The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1908-02-09
DRILLING BY NIGHT
MEN AND WOMEN WHO co TO
SCHOOL AFTER BUSINESS.
Advance OF the Might
school Idea--Scho0Es For Bush
ness, !CIiubers OF All xoi
80 lkint1e. Z. i, FgesrpSg

New York.SFeH ST. Especial 1.-The
metropolis has a great army OF civil"
ians that is Ndrilling. drilling. drill
Ing every night through the winter
an army over twice asSiarge as the en-
listed strength of the army OF the
United States today.
It is q great force constantly grow
ing and recruiting its ranks TO defend
the city against the incursions or the
barbarian hordes of ignorance and
mental decay and ipeficiency. 1t has
no waving banners. no inspiring bands
Of music, and, in fact, its enlisted men
carry no arms. 1t gives no spectacu-
lar parades. In fact, 1t is largely
sitting army rather than standing
one. Both men and women compose ii
--i5O 900 OF them-and Their are no
class distinctions in 1t, for in the
ranks are wealthy bankers and brok-
ers. as well as poor boys and girls who
were unablelto complete an elementary
education before the great NAV OF the
metropolitan business world swallowed
them up.
It is, in short, the great army Of
men and women who go to school after
working hours, the army Of persons
who put in overtime work in study
to increase their eficiency In the
world-the night school army OF the
metropolis.
II every theatre and concert hall in
the city as well as the two big opera
houses and the great auditorium OF
the Madison Square Garden, were
thrown open, they could not seat this
great army of evening studants. Ut is
larger than the big host OF pleasure
seekers that throng to che public
amusements OF all kinds every night
and flutter about The glowing lobster
palaces" and cafes until long after
midnight. And though the activity OF
the evening student does not attract
nearly the attention called forth by
the gayer nocturnal activities of the
town, IT is tremendously more impor-
tant. And the Significance of this ar"
my of students after hours, steadily
working to perfect themselves for
| larger parts in the great drama OF
metropolitan life, Is a very great one.
| But even the number, 10000, does
not represent fully the extent OF this
! great movemnt for mental improve
| ment. For the night school army mas
| what might be called an immense CIV
| ilian reserve, the persons who do not
| take regular evening courses, but at
| tend serious lectures given In the even
ing. Last year the aggregate atten;
| dance at such lectures was over q
0O0, 900 Under the auspices OF the
Board of Education alone, 5,464 even
ing lectures OF educational cnutdCtel
were held, attracting -,14, 447 persons
| good part of these lectures, how
/ ever. are welded into regular educa'
tIonal courses in which examination
are held and certificates are given fol
proficiency.
Nearly everything under the sun Il
studied in the after business-hourl
classes throughout the city, and TIN
classes range from plain reading an'
writing and 'rithmetIc." in tho elemen
tary public evening schools, for boy
who have to complete an elementar!
education and contribute to the sup
port of families. too, to night courses
for university degrees, given in New
York University. There Is pYbli
school where old negro mammies Aearl
the modern cookery 0f the NORTH, o.
dressmaking: schools in sewing an'
millinery work for girls. school TO
ianItors. a school for office boys
schools for automobillsts and 70
bricklayers. for pattern makers an'
for mechanical engineers, for artificial
flower max ers and for stock brokers
in short, for Jacks land Jills, too), o
all trades.
| The greatest number of evening stu
dents are in the public courses givel
by the Board of Education. There wer
12i.lS7 enrolled in these classes las
| year. about IS per cent In the elemen