The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-09-17
e ID IT 0 II / A l. -.
OUR NIGHT SCHOOL

OUR NIGHT SCHOOL
- r. READ article in the New Era, pub
w lished by the inmates of the Federal
" prison at Leavenworth Kansas, in which
| the writer tells us that of late years the
officials of penal institutions have come to
the realization that night schools connect
Ii ed with the prison are decided help, not
only to the pupils, but to the discipline
ii itself. He goes on further and states
that as far back as 1894 there was estab-
lished in the Joliet prison night school
for the purpose of teaching the rudiments
of English to illiterates and to foreigners
not versed in the language of the country
of their adoption
But, looking at the old files of the Mirror, we
find that three years ahead of the Illinois
state prison in establishing night school for the
inmates, as the the following notice, which ap
peared in the Mirror of February 10, 1891, will
show:
"A primary school was opened in the
chapel last Friday evening with twenty
scholars and three teachers present Two
long desks had been placed between the
seats at the back end of the hall. Books,
states and lamps were on the desks and all
the boys had to do was to march in and 60
to work. Deputy Lemon was present and,
after expressing regret at the absence of
the Warden, who had been detained
away, he told the scholars that as the
school was for their own benefit it was ex-
pected that they would make the most of
their opportunities. The teachers then
took charge of their pupils and the work
began. Most of the boys were able to
read little English, but only few
could write line. The school will be
open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday
evenings. 1t is safe to predict that inside
of three months there will not be one of
those school boys but who can read and
write his own name."
Little did the OriginatOrs of this school,
twenty three years ago, ever dream that we would
have school like we have at present. with all the
modern facilities of the Mesaba range country,
which is pronounced the last word in school build
ings and equipments throughout the land. A school
which has enrolment of over two hundred
scholars and nineteen inmate instructors, presided
over by w. H. Hollands, superintendent of the
city schools at Saltwater.
One OF the teachers at the present time is an
Alumni of the prison night school and is consid-
cred one of the most patient and perservering in
structors in helping the foreigners with the
anomalies of the English language. We have
teachers here who have received their 'etters''
from we'll known institutions of learning; men
who are known far and wide for their linguistcal
ability, and here today we have classes in nearly
every grade you qualify for Bookkeeping
stenography and typewrtingi is taught here, and in
this commercial course is one that is preparing the
inmate with great confidence for the time when he
is to be released and go forth to face the COMPETE
ton of livelihood. A class in Spanish we under
stand will be started in few weeks.
In Supt. w. H. Hollands report to the State
Board of Control for the Eighteenth Biennial Re-
port, he says in part: The common branches are
taught and in addition some high school work is
offered. The men are, for the most part inter-
ested in their work and do the best work of which
they are capable. 1t is likely that some new lines
of school work might be offered that would interest
more of the men who have fairly good grammar
school education, when they enter prison. The
greatest benefits, however, of the prison school
are experienced by those who enter it's walls un-
able to read or write. Many of them state that
ignorance was at the bottom of their crime I am
confident that much good is being done by the
prison school and shall be glad to see this scope
enlarged as much as prison conditions will allow
Boys, when we stop and think of the oppor-
tunities we have here to LEARN while we wait"
and several other privileges which we have (and
more to follow we should appoint ourselves each
committee of one to do the best we can and not
break any of the rules of the institution, for. as