Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-03-25
WHAT PEOPLE SAY.
Need of the Public Schools as Social
Centers Is Shown.

During a round of friendly visiting
in certain district of our city where
the poorer class of foreigners live. two
Young women have discovered d waste
OF material, space and opportunity.
They have found. in this region.
that has no Social settlement. great
schoolhouse (the ward school of the
district, finely equipped for educa-
tional purposes, and used for such
during the day. dark. silent and use
less through the precious hours of the
evening.
OF course that is nothing unusual.
one would think but-considcr d mo-
ment; surrounding the big building
are tenement homes, miserably I'M
comfortable. most of them, but the
best that the occupants can find. be-
cause the city has nothing better to
offer them. for what they can afford
to pay.
In these homes cot two rooms
moStly), crowded in with the younger
children-and the parents, are older
boys and girls, who work in the day
time-to help support the large fami
lies that these people invariably have
(the bed of one of these hard working
little fellows is bench behind the
kitchen stove.)
These older children have had very
little schooling; it might surprise our
educators If they knew how many Of
them long for more. These evenings
are spent-Where? Hardly in those
dirty crowded rooms, with the babies
and the smoke from the fathers pipe !?
In the summer time they have the
streets, "f course: but-to pass the
long hours of the winter evenings
where do those young people go?
Among the non English speaking
foreigners are number of bright, in
telliSent, wholesome young men from
l6 to 20 years of age They have not
yet acquired the American laboring
mans saloon habit. Some of these
dately from the old country, though
possessing a common education i'm
their own language, have no English
words at all and seem as helpless out
side of their homes a dumb animals.
These and several young merchants,
who have little English, are among
those most anxious for a night school
in the neighborhood. In the midst of
this need and desire for better things
Cor they all have that. stands the
big school house, representing, as
every public school does, the city's
desire to uplft. What vast posi-
bllities it suggests to the philan
thrOpic mind, Such a mind secs the
great building transformed in the
evenings into social center, with
wide open doors and a bright interior.
with reading rooms for men, provided
with books, magazines, newspapers.
quiet games and everything necessary
to present counter attraction to the
saloon. With another such a room
for the boys Ghe boys are so impor
tanD, d night school, boys and girls
clubs under volunteer social workers,
singing societies. neighborhood or
chestra, gymnasium. branch Ii
brary, mothers meetings and so forth.
Beside the educationa! advantages.
this would give the young people of
the neighborhood or district, rather, I
safe and wholesome place to meet for
social intercourse, without which
young lives are very barren.
The educational department of the
Civic Club of this city, recognizing the
necessity of meeting at once the local
foreigners problem, has made an at
tempt to improve their condition by
starting night schools for the study
of English. one of these meets in the
Soho Bathhouse. Here there are two
large classes of foreigners. taught by
two lady members of the Civic Club.
They have had great success and find
the men very enthusiastic and CRATE
full.
In connection with the same educa-
tional work, free entertainments are
given once a month. Each member of
the committee is responsible for one
of these evenings during the year.
They are held in Bathhouse auditor
ium. a large. well lighted room on the
top floor, and are very popular. Sew