The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-04-30

s B. Price. the chief executive 81 fhe clty
OF Macon, Ca. Wishes to see the WORKING
people Of his town educated regarding tho
daily events OF the great world. Ha wants 10
lift them out of Mncon. Ca, In their leisure
moments, and give them 4 chance to 1.-Two Tor
brief time 10 Europe, Asia. Africa, VI IL
AIRY rart OF this great continent, BY means 81
the wildly drawn pictures Of current happens
rgs contained in the daily papers Mayor
Price has adopted novel means Of obtaining
this end by distributing tho daily pspers 70
the people Of the city who are too poor or too
Indifferent to purchase them. and BY this
means he hopes TO lift the ignorant peopis
nom the slough Of litcracy to the nrm
ground Of well informed Intelligence. He de-
scribcs his plan in the following article:
II call II my free circulating library. The
books 10 my library are tho daily newspapers
aud the readers are as many OF the residents
81 this and other towns as ! can induce 10
ececpt newspaper as a gift am on
camraign OF education, How badly the people
are in need Of such education only those who
come in contact With the working people OF
this country know.
~
Taking Macon as an average city. a large
proportion of the population turns out OF hsd
etriy In the morning. dressing and eating
quickly then hurrles To work. working all
day. PUSHES home in the evening to swallow
supper. and then retires, the only real resting
time being on Saturday nights and Sundays.
Reading OF any kind, suvc in a few instances
OF the older people. who study their Bibles.
has no attraction whatever for them. They
hear snatohes OF conversation about war and
the more important passing events, but be-
ycnd these fragments, OF other peoples talks
they know nothing OF current doings. These
people looked with wondering eyes upon the
soldiers GOING to Cuba, but could they tell
why those soldiers were going and for what
they were intended to tight? Very few II is
the same with all the important events. and
to educate these people ! propose to try tho
EXPERIMENT OF a free circulating library con-
Quoted on new lines. have discovered that
the primary step is with pictures. The news
paLers OF today. with their quick transfer OF
the camera product to the printed page, are
the medium through which | desire TO create
a craving for reading matter. To do this I
call upon citizens for their cast on reading
matter, magazines. illustrated papers, etc, In
ADDITION | shall subscribe for. out Of my own
pcclet a number of both the afternoon and
morning papers. at such stations as will be
most convenient for the people for whom they
arc intended. The people are thus provided
With the papers At time when they have
their only leisure. The pictures come frst,
then the reading matter, and then the daily
paper,
"a picture Of, say, SIMPSONS squadron on
Santiago will lead man Of an inauirins
mind TO ask where Santiago iH. The next step
will be hunt for the information, and then
the gradual opening OF the avenue that leads
10 a longing TO know more about events going
on outside NJ tho little world in which the
man lives, aud so citizen becomes well
Informed and self-responting man, instead OF
creature densely ignorant OF everything ex-
cent that against which he runs In the course
Of his daily toll.
II regard the modern daily newspaper as
an educator for the average man equal in
power to a DOZEN colleges. BY the average
mar I do NOT mean the professional man. for
whom a collegiate education Is q necessary
qualifications but IN. worker the man who
belongs to the toling masses. There is IN
the employ Of this city, holding responsible
position, a young man whose education was
obtained from the morning paper here, and
who would do without his breakfast any day
re Their than without his paper, and yet few
YEARS ago he was pItlfully llllterate. During
sickness a friend carried him a few news
papers The pictures caught his eye and Gre
ated desire for knowledge. Today this
young man, brought UP within tho walls OF
factory, never inside az school house. grow
ing up after the manner OF thousands and
Thousands OF boys and girls Of the same class.
is vel Informed on all the current topics art
quotations. Of tho day. Out OF the thousands
Of boys and grls around here ! want to de-
yoou more such people as that city employe.
~
"The idea have outlined has caught the AZ.
tentlon Of the people who read newspapers,
and these people are rallying 10 my support,
contributing periodicals. both new and used.
and these l am having scattered broadcast
through the city. In many homes the news
ppIers are read with difficulty on account OF
tic ignorance OF the household, but the fact
that something is lacking 10 the homo will he
brought forcibly 10 the attention OF the fam
i,y, and when this Is accomplished II will
have the good effect OF stimulating the ann
bilious ones to acquire the ability TO read
and soon open up the way to knowledge u
Ia my purpose TO continue on the lines laid
down until the seed is well sown. Then
shall establish reading rooms where news
rapers can be read as well as in the home
This plan will be q little expensive. but the
results Will more than repay. nrmly believe
that this education by newspapers and peri
od,eals will make better citizens. II succeed
in making only few, viii DO well rewarded