The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-05-27
A NEW HIGH SCHOOL
Members of the Women's
Club Working for a More
Modern Building.
CLERGYMEN ASSISTING THEM
They Say the Present Building Is
Inadequate and Injurious to
the Health of Students.


The Jersey City woman's Club has
undertaken Herculean task. 1t has set
out to secure for Jersey City new High
School building-one worthy of Jersey
City-and its members seem to have mo-
doubts as to Their power to succeed in
their undertaking They hope to accon-s
pE.sh their object before the summer Isl
over. 1t is their plan to have the new
building begun in the early autumn IT.
securing signatures to petition can gain,
the desired Improvement then it will cer-.
ta:nly be made, for 100 members of the
Woman's Club are hard at work among
their friends and neighbors convincing
them of a need of a new building for the
higher education of our children, and by
their irresistible arts compelling them
to attach their names to the document
with which they are armed, and which
it is intended Shall strike terror into the
hearts of the Street and Water Com;
miSsioners.
There are several hundred copies of the
petition out besides those IN the hands
of the club members. Miss Gaines, presi-.
dent of the club, told News reporter.
that she hoped to be able to present 5000
select signatures to the Street and Water
Board. She thought they would be sufIi-i
cient to make the Commissioners realize
the awful necessity of a new high school
building and make them take immediate
steps to erect one. She thought the
women would be able to accomplish what
the men folk have tried for years to do
and have failed.
WOMEN TAKE UP THE MATTER.
1t was Miss Gaines who, at the insti-
cation of a prominent clergyman of the
Heights, started the movement. She
broached the subject at recent meeting
of the Woman's Club and the plan of cir
culating petition was adopted. The
petitions were Immediately printed and.
are being vigorously circulated. Miss
Gaines in bringing the matter to the at
tention of the club said she felt very
much complimented to have elergymen
invoke the aid of the Woman's Club.
She thought the club would be the
means of having a new High School
quicker than if the matter were left to
the Board of Education.
The reasons for demanding the new
building are embodied in the petition as
folloWs:-
First-The building now occupied by
the pupils of the High School IS fur
nsshed with 25S desks, each desk pro-
vided with a seat designed for a single
pupil. The average daily attendance of
pupils is now nearly SIX hundred. The
physiological conditions thus forced upon
the pupils, during hours of study, is
fraugilt with serious peril to their ply
sical health, and in the case of delicate
growing children, may lead to years of
suffering in later life.
Second-The building is provided with
no means of ventilation, except by the
windows and doors; and in the large
assembly room, SO crowded, it is difficult
to secure an adequate supply of fresh air,
without subjecting many of the pupils
to dangerous draughts.
Th:rd-The assembly room of the school
is on the fourth floor of the building, and
is reached by five flights of stairs, con-
sisting of seventy.six steps, imposing a
task in their daily ascent, which has
driven many a girl from the school with
broken health, and is constant menace
to all.
tute of proper toilet. and other neces-
sary rooms, requisite for the comfort and
moral health of such an assemblage of
youth.
Fifth--As a result of these conditions
there has arisen among the children in
The lower schools sentiment unfavor-
a5le tS the cause Sc, Of higher 5 edneatlon
Many pupils, therefore, who could well
afford to continue Their studies, leave
school at the end of the grammar course: !:
soon become dissatisfied and follow their
companions, unduly, equipped for the
work that is demanded by the growing
Intelligence of the world.
The number of pupils in the High
School of Jersey City, in proportion to
the population. is only about one-half as
School of the nation. The inevitable
effect of such a condition upon the
future Intelligence of our community
calls for immediate and most serious at
tention.
The petition then says
For the above reasons we earnestly
beg that your honorable bodies will pro-
vide for the urgent, needs of this school
at the earliest possible day.
And we further beg to suggest that the
efficiency of our public education does
not depend simply upon the instruction
given by teachers but also very largely
upon the influence of that environment
child the conmunity's appreciation of
education.
We pray you, therefore, that this build
our our public edueation; to be the common
property of the people, open to every
child Irrespective of ward or district
nrs BE mfde an eb9e essy 0h cy Of aa paoe
inspiration to all our children.
CIBRGYMEN FAVOR THE MOVE
/ with having Snstigated the movement.
He was interviewed by "a News, re-
Porter on bs the Su8ect Woa e s5a h
their object He considered it of the
utmost Importance that we have a new
High School building. The present one
ne thought a disgrace to any city and a
menace to the health or the scholars
who attend it. He would not say whether
he had been instrumental in strating the
agitation or not but when questioned on
that point merely smiled and said
TITS started and will be a success. That
is all can say"
The Rev DR.. Stoddard is greatly in
terested in the scheme also. He ex-
Episcopal Church. Summit avenue, last
Sunday and invited all his congregation
to sign the petition, several copies of
which were placed in the back of the
Il told the Woman's Club when it was
formed" he said. that there are plenty
of reforms that women can carry out
better than the men, One of these has
come to the surface; The High School
question IS being agitated and petitions
are out that ought to be signed. The
learn is a perfect illustration of the
Darwinian theory. 1t appears to be a
struggle for life of the girls that are
there and results in a survival of the
TO a. reporter DR.. Stoddard said:-"As
to the ability of the city fathers to build
the school house / cannot say. They
must decide that for themselves. I do
feel competent, however, to speak Of the
lMr Frank o. Cole is heartily in favor
of new High School. He believes that
not less than $50 900 should be expended
1inon III and that it should be buS1t to