The Washington times., 1901-12-01
Most Complete System of AM. in
America.
TEACHERS OF HIGH GRADE
Business School the Most Popular
lis Attendance Double Thnt of the
0thers-Speed, Accuracy and Neas-
ness ENlcsed.

of the United States. The attendance mas
been gradually increasing year by year.
until at present the total nightly aver
age is about 1.025.
Prior to This year there have been a
great many night schools scattered about
in various parts of the city. But owing
to the number of institutions the attend
ance was very small; in fact, in some
cases it scarcely warranted the employ
mcnt of even one teacher. Some OF the
schools farthest removed from the cen
tire Of the city had an average contingent
of about six pupils.
This was, of course, a far too small num-
Der to permit of satisfactory school
bein- maintained.
However. when r. R. Riordon, Principal
of the day Greenleaf School. was made
director OF the night school system this
year. he studied carefully the workings
of the institutions and bent his energies
toward deyising a plan for remedying
their defects. As result he greatly re-
duced the number of schools, retaining,
apart from the night Business High
School, only three white and as many col
ored graded schools. These institutions
are each composed of eight grades, and
have large and efficient corps Of teach
ers. In fact. the teachers are, for the
most part. the best that can be selected
from the faculties of the day high schools.
The work of the various grades through
the seventh is substantially the same as
that of the day classes. This means that
reading. writing, spelling, geography, his
tory, grammar, and several other subjects
of less Importance are taught. The OBJ
vious advantage of this course Of study
lies in the fact that poor children are
given the same advantages as those of
more means. The boy or girl who. owing
TO financial necessity. must leave school
at a very early age and seek employment,
may. if he really desires to study, spend
his evenings at the night school and con-
tinue his education from the point where
he left OFF. The eighth grade of the night
institution. however. differs considerably
from that of the day. The former is more
closely allied with the work of the Bust
ness High School; in fact, ii may almost
be said TO form part of it. The prin-
cipal studies taught in the eighth grade
are bookkeeping. typewriting, English and
commercial arithmetic.
The three white graded schools are held
at the Franklin Building. Fourteenth and
K Streets northwest, E. C. Kramer prin-
cipaI; the Gales Building. New Jersey
Avenue and Street northwest, Charles
Hart. principal, and the Jefferson Build
ing. Virginia Avenue and c Street south
west, with Dr. A c. Bryan as principal.
These gentlemen are also prominently
connected with the day schools. E. C.
Kramer is principal of the Franklin,
Charles Hart is assistant head of tho
arithmetic department at the Business
High, and DR.. Bryan is professor of Greek
al the Western.
But most deserving of comment is the
night Business High School. Emory C.
Wilson, principal. Its attendance dou-
bles, or nearly trebles, that Of either of
the graded institutions. The curriculum
includes commercial arithmetic, book
keeping, typewriting, shorthand, gram
mar. and English The things that are
aimed for above all else are speed, ac-
euracy and neatness. The course is es-
pecially designed to fit persons for bust
ness life. Everything is done in prac-
tical and businesslike way. One large
room, used in connection with the book
keeping and arithmetic work, is fitted up
with counters. small Offices. and minia-
ture bank Here the pupils practice and
receive exactly the same experience as
they would in stores, offices. or banks.
Sales are made. money-college currency
lis exchanged. complete sets OF books are
kept. and deposits are made in the bank;
in fact, a complete system of business is
carried on. accuracy being aimed for in
every detail. Certain nights are set aside
when the books are balanced, and de-
tailed statements are presented to the
teacher. who acts as head Of the firm.
So excellent IS this course Of training
that clerks and scores OF persons en-
ployed in various capacities in the busi-
ness houses Of the city attend the school
regularly and apply themselves diligently
TO the work. One night in each week man
ual training and chair-caning is taught.
Several girls are members Of this class,
and are showing themselves to be as pro-
hclent in this line as the boys and men.
The sessions OF the school are held on
Monday. Wednesday. and Friday nights
from 1880 10 $50 O'Clock The course Of
study is so arranged that each pupil has
every study two hours a week. While this
appears to be very short period to de-
vote TO each study 1t IS impossible to
crowd more recitations into the allotted
time And it is surprising what amount
of work can be accomplished in it.
However. there is another feature con-
nected with the work. which imprcsses the
visitor more than all else. At Jype-
writer will tc seated a young boy or girl.
not over fourteen years of age, while di-
rectly at their side will be a grandfather
or mother. seeking TO keep pace in rat
Ting the keys with the younger person.
There is something pathetic in the sight
OF these old grey haired, bent men and
women, striving to retrieve an educa-
ton neglected in their youth But their
efforts are not wasted. for the teachers
declare that many OF them are among
their most promising pupils.
Many new features have recently been
added to the night school system, one Of
them being a parents school," This is
held at the Gales building on Tuesday and
Thursday nights. Fully seventy parents
and grandparents regularly attend the
school. and atrive 70 keep abreast with
their children in the matter OF education
Another Of the latest additions to the
work IS the frpmen's schp0l held on Sat