The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-09-07
Monday Will End the Long
Play Spell of the
Little Folks.
SCHOOL HOUSES IMPROVED
But There Was Not Money Enough
to Do the Work as Thoroughly
as Desired.

Monday morning next an army OF 16, 600
children will be seen marching in the d.
rection of the various school houses. The
general public will welcome the bright,
CHEEKY faces and the lively chatter Of the
young folks on their way to and from
school, The young folks themselves,
though having welcomed their vacation,
are anxious to renew their school associa-
tions, a fact that bespeaks volumes in
favor OF the modern public school system.
The little folks are discussing the mat
ter more than ever. To them it is always
very important occasion. Promoted
from class to class they discuss and won
der how they will like their new teach
ers. One hundred and seventy of them
have graduated into the High School.
Most of the teachers have returned fro N
the various resorts where they spend
their vacations, recuperated and anxious
to don again the educational harness.
Teacher and pupil alike welcome the
opening CT the schools
A well known teacher, now identified
officially with the public school system,
discussing the matter in this strain last
night, said
When Xenophon wishes totell what a
severe taskmasIer Klearchos was he says
his soldiers looked at him in the same
light as pupils do their teRcher-Very
stern to his soldiers and inflicting severe
punishment in order to make them per-
form their duties accurately. If the school
master of these days treated his scholars
half as severely as Xenophon says Klear-
chos did his soldiers, he must be tyrant
| indeed. Then, too, Shakespsare's picture
of the unruly school boy trudging his
way to school, in the Seven Ages of
Man, does not speak well for the attract
i've powers OF that institution. Again,
Goldsmith's description of the typical
schoolmaster of his day, as given in THE
Deserted Village
| A man severe he was and stern to view,
| knew him WELL as every truant knew, eto.
| would indicate that there was suf-
fleient reason, probably for Goldsmith's
truancy.
THE OLD sCHooLMAsTER.
80 too. the schoolmaster, whose Pc
| cu1iarities long ago impressed themselves
| not only upon the minds, but also upon
| some sensitive portions of the body.
would, today, like Obhello, Rnd his oceu-
pation gone. He would be exceedingly
! out of place In the modern school room.
| While we often speak Of the reluctance
OF children to go TO school, th4s reluctance
is not nearly SO great or SO general as
those not so directly connected with the
| schools imagine. As matter OF fact
most pupils are glad to attend school at
| the opening of the term. or course, in
June they hail the approach of the sum-
| mer vacation with great deal of pleas
ure, and yet as the time of the vacation
rolls by they long for the pleasure
their school friends and teachers brings to
them; so that. in all probability. next
Monday morning we will see the army of
| 10000 children marching their way not
unwillingly. but joyously to school.
| BOOM FOR COLUMBUS.
"The pupils now approach year which
| will be made remarkable by the celebra-
tion of the discovery of America. On
| October 10, IL and 12 the Columbi bian cele-
bration will occur in New York, ana on
| October 81 Columbus's discovery will be
| celebrated in the schools of this county as
well as in other places. The ways and
means of celebrating the great event, so
| far as the pupils of the public schools of
this city are concerned, will probably be
| discussed at Thursday nights tomorrow
night meeting of the Board of Educa-
tion. During the coming term pupils se-
lected will prepare their work for the
| Chicago Exposition"
| During a chat with Street and Water
| Commissioner Madden, who is chairman
! of the Committee having charge of the
disDosiUion of 5he $4,000 appropriated
by the Finance Board tor repairs to the
| various school houses during the vacation
| l learned thai that amount. though having
been judiciouslV expended, is scarcely
half enough to put the school houses in
| perfect repair. Mr.. Madden has felt
| keenly the responsibility resting upon
him in this respect, and has watched
| closely the progress of the repairs; and
knowing that the amount appropriated.
| though it sounds big, would not put in
| perfect repair the score or more school
houses, some of which are simply skeIe-
tons of the dim past, has made almost
| daily inspection of the houses undergoing
repairs.
MORE MONEY NEEDED.
| "IG would take at least S100000," he
said, ito put them ia perfect repair Some
of them, No. l in York street especially,
| should have been hauled down two years
ago. Nevertheless, venture the opinion
that the teachers and pupils will scarcely
recognize the accommodations of their
old school haunts. We have looked 10
the health of the pupils beyond all other
considerations.
"Will every school house be in condi-
tion to be thrown oBen for the reception
of pupils next MoDday" l asked.
81 think every one of them will be
ready. have given orders that the in
terror repairs be first consummated, and
what exterior or ornamental work in the
way of painting, ETC., is to be done, shall
be done last OF all Every one of the
schools In need of repairs has been given
q oAOhSaNh Ing nOOTS VI
No. l have been straightened, the
halls put in proper shape, the heating
apparatus thoroughly replaced. No 16
has been practically rebuilt. You can't
imagine the pressure brouGht to bear
upon the Street and Water Commission
ers by the various school committeeman
for repairs needed TO their respective
schools. but I believe we have satisfied all
that all that could be done has been
done. Every schoolhouse in the city has
been carefully looked after. and l am as
sured that the $4,000 have been judicious-
ly expended"
From other sources learn that pupils
are apt to be turned away for lack Of ac-
commodation from No. Q. Erie street; No.
8, Bright street; No. 49, Wayne street:
on the Hill, from No. 90, No. ii, No. 1a,
No. II, No. s.
The High and Training School opens on
September 10.
"They have, according to published
reports" said a gentleman interested in
High School affairs. with whom / talked
last night, "a registry &C date OF SIS pu-
pills and only 246 siugie seats in the High
School, Rating two at a desk you have
only 1872 What are you goIng,to do with
J the other twenty-six pupils?"
They will have to occupy the front
seats of the forward row of desks" +" said Il
High School official. "But we'll soon
| have a naW r1iph CehnoI 49,,