New-York tribune., 1900-07-22
AN INTERESTING SCHOOL.
PUPILS OF MANY NATIONALITIES
TAUGHT TO HONOR THE AMER
ICAN FLAG.

One OF the oldest schools in Amerca-perhaps
the oldest in the worlds located within the
walls of the Educational Alliance Building East
Broadway and Jefferson-st. There f1ve hun
dred pupils in attendance. their ages varying from
10 fifteen years, and their nationalities from
Russian to Rumanan, Polish, Lithuanian and
Hungarian. Although none of the pupils speak
word of English when they enter. no other language
is allowed in the school, and they simply obliged
10 keep silence until they learn II.
These children have all had histories. Most OF
them remember being peted with stones and fol-
lowed through the streets with abuse; many Of
them their scanty furniture pitched into the
street. their houses burned their heads, while
they themselves fed from the village wild with
fear. All tossed and suffered in the sick and
crowded steerage. II must have come In the nature
OF surprise when. after being turned out on these
shores like the refuse they felt themselves to be,
somebody took them by the hands and introduced
them into this school. which they regard as wonder
full.
CHILDREN LEARN QUICKLY.
1t takes several weeks to scrub fumgate and
otherwise cvilize the average Russian or Ru-
manan Hebrew refugee to the entire satisfaction
of the authorities but symptoms of budding
bition in the right direction appear spontaneously
at an early period. Within two weeks after land
ing, and four days after entering school. child
appears wearing ancient Harrison button on his
ragged coat The older girls learn latest Grand
st. modes of hair dressing long before they can
speak English, and within a months time not even
American born could distinguish them from the
other East Side damsels Youngsters the world
over have minds open to Impressions especially the
| Jewish youngster.
The Baron de H!rsCh School for Immigrant Chill
| dren established in 1891, al the time OF the
| Russian prosecutions. when immigrants were pour
! ing into New-York In appalling numbers All were
| destitute: nearly all ignorant and degraded.
Many were socialists and anarchists. Undesirable
| citizens. truly and first sight there seemed
| small hope OF ever amalgamatIng them with ever
| this city's heterogeneous population. For several
| years previous to this the Hebrew Free School As
| socaton had maintained classes for teaching the
| Russian immigrants to speak and write English. but
| it needed the Baron de Hirsch million dollar en-
| dowment to make the school into the complete and
useful institution it has since become. Crowded as
II Is at present there was considerable trouble at
| the beginning to recruit for the school, especially
| in the feminine ranks.
| The Jewish lower orders not advocates OF
| female education Their women are not expected
| to know much, about religion. Few taught
to read. AS might be expected the girls of the
Hrsch School are rather less intelligent than the
| boys. though the same care is taken with both.
Boys and girls alike do remarkably well. neverthe-
less, and in three to six months time ready TO
| enter the public schools and keep up with their
classes. Their papers in English composition, SPELL
ing and arithmetic interesting productions con-
sidering that few of the children had any instruc-
| ton whatever before coming to America and that
| the language in which they are taught has been
| theirs for a few weeks only.
THE VARIOUS TYPES
| The visitor observes that only a small propor-
ton have the hook and beady black eyes popu-
larly attributed the Several distinct types
| are represented. The blond, curly haired. small
| featured children Poles. Theirs is rather an
| aristocratc type and they generally amiable,
| but proud of manner. The Russian Jew Is frequent
Iy red haired, although finds occasional real
| Kalmuk countenance-brOad. brown face, high
| cheek bones and tiny. twnkIing black eyes. The
| Rumanians are the darkest Of the lot some OF
| them being actually gypsyNe III their swarthi-
! ness This type predominates in the school at