The Opelousas courier., 1896-06-27
RARON HIRSCH'S U N
Work That Is Done with the Dead Phi'
ls1thropiet's GIFT to AineFics;

The Baron de Hirsch fund iii the
United States was started in March,
1890, when the philanthropist gave
| So, 500, 900 In cash to d board of trustees,
| seven Of 1hom reside Id New York sh'
| two in Philadelphia, for the purpose OF
educating and Americanizing Russian
| and Roumanian immigrant Jews to en-
| able them to become se1f-supportings
Immediately upon arrival the chill
dren of the immigrants are taught Eng
lishin II large classrooms in the Educa-
tioiial Alliance building b. graduates" of
the Normal college, who prepare them
to enter the primary grades OF the pub
lie schccls. There ate hnv* 15n childrftI
in these day classes. x matron is in
/ charge of the iavatory, who sees to it
that the children are clean. There are
also ten evening English classes. com
posed OF 500 Worklngtnth ata w"nen,
most Of whom come to the classes iii
| rect from theft :rIrksltop&::,
The fund has also established 4 irc-
chanical training school iii the build
Ing erected especially for the purpose
| and containing all the modern mdCl'if-
| cry and appliances-where are taught
carpentry, house. sign and fresco paint
! Ing and working in iron. sufficient to
| enable graduates to become Helpers in
their respective vocations, and in most
cases good positions are obtained imme-
diately upon leaving school. The term
is six inontha, nhl each graduate is
| given the tools Of his trade.
The United Hebrew charities ere the
almoners of a portion Of the fund set
| apart for immediate relief and the
transportation of immigrants to the in
terror, where places have been previous
ly found for them by the free employ
| ineht bureaii, which also obtains "itta"
tons for those who remain in the city.
| An agent is located on Ellis Island for
the purpose of looking after the inter-
ests of and giving instructions to inmi-
grants who come under the jurisdiction
Of the fund,
, AS education in cleanliess is consid-
cred of primary Importance, public
baths were established by the fund in
lCSi. 4 60 ioil y &fI -
tubs, in separate compartments, n at
tached to each is a dressing-room. The
charge is 5 cents for adults and 5 cents
for children. From 500 to 700 baths are
given per day.
In 1891 the fund purchased 800 acres
of land in Wpodbinc, Cape May county,
y: j.. on tie West and South Jersey
railroads, 81 miles from Philadelphia
and 25 miles from Cape May. The land
was originally covered with timber and
brush, and there have been cleared 900
acres, and divided into 6s farm plots of
80 acres each, and 1900 town lots. Up
on each farm there have been erected a
comfortable residence, barn and out
houses. and the houses in the town are
particularly inviting. There are II
miles Of streets and Roads.
Woodbine has four large factories,
wherein clothing, pocketbooks, baskets
and a variety of iron work and machin-
cry are made. The hands employed are
mainly the young men and women resi-
dents of the place. A large electric
| plant supplies the factories, hotel and
streets with an abundance of light. A
brick yard is making the best Of hard
red brick. There is also a kindling-
wood factory.
Eleven stores and other private enter
prises are located at Woodbine. e.
The finest schoolhouse in the county
has been built by the fund, and anotht
one is beipsfrected by the board of ed
ucatioHsf the county at a cost of $4,000.
There are three English day classes, a
kindergarten and a manual training
class: also an English evening school.
The teachers in charge are appointed by
the board of education.
A special building, lighthouses and
nurseries have been erected for the ag-
ricultural school, wherein students are
being educated with great success for
the state agricultural college, and two
are now receiving instructions there. it
being the intent to graduate competent
teachers of agriculture. A brick syna-
gogue is in course of erection and will
seat about 400 persons. The lower part
is to be used for a Hebrew school and
for other communal purposes.
The farming population of Woodbine
is $50 and the town residents number
EGO.
The agricultural bureau of informa-
tion of the fund is located at No. 37S
Grand street, this city, where imIni-
grants who desire to become farmers
are advised upon the whole subject.
There are also branches in Philadel-
phia, Boston, Chicago, Detroit and Min
neapolis.-N. Y. journal.