New-York tribune., 1907-01-09
REGENER4TION OF MARIE.
Hoe a MiscMerOus Truant Became
q Model Pu Ill.

Marie Parola a naughty girl. Every
teacher who had ever taught her agreed with
every other teacher in calling her torment
and plague. T ere were five hundrd other
small girls from six to fifteen years old in her
school down under the shadow of Brooklyn
Bridge. but Marie broke the record as truant.
a sattern and a mischevous pupil.
BY and by a school city was organized in
that school and Marie was elected almost unan-
imousIy representative from her room to the
common council. Her teacher was so angry she
could hardly speak.
What shall do about it?" she implored
"Oh. wait and see" said the other teachers.
Maybe Marie won't come any more"
But the next day Marie hand bright
and early. No truancy for her She came fixed
up as for ball. When her teacher arrived,
Marie greeted her graciously. The teacher was
amazed. Soon there entered pupil, tousled and
dirty. Marie led her aside and iabored with her.
Don't you know we are citizens now and we
don't do that any more?"
Another girl came in late. Marie buttonholed
her.
Don't you know are citizens now and we
don't be tardy any more?"
Two years later the teacher who had been so
angry when Marie elected to the common
council voluntarily admitted that there had been
influence in the school so great. so sweet and
so clean as Marie's-not even a teachers. And
Marie went and graduated, maintaining
her fine character TO the end.
All this and much more Wilson l.. GIL, Of
Philadelphia, originator of the school city meth
cd, told the women Of the League for Political
Study yesterday. The women were deeply inter-
ested
Mr. Gill said his school city method was a
system for teaching good morals and good cit
Zenship.
AT the close of the Spanish American War"
he went on, when the authorities wonder
ing what to do to make islandful of Spanish
Americans into Americans thev sent down
to Cuba to organize school cities. l spent two
years organizing. The results were marvellous.
I'm one locality. where it had proved practical
ly impossible 10 stop the boys from calling out
improper things to- passers-by, they passed
law on the first day the school city was in
operation prohibiting bad language. There
never any more trouble In another place, where
the boys had been a perfect nuisance, marking
up houses walls. shop fronts everything. with
pictures and inscriptions in chalk. this offence
stopped soon as school city had been
organized
MI Gill had just come from New Jersey
where the movement is progressing.
To-day | organized two cities in Eliza beth"
he said "On Thursday shall probably or
ganize three more and Friday two more
IN the county. We mean to go ahead till every
school in Union County is organized"
John Quincy Adams, brother of Mrs. Leroy
Sunderland Smith. chairman of the day, also
spoke in commendaton of the method. zone
million two hundred and seventy thousand i'm
migrants of the lowest type produced by Europe
landed here last year" he said Possibly next
year more will land. Their children take up
the school city, and through It learn American
citizenship"
The women passed resolution approving the
introduction and maintenance OF the school city
method everywhere, and the appointment of a
committee of three to cooperate with Mr.. Gill.