The record., 1914-10-22
MY MOONLIGHT SCHOOL IN NUHLENBERG
By ELGAN CAREY


had to make his mark, and take
what might be givca him. Some
learned to measure land, which was
a great pleasure to number of
them, especially those who had
been clearing land during the
school season.
One pupil remarked to me: vI
would be satisfied If ] could only
learn to read my bible" by the
time school was out he was able to
read well enough to lead at prayer
meeting. If | had not accomplish
ed anything other than teach this
man to read his Bible, | would have
felt fully paid tor my night school
efforts. Life will mean more to him
and he will be more to himself, to his
family and to his associates by be-
ing able to read the Book of books.
One man, forty-,hree years old,
who had never been inside of a
school house during school hours
and had never tried TO write his
name, learned TO write it in three
nights and it was as legible as the
average business mans signature.
HIS children were as proud of his
progress as he was. They no long
er had to bring me grade cards with
their fathers mark scratched on
them.
Does night school work pay the
teacher? Yes, a thousand times,
yes! 1t pays nothing if you value
your teaching in dollars and cents.
MONEY CAN NOT repay a true
teacher for training mind and
thus putting the better things within
It's reach. 1t pays In a way that is
far better than reward in dollars
and cents; your pay is the pleasure
and satisfaction of knowing that you
have made life better and brighter
for these poor Illiterates. In less
than four months every one of the
fourteen illiterates enrolled learned
to read, write, and count well
enough to keep a record of his ex-
penses and crops and to better un-
derstand superior mind. They
now realize that they had been get
ting very little out of the many pos
sible pleasures of life that can be
enjoyed only by receptive mind;
no money could induce any of them
TO sell their knowledge of the uthree
RS" no matter how limited it may
be.
One of the most interesting, yet
pathetic, incidents connected with
the night School took place on the
9TH, of November, 1913. 1t was a
day when interest and enthusiasm
ran riot. Twenty-eight night school
pupils drove twelve miles through
rain and mud, in order to have the
pleasure of being with my day
school In the parade of the school
Fair and Corn show in Greenville.
They wanted to show the people
that they no longer had to be class
ed with the illiterates. Every man
and boy said it was the best day of
his life and each took great pride In
saving his red ribbon badge for the
next school fair.
The census for 1910 shows that
the total population of the state was
2,a79,9o5. The number of persons
ten years of age or over was I,7aa,-
644, of whom ao8, oS4 or twelve per
cent, we're illiterate. AT that time
the total population of Muhlenberg
was as, SOB. The number of persons
10 the county Ten years old OIL over
was so,9aI, OF whom 3, Io3 or about
fifteen per cent, were illiterate.
The census further shows that of the
lao counties in the state illiteracy
in 10, including Muhlenberg ranged
from fifteen to thirty-four per cent.
A mighty army is this, with Its
banners inscribed with the legends
of illiteracy, weakness and helpless
ness; far too great for the safety and
progress of this grand State and this
good old county of ours.
Teachers, shall we allow the next
census report to give Kentucky as
black name as she now has? Let
US of Muhlenberg do our duty in
our county. We will gain the
victory by I9so. Then the shadow
of gloom and despair will no longer
hover over US as it has In the past.
We can still see the darkness of ig.
norance, but it is the purple glow of
dawn and not the dusk of twilight.
From every rural district we can see
the glittering sign of greater Muh-
lenberg and greater kentucky