The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-08-30

put forth, and it is lard in the light of tn,
facts that have been disclosed Of late year
to decide AS to whom the credit Is due
Robert Raikes, n printer and publisher oi
a small newspaper in Gloucester, England,
was undoubtedly the first whose work Mt,
tracted general attention and imitation,
He got his idea, however, from \ Mrs. Brad
burn, who had been II teacher In u Sunday
school established in 1859 by Hannah Ball.
Raikes started his first school in 1TS0, and
in 1883, 80 years ago, it had become sufli-
GENTLY successfuli in his eyes to warrant the
publication of an article concerning it In
his paper. the Gloucester Journal. He also
wrote an article about the school which
was published in The Gentlemen's Maya
zine, and once the plan and it's success as
conducted by him We're made known to the
churches i'll general it was extended with
marvellous rapidity.
1t is a fact, however, that rs early as 1860
schools somewhat similar to that of Mr..
Raikes were established by the kirk of
Scotland, and a somewhat similar form of
school was authorized by the church Of
England in 1908. Among the earliest sun
day schools in America We're those estab-
lished at Roxbury, Mass, in 1914; Norwich,
Conn, in 1896; Plymouth, Mass, in 1850;
.Newtown, n. Y, in 1858; Berks county, Pa,
in 1884; Ephrata, Pa, in l14o; Bethlehem,
Conn, in 1T40; Philadelphia, in l774, and
Hanover county, Va, in 1898. But the
work of these schools not being published
to the world, as was that of Raikes, their
influence was only local.
The teaching in Raikes' school, and in
early Sunday schools generally, was not
altogether religious. Indeed it was neces-
sary, owing to the ignorance of the scholars
who were induced to attend, to teach them
to read before they could comprehend the
Bibles printed page. Writing was also
taught, and the teachers received pccuniary
compensation for their labors, the English
seminary fund being drawn upon until
1898. When this was discontinued, the
Sunday school received Il severe blow, and
it was then that the work was taken up by
volunteers from the ranks of ladies Of
wealth and position. 1t does not appear
that wages We're ever paid to Sunday
school teachers in this country. Bishop
Asbury of the Methodist Episcopal church,
Jonathan Edwards and George Whitetield
were among the men of prominence who
early engaged in the work of fostering
Sunday school work here.
The Sunday school is now the strongest
institution auxiliary to the work of the
churches. Its efficiency was vastly in
creased when the London Sunday School
union was organized in 1903, and fresh i'm
petus to the work was given by the organi-
cation of the New York union a little later.
The union idea spread rapidly to other
cities, towns and counties both in England
and in America, and the Sunday school
unions so generally formed have had a
great deal to do with the breaking down of
the old lines of UNCONVENTIONAL prejudice.
The social influence of the Sunday school
today cannot be overestimated. 1t is the
one place in thousands of rural communi-
ties where the young people of the church
meet once a week. It's books form the only
circulating library in the place. 1t is there
that the young folks get all the musical in
struction they ever receive, and it is there
that the bright farmers boy with a ready
tongue first learns to talk upon his feet.