El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-02-25
A FINE Entertainment
To Be Given Monday Night For the
Benefit of the Public School
Llbrary.-A Most Worthy

| NduSC.
| There is no more patent factor TO
the development of young minds tina
the reading of good books. A tast
probation for wholesome literasur,
are powerful forces to lead boys a
girls to noble and upright lives. Th
public schools of the country presen
an extraordinary field for the deve
lopment OF love for the right kind OF
reading. provided they are furnished
with the proper supply of books, from
the fact that the very classes which
most need direction in point of reading
| are found within the walls OF public
school houses.
I. There are many homes in this city
In which there is not found q copy of 8
literary work of any character; many
without even the bible. The children
In these homes have absolutely no
books, except perhaps copies of '.yel-
low back" novels given to them by the
corrupt and vicious. In the schools
they are taught to read, and they are
going to read yellow back" produc-
i t1ons, which can always be had, unless
something better is furnished them.
There are hundreds of children in
FL Paso who have never read or heard
read good book outside of what thew
have got in the public schools. In or
der that every child may have all op-
portun1ty of getting the best and pur-
est thoughts in literature, teachers are
required to spend fifteen or twenty
minutes each day in reading to them.
In addition to this. as far as possible
each child is furnished q book to take
home and keep until it is read. This is
having splendid effect, but the sup
ply OF books Is entirely Inadequate to
the pressing needs
Each school has q nucleus of Ii
brary, but it is only beginning of
what ia needed. The public schools Of
this city are fairly abreast OF the
times SO far as teachers, text books.
methods, ETC., go; bu, we are shame
fully behind in point of libraries.
mere Is scarcely city in the east of
which has not far better school IL
brary than we have. We are going to
be well supplied with good school
houses. Let us not forget the need of
good school libraries. The library
fund for our public schools at best is
small and the scope of its application
is 80 large that the needs cannot be at
all adequately met This year the
fund has suffered because of the small
pox epidemic. Nearly all of the paw
pupils were excluded from school by
quarantine,
To get up a pu bile entertainment by
The children requires SO much time of |
teachers and children which should be |
given to school work that the au-
horities do not feel justified in doing |
t. There is no regular library fund |
except the small amount of tuition col
ected from children not living within
he city limits. The schools must
either do without books or raise the
money to buy them in some sort of out
fde way. What books are already
.wned are wearing out by constant use.
they must be replaced.
The children of the schools are anx.
Gus to have them and they must
'e supplied. Dictionaries, refer
nee books, encyclopedias etc., are
Vanted as we'll as books of literary
haracter. biography, history, popular
cience. and standard fiction
On Monday evening, J. Frank
'ouche will give recital for the ben
Mt OF the school library. Mr.. Fouche .
a collegeman and a former teacher
lis recitals are artistic in every par .
lcular. His conception of the chsrac-
ers which he represents are true aud d.
Is impersonation of them will COM
are with the best impersonators of the d.
ountry. Every lover of good litera-
ire should hear him. Wherever he
as been. he has pleased his audiences. /!
lis selections are of the highest type
he truly refined will enjoy them.
If you are interested in the public
'hoOl library, or in the children whose !.
ally means of getting hold of good 4
ooks is in the school library, or if you {.
erely want to hear q fine piece of in
appreciation and impersonation of {.
laracter, you should hear Mr.. Fouche
onday night.