The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-05-06
TO WHAT BASE USES
Jersey City's High School
Diverted to a Clever Ad-
vertising Scheme.
GAS COMPANY BENEFICIARY
Discipline Upset and the Cooking
School a DsIusion and a
Snare.

AT the last meeting of the Board OF
Education the United Gas aud Impro We
ment Association was granted permits
sion to erect q plant In the board room
and show the scholars and teachers how
to cook with the aid of gas stoves. The
ompany agreed TO furnish a cooking
teacher, and since Monday the handsome
board room has been desecrated and
transformed iuIo a kitchen. The fumes
of gas and burning coffee are difused
throughout the building, and hours
which were generally devoted to the
study of valuable lessons are now given
over 60 hilarity aud amusement in the
"~kitchea.n
The only excuse advanced for the state OF
affairs by the members of the School Board
VITO were instrumental in securing it is
thai it is the first step in manual training
In the schools.
Many men, prominently identified with
school work in this city. With wnom the
reporter eonversed, said that IL was TO De
deplored that u gas company snouiu use
the High School buiidtng for ADVERTISING,
and said that If this was the only method
by which manual training WAS TO De
2otO -
idea was abandoned, the better.
BIG ADVERTISING SCHEME.
The manner ia which the gas company
worked their big advertising scheme was
simple enough. One Of the enterprising
agents for the company lensnlng
had, time and again, determined t, estap-
lish manual training in the schools, ouG
had not accomplished anything. decided
to place the trustees in a progressive
light before the public. aud. incidentally,
work in a big advertising dodge for the
gas company. The agent saw three
members of the old board. Messrs. Coles,
Allen and Moran, and explained his
scheme to them.
He agreed 10 furnish a number OF gas
stoves and a teacher in the High School.
and show how nicely cakes, coffee aud
tea could be cooked by the latest improv-
ed patent gas stoves OF the United Las
and Improvement Company.
A GENERoUssCoMPANY. )
The maguauimous agent would not
charge ANYTHING at all. He would place
the apparatus in order. and the teacher
in charge, but the city would have to
bear the expense of the gas consumed.
Tue agent did not exnort with the
Directors in vain. When one member
suggested that it would look like an
advertising dodge the agent was not long
in relieving him of his anxiety.
The resolution granting the gas COM
pany the desired permission was passed
at the last meeting of the board with
little comment. Ali of the members were
evidently friendlg to the company as they
all voted in favor OF the resolution.
THE LESSONS BEGIN.
The very next day alter the resolution
was passed carpenters were at work in
the handsome board room. Rude pine
boards were nailed to the walls and gas
IHtn rau 1ru0
were sitting. Til teacher, "a modest
young lady. arrived the following day
and word went through the classes in
the High School that day that the f1rst
lesson In manual training would be given
from eleven until twelve O'Clock.
About twenty laughing and giddy girls
from the High School and Grammar De-
partment visited the pseudo kitchen,
chaperoEed by their teachers. n
United Gas and improvements Company's
name was everywhere. It was on the
stoves and on the directions How to
Cook"
The young lady did the best she
could to teach the pupils now to cook.
The girls laughed aud chatted, and voted
the gas company o Directors thanks
for the recrsatfon provided for them. aud
eagerly deYoured the cakes and coffee
turned ont by the United Gas and luz
provemeut Company's stoves. As an adj
veftiSemenG Ior the gas coulpauY, tn0
first lesson In manual training IN The
public schools was a decided success.
MORE FREE ADVERTISING.
Since Monday two hours. every day
have been devoied to advertising the gas
company. From II until IL o'clock aud
from ]. 80 to $50 in the afternoon the
scholars rave a recess in the Board Of
Edncation's room, aud in the afternoon
from $50 to 80. the teachers from schools
all over the city flock there and sat the
cakes and coffee turned out by the
United Gas and Improvement C%ompany's
stoves. Il is a grand advertising scheme.
and the ageut who secured the passage of
resolution at the meeting of she Board
of Education has had his salary raised.
DISCIPLINE AT AN END.
Ihave never seen such a f1ab ant viola
ton of school discipline, said an ex-
trustee TO 10 the reporter, this morning.
Very few of the scholars or teachers 60 TO
the lessons to learn how to cook. They
go there to feast and make merry. Even
II this were not the case, the Directors
should never allow a corporation to use
the public schools to advertise its wares. "
TO LAY IT'S CORNERSTONE.