The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-22
CHRISTMAS IN SCHOOLS
Festivals and Holiday Exercises
to Be Held To-Day.
BRYAN SCHOOLS TREE
What the Teachers at That School Are
Doing to Give the Youngsters,
Under Their Charge a Rous-
ing Good Time.

In proportion to her population Ana
conda has perhaps less suffering among
her inhabitants by reason of poverty
than any other city in the West. Work
is plentiful and wages are high and
the Sivers of Christmas charity are
not over burdened with cases to be
cared for. And yet there is poverty
in Anaconda. Down among the little
cottages in the east end there are many
large families where the father and
mother have difficulty in feeding all
the hungry mouths, and some where
absolute habits have brought the
worst kind of poverty Not a few lit
tie children go to school these wintry
days from that section thinly clad and
children of poor parents in large cities,
but suffering nevertheless.
In the Bryan school, situated in the
eastern part of town, as it is, there
are number of cases like this. Many
time in the last few weeks has a
teachers heart been made sad within
her by the sight of poor little urchin
or maid with blue fingers and chilled
toes shivered fearfully as he or she
came in. Not all the pupils are in
these circumstances, of course. Many
are well provided for, but the minority
suffers just as intensely both in spirit
and in the flesh as though it had much
company.
Because of this the teachers Of the
Bryan school are going to make the
Christmas tree to be given t the school
this afternoon a brilliant event. For
days have they been planning and
working for it, and abstracting sums
from their none too large salaries to
make the event all they wish. They
realize that this will be the only
Christmas a number of their pupils
will have and are determined it will be
just as good and just as happy a
Christmas as any child will have any
where in Anaconda.
They are modest and reserved about
their actions, are these teachers. Ask
any of them about the festival to-day
and they will say with affected care
lessness: ooh, it's nothing but little
good time we are getting up" but just
the same they are working as hard as
If all the youngsters they are seeking
to make happy were their own little
brothers and sisters
No one but the teachers know how
much the schools and the pleasant
times they mean to many of the child
rem of the east end. To some it is the
one bright spot in their daily lives.
Some of the children are sons and
daughters Of careless, improvident pa
rents, who send them to school to keep
from being bothered with them. Some
come from squalid, ill-kept homes.
Some come from homes Of honest pow
erty. But to all such the school, which
lifts them above their home surround
ings, means much. All this the teach
ers realize fully and are striving to
give the children a royal good time,
which will last them over the hoH
days. OF course a large proportion of
the pupils don't require the extra eff
fort, for they will have good times in
their own comfortable homes, but there
is no doubt they will enjoy the day al
most, If not quite as much, as their
less fortunate fellow pupils.
at seems to me-" said a gentleman
who is interested in the schools, yes
terday, that If some of the merchants
and business men of the city who are
kicking on paying to keep the schools
open could imbibe little of the spirit
of those Bryan school teachers or could
be placed in their positions for little
while, they would stop their objectlng
and subscribe generously, if for moth
ing else, to provide education and good
influences for those poor little young
sters who know no bright. pleasant
These girls are spending their time and
money to make the poor kids happy
that one day. knowing it means so
much for them and will have such
good and lasting effect for them, and
are buying shoes and things Of that
sort to give for Christmas presents,
while some of our patriotic citizens,
who pirate loudly of keeping up Ameri-
can institutions are hanging back and
would allow the schools to close rather
than pay tax they justly should pay.
Let them know what the closing of the
schools would mean, and if they have
hearts in them they would change their
ideas"
The Bryan is not the only school in
which there is to be a Christmas fes-
tival. Similar Qualifications are to be
held at the Lincoln and Prescott
schools, while elaborate Christmas eX-
ercises are to be held at the High
ND he