Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-02-11
MISSOURI VALLEY WOMAN UN.
pERrAKEs LABOR AMONG
FOREIGNERS.
NEWLY.ARRIvEp ALIENS
TAUGHT AMERICAN WAYS
Language and spensibilitiss Of citi.
zsnship Taught - Pupils Become
Church Workers and Valuable citi.
xsns-Rsmarkabls Results Accom-
p,ishsd by Mrs. A. q. Hoshroek.

Missouri Valley, Feb. 11.-Making in
telligent, loyal American citizens out Of
the raw Bulgarian and other foreign
immigrants Is the splendid work be-
ing accomplished by devoted chris
ton woman of this city, with whom 1t
Is purely work Of love, for 1t is done
with no other reward than the salts
faction of knowing that she has ac-
complished something Of good in the
world. The woman is Mrs. A. B. Hos
brook and she has been in the business
of making citizens out Of the newly
arrived aliens who have come here to
work out destiny in a new land, under
form Of government new to them and
amid surroundings and faces that are
new and strange for several years.
Mrs. Hosbrook is a church worker.
She and Mr.. Hosbrook are members
of the Presbyterian church in Missouri
Valley. They have been supporters OF
all the church's activities. including Its
missions. But they could not go them
of foreigners to the Valley. however
presented the opportunity to do some
thing in this line right at home. Mrs.
Hosbrook thinks it the duty of chris
tan people to do all that can be done
to make good American citizens of
these people. She is endeavoring to do
for these young men just what she
would like to see done for American
boys If they were to seek homes and
opportunity in foreign lands.
Mrs, Hosbrook has been conducting
this work for about two and halt
years and the work has been largely
with Bulgarion boys who have come to
the United States to improve their A.
nancial conditions. The youngest boy
that she has worked with was about
Is years of age. The boys will range in
age from 10 to 23.
Vote lnteIIisently.
The object with Mrs. Hosbrook in
this work is to train these boys to citi-
zenship. She has done the work with
out any compensation whatever, she
says. Because can not vote myself
but feel that l would like to train
standingly." These boys came to Mis-
country and in some instances knew
absolutely nothing of the English Ian
guage. 1t is interesting to hear Mrs.
Holbrook tell Of the first few meetings
with these boys. She teaches them
English and covers, incidently, the sub
jects of grammar, composition and
rhetoric. These boys have had educa-
tional advantages in the mother coun-
try. One or two of them have been
admitted to the university in Bulgaria,
so the progress is very rapid and very
satisfactory.
Mrs. Hosbrook begins by taking up
the common objects with which the
boys come in contact and gives the
name of the objects. She writes it on
the board and the boys copy and make
the association between the object and
the word. By constant practice the
pupils soon become familiar with the
language. Mrs. Hosbrook says they
have no difficulty with verbs, but the
adJectives and propositions give them
great deal Of difficulty. The boys usu-
ally are familiar with some other lam
guage in addition to their mother
tongue-Bulgarian-a French and
German. This aids very materially in
the work Mrs. Holbrook is trying to do.
Some of the boys who have had the
work with Mrs. Hosbrook have gone
out and become identified in a public
way in the life of our country. One OF
the number is on Chicago paper. One
boy has become college student in
mining engineering.
The lessons given by Mrs. Hosbrook
occur once each week. The work is
done with the Individual as far as pos
sible. When it is necessary Mrs. Hol-
brook has called in number Of the
young people Of the community to give
her assistance.
Sing in the Choir.
This has shown another element of
her work and that is the social side of
life. The boys have become active in
church work, being members Of Mrs.
Hosbrook's Sunday school class and
some Of them sing in the choir. The
Bulgarian boys are especially fitted for
the work in music, being unsteady in
clined. They gladly cooperate in every
possible way with the public, being
glad to respond to calls for music in
every possible way. Recently the boys
gave a concert in the auditorium of the
public library and the entire proceeds
Were turned over to the library asso-
citation. The Harrison County News