and faithful pupils.
They appreciate the efforts of the teacher
aud are ut all times ready to do their best
to acquire the knowledge their teacher
saeks 10 imnart. TheY seem to enjoy the