The sun., 1910-02-01
i,4O7 GIRLS, ALL FRESHMEN
"WORLDS RECORD CLASS FOR
WASHINGTON IRVING HIGH.
Jump From Last Years 900 May he Due
20 Technical Courses, which Most Ap-
pIicants ChOOse-1he Older Girls Sort
Them swiftly nc the school Portals.


pIicants ChOOse-1'he Older Girls Sort
Them swiftly nc the school Portals.
A social phenomenon placing another
worlds record to New York's credit was
observed in the East Thirteenth street
branch OF the Washington Irving
High School yesterday afternoon. This
was the registration OF l.tO7 girl appli-
cants for admission to Washington Irving
High. which draws its classes only from
the elementary schools OF Manhattan
below Fifty ninth street.
The record is easily established New
York has the largest high schools in
the world. Yesterdays entering class
was by more than half thousand larger
than any other entering class in the his
tory of New York schools.
The work OF registration and assign
ment to branches was done in the school
gym and was entirely in the hands. OF
high school girls OF the technical classes,
settled old ladies' OF from II to is years
old, who are studying art and it's allied
branches, dressmaking, sewing and cook
ing. There were fifty OF these elderly
danes, and the way in which they received,
registered and assigned applicants was
a pleasant and interesting sight
Applicants had been directed to report
at the schoolhouse at o'clock Having
been well disciplined in punctuality,
about I,4O0 Of them approached the reg
istration Office within quarter OF an hour
before the stated time. score Of police
men stationed in the neighborhood on
shrirtwaist strike duty looked as II they
were prepared to resign from the force,
evidently thinking this was new and
awful invasion Of strikers. Within hol-
low square OF tables on the registration
room fifty technical class girls stood at
attention, looking like so many young
saleswomen prepared to repel a bargain
counter rush.
Hung over the tables OF this hollow
square were large cards bearing initial
letters which directed the applicants TO
their proper place. Miss Jennie OJones,
entering. for instance. made a SWIFT rush
for the o section and presented TO the
young woman there a card which stated
that Jennie had satisfactorily completed
her elementary studies and was prepared
for admission TO the high school
The young woman at deftly ran
through her card index until she found a
card relating to Jennie. This verified
'Jennie's certificate and then the young
applicant got card ASST gning her 70 her
school, class and section and which stated
also her selection OF studies. A large pro-
portion OF the applicants had elected the
technical course and some language.
usually French or German. Very few
applicants elected the academic course.
When an applicant had received her
card and eagerly scanned it TO note the
branch school to which she had been
assigned, she was met at the exit door by
an Undergraduate. who placed in her hands
printed folder headed Welcome to Mem
bership in the Washington Irving High
School Family The folder first contains
explicit instructions how to reach each
branch school; as, for instance. Grand
Street Girls. The building il two blocks
east OF Broadway. The nearest subway
station is az Spring street. There is also
a note advising the entrants TO learn
your teachers names. II 10 more home
like" Following that was a list showing
the names of the teachers The circular,
which was signed ~Washin gton Irving
High School Association. concluded with
these two paragraphs:
You are all invited to a get togethe 7
party at the Sixty Regiment
Armory. Twenty NTH street and Lexington
avenue. Friday. February q. from to S
p. VI. Please print your name on your card
in large, easily read letters and pin your
card on your breast in order that We may
know you at once and be able to make you
acquainted with one another. We shall
have a good band OF music for dancing g and
an entertaining programme for ell. Begin
In gton Irving affairs.
You are cordially requested to join the
Washington Irving Association. a voluntary
or ganization OF present and former Wash
in gton Irving girls for the promotion of
high school interests in New York.
As this record breaking entering class
thinned out into a line leaving the build
ing an observer could easily note things
which would make a story OF New York's
social life. There were girls from Cherry
Hill and Murray Hill; from Chelsea and
Greenwich and Horkville; Poverty Hollow
and the Diamond Back district. The
average age Of the 1. 400 was 19 years and
months, but you would guess IL to be is
years. for they were a big. sturdy lot OF
girls on an average.
That their number should jump in
one year from 900 to 1. 400 was accounted
for by some on the grounds OF general
prosperity; other and mone experienced
observers said il is because the hig
schools now have such excellent technical
training classes. When the new big high
school building at Irving place and Seven
teenth street is opened. night as well as
day technical classes will be conducted,