New-York tribune., 1907-09-29
NEGRO TRADE SCHOOL.
Where the Old Mammies Learn
4 B C'S and Other Things.

white haired negro nanny and her husband
both past threescore and ten. learning their a. B
C's IN public night Industrial school is one Of
the oddities Of the free educational system In this
city AZ this same school. No 50. in West 4Ist
street. in the heart of negro distriotS twenty-five
hundred other negroes pupils and many Of
these also aregrandparents fathers and mothers
transplanted from the cotton heIds Of the Far
South. The oldest student is a man OF seventy
four. who is in the primer class. but pupils OF fifty
and sixty are not unusual in the first primary
grade, which in the day schools Is for children
Of six.
Two septuagenarians whose first childhood was
In the fields won the prizes for regularity Of at
tendance last year These old persons had tottered
to school every night and had not been tardy even
in the blizzard.
This eagerness for education has been developed
at this school, 1t seems chiefly through the indus
trial classes, for. while common branches are
taught TO those who wish them the great feature
Of this night school has been the trade school in
troduced by It's principal. Dr. William l. Bukley,
himself member of the race he is helping. DR..
Bulkley found that in his district many illit
crate adults who not attracted by ordinary
evening schools. In 1906 he opened a night school
in which there systematic training for negro
men in carpentry electrical installation, care Of
steam boilers. architectural and mechanical draw
ing. For women there was instruction IN cooking
housekeeping. dressmak king millinery. flower max
ing and embroidery. There were also classes for
commercial subjects. BY the end of the first year
every seat was taken, and the second year II was
necessary TO move the school to much larger
ouaihg % some OF ehe pups m M W MAS d iHrh4, % b Spe'
this trade school, An odd developIneHt vas that that
they could become chefs in clubs or stewards on
yachts
from The National Society for the Promotion Of
diio IN = 70 .j IN 10, - for Sisc,iszi", % | IA go
Ucators manufacturers and representatives, of or
eaaized labor at its annual meeting in Chicago on
December .. These representatives of the national
society found the school crowded with earnest
the white haired septUagenarians Many of them
hy the trade idea to learn to read and write or
interpret written specifications, as most Of them
o fi ms. ,, M On The maturity
however, younger students. many OF them
elevator boys or bell hops" in hotels. or house
cause OF the limited chance for negro 10 get a
place above lsborer or scrubwoman in an ordinary
Questions asked Of the pupils indicated indie to the the
socetys representatives that the main reason e for
were after higher wages or else domestic training
young negro woman in the cooking class said: II
am getting SIS month as nurse TO children. II
I can can get SIS or more cook
.'Yoh see sub. does Southern cookin'. and down
South uses lots of aigs an lard an butter an
a wood stove Up here in the Norf them things is
o n learn p ths tGys goon 'Pn ike ms the
white folkses does up heah, z .o.-,-
classes said that they were hod carriers and day
laborers. and their only chance to get over 81 90
run steam boilers. SO as TO get 5anitors positions
in buildings where they at present elevator
BOYS or cleaners. with no other future.
In the dressmakng and millinery classes the
women told of dresses hats they had sold, or Of
better wages as seamstresses they had earned
others told of savings in doing needlework for
their households. A grandmother proudly
told of the help she in making baby
the most part the ambition was to
get away from service the washtub the
s'dav's work" and into some trade which would
nav better than unskilled labor and enable them
r. live AT home. Among the boys and girls OF six
teen there was a fairly general answer that they
had left regular school early because it did not
,aacb them specific trades at which they could
make n living and that they were glad OF a chance
- Iesrn al night carpentry dressmaking other
tpades which would take them out OF the vast sup
Ply u pIIiev said that since the school had opened
,+era had been demand also for courses in brick
1onetny bouse painting and automobiling. The
,?nst for tine latter course had come chiefly from
geeoro Iya1efs and coachmen who could become
hsuffeurs for their employers II they could get the
necessary training. He mas founa tnat Ins interes -
tas led to better attendance on the part OF thelr
ma az the regular day school But the record
Snr fsitbfuness Is held by the two old grand
WI seem II take pi III uPI4o4oAa5 tHe
Of plantation days