The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-04-24
NO DISCIPLINE IN BRIDGEPORT
 NIGHT SCHOOLS
Prof. Bowers, Who Used to Teach in
 Them, Relates His Experiences.
Especial to the. Farmer )

\Specldl to the farmer.)
 Fairfield, April 24.-At a meeting of the teachers of the town held yester- day afternoon in the new post office building, Prof. Bowers of the South port school gave a very interesting ac- count ot his experience as a teacher last winter in an evening school in Bridgeport. He said that all cities in this State of over 10000 inhabitants
 must. according to law. have a night school for every ten thousand of the population. These schools are run un- der the same limitations as the day schools. But the attendance is very
 irregular and often drops off at an alarming rate, A school may open while there will be but two rooms needed. Finally the attendance be- comes so small one teacher is enough. Prof. Bowers started in at the Lfn- coin school on Nov. 3. There were
 three rooms, with 125 scholars. In one of the rooms five women teachers suc- ceeded each other in quick succession. One of them remarked that she con in such a place. Many of the boys come to school out of curiosity and would like to run it. The Lincoln school had to contend with a moving picture show across the street City
 boys are not going to school if they can help it, and if they can get a nickel they will take in a show. An even
 ing school is a good deal like an old fashioned country school. I am right down sorry for teacher in any school
 who has seven grades to teach.
 In some of the evening schools there
 is no discipline at all. The pupils amuse themselves by throwing beans
 at the teacher. On one occasion a
 large boy who was making a disturb
 ance was told by Prof. Bowers to go home He sang out, Come on, boys, <-f~r 1off fIo hau went across the street and began to sing
 eff we can't chew gum
 We won't come to school. All the nations of southern Europe are represented in these schools. One
 day a colored girl of about 18 came to
 the school. She proved to be a. pretty
 good scholar, but she seemed lonesome
 among so many white scholars. It was suggested that she find some one to come to school with her. The next day she appeared with a smart young colored man who wore a red necktie and patent leather shoes. But the next day they failed to appear.
 A young Bohemian came to school
 with his wife He said they were just
 married. but he thought his wife l there is in books. He meant by that she should study English. The Be-
 hemfans are very anxious to get hold of our language. One boy wanted to De able 10 IlSuTe out now mucn WAS his due for weekly wages. He was taught the multiplication table and was soon able to do as he wished. At Christmas time he came to Prof. Bow CTS with a dollar bill which he wanted his teacher to take. 'Go and get a box of cigars with it, !" he said to his teacher. 'I shall feel bad if you do not take it. You are the cnly man in America who has
 shown any interest in me-"
 One boy always said .Yaw" for Yes, which, said Prof. Bowers, made me think of a windmill The Austrians and the Bohemians were the most studious and the best behaved of all the pupils in the school. Some boys of IS or 19 never went to school. Think of that in Connecticut. The reason was their parents kept 1 moving. Every month they went to a new house to avoid paying rent, or debts, and in this way escaped the tru- ant officer. As a rule, said Prof. Bowers, the foreign born element in the night schools is much better than the American, both in behavior and the desire to study.