The evening world., 1894-06-02

RANDOLPH GUGGENHE1MER.
The people OF this land, II not the most
highly educated. are the most generally
educated in the world. American meth
sidered, commended and copied In dis
tant lands. And 1t Is to be viewed with
satisfaction that our arrangements for
popular education are improving year by
year by reason OF better training schools
Tor teachers, better supervision and more
liberal pecuniary support.
ment of one department, at least. the
public school system Of this city stands
unique. This is In its course OF free
does such a Utopian scheme exist for
the deliverance Of the masses from the
thralldom of ignorance and In the his
instruction. as carried on here, may
truly be claimed as purely American.
Increased Attendance.
ary. 1882 the attendance has been over a
half million. Two-thirds of this number
have attended during the last two years.
Great as is this work now, 1t had very
late Senator Edward F. Reilly intro
duoed into the Assembly u bill whose
puIport was to provide for our adult
night In the school buildings OF this
city, or in such other places as the
Board of Education might select.
bill is really due to "The Evening
World" In its continuous efforts to up
iift the masses, 1t made the subject of
Tree lectures to the people one OF its
many suggestions, which have become
realized.
The bill was approved by the Governor
on June .. 1888 Sections l and OF the
act read as follows:
The People of the State OF New York, represented
In Senate and Assembly. do enact as follows
Section @ l. The Hoard OF Education Of the city
70 provide for the employment OF competent leo
turers to deliver lectures the natural sciences
ana kinared subjects in the public schools OF said
oity IN the evenings for the beneht OF workn smen
Section 2. The said Board Of Education shall
nave power TO purchase the books, stationery.
charts and other things necessary and expedent
70 successfully conduct said lectures. which 1t
shall have power to direct.
Immediately after the passage of the
bill Commissioner Miles NJ OBren led
the efforts to secure from The Board OF
Apportionment the necessary funds for
the proper conduct OF the lectures The
Z sum of $4,000 was obtained.
AS the lectures were to be held in the
evening. the Board of Education referred
the subject to the Committee on Evening
Schools. IT was then composed of De.
witt J; Selisinan, Grace II. Dodge, w
]. Welch. Miles ". Brien and Ran.
dolph ,Guggenheimer. The preparation
OF Dian OF lectures and the selection
of appropriate places was left to a sub.
committee composed of Mr.. Guggen.
heimer. Miss Dodge and Mr.. O'Brien
IN THIS connection 1t is but proper tC
state that while all the members of tn,
Bosrd OF Education nave taken warn
4 interest In the lecture course. Miles NJ
OBrien and Randolph Guggenhelme,
the lectures
Since the first course opened up TO IN,
present time. with a brief interval the,
have both been on the Evening Schoo
committee as Chairman. O'Brien Is nov
Chairman OF the Evening School Com
mittee for the third time.
First Series of Lectures.
In December 1858. the sub Committee
Of which Mr.. Guggenheimer was Chair
man. after consultation with man,
OF the trustees. arranged Il course o
lectures on natural sciences and history
During the first season, which laste,
from January to April |. 1889, one hun
dred and eighty-six lectures were given
Six school-hOuses in those parts OF tn
were selected as lecture centres. Tw
lectures weekly. Monday and Thurs
day evenings, were given at each centre
The total attendance at these lecture
was 22,149. anaverage of lis at each lee
ture.
The Committee on Evening School
during the year 1889 consisted of Messr!
Seligman Guggenheimer O'Brien an
= Mrs. 8. II. Powell. At their suggcstlo
an amendment to the original act wa
y passed.
authorize the Committee To- adyert!2@ /
as many newspapers as might be AZ
visable The Committee added an add
tional lecture centre, making seven /
all. and the second season opened
~ October, 1889. During this seas0
lectures were held three times weelll!
VIZ: On Monday, Thursday and Satul
4 day evenings. The topics and lecturer
were about the same as in the first SCI
son. The course lasted until April
1870. and 329 lectures wore delivered. Th
total attendance during the second sat
son WAS %, 632.
In January. 1890. the Committee O
Evening Schools was reorganized wit
Miles Nj. OBrien as Chairman, an
Messrs. Guggenheimer j. f. Mosht
and Mrs. Powell as associates.
The new Committee set TO work mai
Ing radical changes. The attendanC
during the second season did not renc
the figures antlcipated.e AS a resu
much unfayorable comnf'nt was mad