The record., 1914-10-22


the eleven enthusiastic men and
boys of the Bivcn's School District,
who, as my pupils, helped me or
ganize the first Moonlight School in
Muhlenberg County.
These eleven anxious students,
after toiling all day, some in tobac-
CO patches and others at a saw mill,
walked from one to three miles, in
order to attend the opening of this
night school for men and grown
boys. They were SO eager to learn
to read and write, and "fgure," as
they called it, that they forgot all
about their hard days toll. They
were the most earnest and obedient
students have ever had under my
care. When asked them to do
certain things that seemed beyond
their power, each would smile and
say "I'u try"
They were SO anxious to begin to
study that they scarcely gave me
time to tell about the great work
that Mrs. Cora Wilson Stewart and
her teachers had started in Rowan
County in September 1911. | show
ed them some of the Rowan County
Moonlight School scenes, and brief
ly told them of the rapid progress
some of her students had made.
One of the men then rose and said:
Vim most sure if we try We can do
the same thing right here at Biven's"
and we did.
After enrolling the pupils, taking
their ages and number of days they
had attended school IN boyhood. |
found that | had students ranging
from 10 to 55 years of age, and that
a number who had come were in
school house for the frs; time in
their lives as pupils. One man told
me he had never seen a school in
session; but in less than a week he
visited my day school and heard,
for the first time in his life, his
children recite their lessons and in
the very same school house in which
he was attending my night classes.
What a sympathetic, encouraging
and inspiring sight it was to see
fathers bending over the same desks
their children used during the day,
struggling to gain knowledge so that
they might be able to better
look after their business affairs,
get taste of the intellectual life,
and be more independent; in short,
be what every Kentucky citizen
should be.
Biven's School is located in south
ern Muhlenberg in one of the most
illiterate and also poorest agricul-
tural sections In the county. The
majority of the patrons are tenants,
who earn their livelihood by raising
tobacco; only four out of thirty
pupils enrolled owned their homes.
In the beginning some of them
had all the excuses and hindrances
any people might offer: tending,
housing or curing a large crop of
tobacco; rough roads, long distance
to walk, WEAKNESS after the days
hard toll and the shame of being
illiterate. But after the night school
was started none was seeking an ex-
cuse: they we're patiently and earn
estly seeking knowledge. Their
zeal, interest, and enthusiasm made
the work a real pleasure to them and
TO me.
l found that my day pupils be.
came more earnest and enthusiastic
in their work. The children whose
fathers and brothers attended night
school, took great delight in help
ing them with their studies. One
boy frequently came with his father
that he might help him with his
Arithmetic.
The school grew rapidly in inter
est and attendance from its begin
ming. We had not met many even.
ings until we had enrolled thirty
farmers and sawmill hands. We
had regular classes two evenings a
week. in reading, writing, spelling
and arithmetic. On a number of
occasions We had encouraging talks
by distinguished visitors, among
whom were Messrs. Gordie Young,
+. 4. Merriman and Otto A. Roth
ert. Their visits were a source of
inspiration to both pupils and
teacher.
Every class made rapid progress
and every pupil did his best. The
Arithmetic class was one of the