The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-09-16
SOAP BOXES FOR SEATS.
This is the State of Affairs
in One of the Publ lie
Schools.
A CONDITION, NOT A THEORY
Most All Are 0vercrowded, and
Some Are in a D~eplorable
Condition.
Scenes That Greeted a "News" Re-
porter on a Tour Of
inspection.

crowdinR 10 most every one, and in some
schools a condition exists that is y dis
| grace to the school officials. For instance.
at No. 10 the children are compelled,
| some of them, to sit on soap boxes, while
others rave to bring their seats with
them If they wish to sit dow n.
A reporter Of THE JERSEY CITY NEWS
made a tour OF u numbar OF schools IN the
lower part of Jersey City yesterday after
noon aud found nene of them In perfect
| condition aud most OF them not able to
handle all the applicants for admission.
NO. / PRETTY O
No. l school was the fist one visited.
| No scholars nave had TO be turned away
| There are 1856 scholars 10 the Primary
| Department., 200 of which are new ones
In che Grammar Departments there are
325 pupils. Principal Lindsey said that
little repairing had been lone on tue
building although It 10 badly IN need OF
1t. What little carpentry and masonry
| work thai was lone Is doue well. The
| desks, he said, are not ft for the scholars
to sit at and che furniture In the
teachers wrap room IL u disgrace to any
| building. The school is old aud they
talk OF tearing It down so the authorities
pay little attention to It,
BADLY IN NEED F-REPAIRS.
No. s school was found IN nsei of rs-
| patrs from top TO bottom, and SO crowded
| that numbers have been turned away
| from both departpeDts. ~IncludinG the
| annex. which has thFes classes. the pilm.
| ary department 10 able 10 seat 5l3 SCHOLARS
| and 600 have been crowded In. Tns infant
class Is 90 large that half or II has 10 De
| taught In the morning and the others in
the Afternoon.
pEPLoRABLE NEGLIGENCE.
No. II school 10 At Mercer aud Bruus1
| wick streets and is held In what WAS
| once IN old engine house l entered the
door and stepped into the basement.
which was darap aud neglected. opeued
a door 70 q closer, mistaKiag IL Tor tn Q
| stairs. and found IL filed with q lot Of
| litter that seemed TO be the acct IN niati1
of years. Ascending some rickety stairs
| I entered the school rooms. The walls
were In bad condition, the piasteriug
/ was clipped and looked as Il u mad besu
neglected since hrst put ON. Thts scnool
| which has six classes. only one OF which
| Ia In the department., seats 1856
| pupits aud 1872 attend. Miss g. l. Ballou.
| The principal, says that the expects more
| applicants before the week Is out.
D~IsGRACEFUL CONDITION.
No. 10 Is around lac corner from No.
| II aud Is an annex to II. NO. III takes
I tina I0W0l XEAuS0 ~ 4N0s ~ "a ~
| Lax No. II 1t Is held and has been held
| for t~wentyyears In an oldtire engine house.
| I did not see the basement here rs tue
| stairs lead directly from the front door to
| the school. Besides the desk OF Mrs.
| Bubier, the principal. W -ltttls fellows
| were sitting at a dilapidated looking desk
| that looked as IL it had been resnrrected
| from sonas second hand furniture store.
| Ons of the boys was sftting on the die
| tionary which was placed on q low stool.
The plastering was full Of large holes
and deep cracks. Many of these had
been covered up with cheap Iithographs.
Mrs. Bubier told me that The school was
supposed to ssat 220 and she had 264
scholars under her charge. She had re-
| fused eighteen more who have applied.
I was a0cnt to leave when she said:-
"Coms an | take q look at the infant
class and tnsn you can write all you
Hke.n
There / saw even htlle tots crushed
into aeats not Large enough tor six.
sEATRD ON SOAP BOXES.
In trent of tue regular bsnches q num-
Der of little girls were sitting on small
rocking chairs and soap boxes, The
principal told me that she had bean
obliged to ask them to bring their W
chairs and that for those thai were not
able to she had secured the boxes from a,
nearby grocer. Those that were lucky
enough to secure seats on the benches
were swinging them back and forth.
They we're not fastened down aud I
asked the principal why.
NOT IN HIS CONTRACT.
She said that n carpenter aud q mason
hal beeu sent there TO do a little repair
ing that was necessary to keep the build
ing together aud tnat In fixing tue win.
dows tae mason found it necessary to
move The benches. When he was through
he left them for the carpenter 60 fasten IN
their places. He said ne would not do it
so they remained AZ the mason lstt b N.
Mrs. Bubier tried to nail them down. but
VITA poor success. The whole school L.
Ia q terrible condition.
SHOWER BATH HERE.
No. 10 School mas seating room for but
$50 children In the primary department,
aud there are now TS0 In daily atteBdauc !.
Sixty applicants have bssn turned away.
There are no classes divided, The gram
mai department Ii also crowded. Nc
repairs were made on the building during
vacation time, although PriuciDal Joslin
sent in q long list OF needsd ones. The
balustrades are shaky, the desks are oat
Of order, many OF the doors are warped
and can't be used. and there are various
other things that need attending 60
badly. The recent heavy storms blew In
q number OF panea OF glass. and they
have not been replaced. Ii also blew out
q pane OF glass in the skylight. and every
time 1t rains the waite comes down
through the hole In torrents and drenches
the scholars AZ they pass up the stairs.
Mr.. Josiin has had q board put across
the hole, put that affords but siight pro.
lection. All these needed repHirs have
been properly reported to tns proper
authorities.
ONLY N REPAIR NEEDED.
No. 16 Schoot ~ an annex to No. 10. II
10 well filled. and a few applicants nave
had TO be turned away. In the girls
yard there 10 q sunken pavement that
makes q large hole aud Ia q danger TO the
girls as they run about. Miss Gardner,
the Principal. said that this Is the only
repair needed.
AWFUL o-vERCRowDING.
The schools iu hudson CIty are over
crowded. No. s and z are stratned 10
their utmost capacity. No. 8. on Sher-
man avenue especially. In this tbs
condition that prevails Is pad. Some
parents have had the names Of tuetr
children on the. waiting list for over a
year. Que. TO the personal knowledge OF
the writer. had his child's name for OF
the books Tor over u year. Ysste rdaj
the pareuts asked at the school II thers
was any prospect Of his child's admission
this year. 4he principal brought oui
the list. The child was Tailed ! num-
Der 454.
RELIEF YEAR AT land,
This will b. much relieved when No
% school Is opened. Thea all scholar
north Of Central avenue will attend tina
school, winch has u capacity OF oyor 100
sud The attendance 1T Nos. 2 nd will b
diminished.