The evening times., 1896-10-06
Craze in a Fair Way to Be
Nipped Very Soon.
TRUSTEES TO TAKE ACTION
Meeting of the Board TOday-More
Than a Hundred Varieties Seized
From Pupils by One Teacber-The
Pernlcious Effect of the eMania-The
Teachers Salaries. -

| cuss some Interesting questions affecting
the welfare. both intellectual and otherwise
Of the $4,000 pupils IN the schools.
Not the least unique of the matters which
constantly arise for that body to debate
is the consideration Of the advisability aud
i propriety OF allowing boys to decorate their
coats and the girls their dress fronts with
the motto buttons.
| The button craZeis at its height. and what
| norc natural than that school children
should be affected. The spectacle OF a
| small boymarching through the recitation
room with book under one arm and an ar
| ray OF buttons on both laPels OF his coat
| is eyerywheret to he seen in the schools. The
names Of a few of the notices with which
| young America decorates himself are gath
cred from a collection OF buttons which
one eenterprising teacher has secured by con-
fiscating the entire stock of the boys and
girls emblems in her Room.
SOME NOTICES.
In her aggregation of notices which
number 143 different kinds Of varying de-
grees of nonsense, are the following: ''If
You Love Me Grin" docs Tootsy Love
Wootsy?'' kiss Me Quick" Let's Get
Married. Your Treat Next" I'm
Dead Broke, :" Love Me Little, Love Me
Long and many others of a more or less
suggestive nature which are inclined to
make the schooIboy little too precocious.
The craze has not been wholly confined to
the emischievousboy. Only In more modest
way have the girl pupils decora.ed them
selves in the same manner and with equally
as suggestive Inscriptions.
To such outrageous extremes has the
practice been carried that in j nurnber of t he
schools steps have been taken To abate the
nuisance.
This has taken form OF protest first
In Grant School, on G street, between
Twenty-first and Twent y-second streets,
where Prof. Ryder has issued an ediet
forbiddng the wearing OF any motto buttons
during school hours.
Permission has, however, been granted to
allow pupils TO wear political badges and
patriotic buttons. or lodge or society eIn-
blems. and even gold or silver bugs which
may reflect the financial views OF their
worthy sires. but the motto button has had
to go. and the order has been pretty strictly
complied with.
Besides beng obnoxious on account of
their inscriptions, they have tended to dis
tract attention from studies, aud to keep
pupils in constant state of excitement,
showing new buttons on esly.
The mania winch induced these innocent
urchins to accumulate variety OF buttons
is much similar to the craze which struck
the school children few years ago to col
lect tobacco tags and cigarette pictures of
footlight performers and star actresses, and
which had to he met in the same stringent
manner of prohibiting their admittance to
school buildings, and iu consequence soon
died out.
ACTION ELSEWHERE.
Thus far in the buildings where action has
been taken adversely to these motto but |
tons there has been little or no objection /
ID ade on the part of the pupils. and all have |
seemingly acquiesced I'D the command The |
matter VIII doubtless be brought TO the at !
tentiUn OF the board this evening and a |
general order may eDsue should the craze
not soon abate.
School authorities in several other places
have taken vigorous steps to relieve the pu-
pills generally from the hurtful use Of the
buttons. One Massachusetts town has for
hidden altogether the wearing of badges ON
he public school grounds and is enforcing |
he rule strictly.
Another place. Buchanan near Peekskin
Y. allows the wearing of buttons withthe
portraits OF the candidates for the Presi- I
dency. or bearing purely political or patri-
,tlc notices. young man. who is
pupil i'll the schools there. appeared on the
chool grounds few days ago with about
orty buttons lined up and down his coat
ront. Some of the inscriptions We're too
for even a chiid's amusement.
md the teacher decided that no such thing
ould be allowed. The young man was |
10 lay aside his aggregation. and
eturned to his school duties rather crest
allen. The rule limiting the nse of such
mblens was then made by the school board.
The same sort of buttons as the young man
wore on his coat front aud iapels have been
old here in the past two months with wide
MR. WHELPLEY'S OPINION.
President j. W whelpley OF the school
oard said this morning: The board has |
ot had this matter called to its attention
S yet. We usually leave such things to the
ood judgm entof the teachers and rely upon |
hem TO prevent any bad results from such |
ads.
The children get the buttons everywhere;
ny them, get them a presents, trade for
lem and many re entirely harmless 9th
RS are very obnoxious and any person ] ,
nght to be ashamed to put them in the |
ands of children.
IF or my own section, shall speak to Mr. | .
tewart, our supervising principal at the =
'alach, andask him to caution all the prin- :
pals and teachers TO look closely at the
uttons, especially ON the younger children =
think teachers in all parts of the city will ,
Sercise proper care to counteract any dan
er from this source" l.
Another problem, which, however. is
ne which always arises at the beginning
the school year, is the t:lr,iiness with
-hicb the salaries of teachers are paid.
he first pa ayuent should ha We been made
n the 1st Of the month, SO some of the !.
edagogues say. Those whose purses have
come flat during the summer vacation
ave long been waiting for pay day, and =
could not come too soon for them; and ! +
DIV that salaries are a week behind | I
nie there is timid protest being made =
= the fair lady instructors, growing in |
tensity as the delay continues.
The matter is readily answered, no owever,
: the fact that as school didno begin until
e q st, and necessarily week orten days
as spent in organizing the depa rtments
I'd making up the full list OF teachers q
nporary delay was unavoidable, and is
st what happens every year.
The checks, Will, however, be ready pos
'ly tomorrow and certainly not later
an Friday of this week, and in the mean r
ne the penniiess tutors must continue to ii
.e on credit.
! :,
BrookfynNaval Hospital. h,
Herbert has adopted the plans oi