The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1915-09-09
The Prison Night-School

The Prison Night-School
Quite number of men have asked me recently
if it would be profitable to attend school this win
ter; so many in fact, that perhaps there may be
others who would like an answer to the same ques-
ton.
1t Isl emphatically YES.
The greatest danger and the hardest trial that
any man in prison is subjected to- is the unoccupied
time that he must spend in the cell If for no other
reason, go to school to get away from yourself. The
chances are that you are mighty poor associate to
be alone with
Entirely aside from that, however, it will be
profitable for you to attend school for hat you can
learn there The classes not ideal nor the stud
les widely varied, but do not believe there is
man here whose time would not be proftably occu-
pied were he to attend some one of them.
Many of us, who have been out of school for
number of years, have allowed studies, even in
the simple branches the grammar-schoo teaches, to
become rusty by disuse. We drop into the habit of
incorrect speech because we have forgotten our
syntax, find when wish to figure out some
comparatively simple sum in fractions or decmals
that must stop moment and grope for the ap-
plicable rule. Or perhaps enter discussion of
current events in the park of Saturday, and just
as we are expounding our ideas or theories with
fluent eoquence some one Interrupts to tell us that
THAT question was thoroughly thrashed out and
settled during the administration of Rutherford B.
Hayes. By the way, you name an event of ma
tonal Importance that occurred while Hayes was
President?
Most men desire to talk integently, if they
must talk ta of the European conflict. But do
you know exactly where Herzegovina, which play
ed so important part in bringing on the war; is
situated? Do you even know whether it is city or
a river! Or how far it is from Warsaw to Petro-
grad! didn't, till looked it up, though studied
about it in the 2np grade. 1t is worth any mans
time to go to the night-school and brush up on his
history, geography, and arithmetic just to be able
to talk intelligenty topics of the day, to fig
ure out the multiple little sums that crop up from
time to time.
And for those who have completed the
common scoool courses, the night-school offers the
greatest opportunity of their detention 1t is one
thing about the prison that we can honestly praise.
If you attend it you can be of receiving the at
tention and help of one of the most able and consi
entious educators in the state in the services of
Prof. Hollands He gives his personal supervision
to every class in the school, and any pupil who de-
sircs information any special point of education,
or help in any special line of study, can always get
it from him.
For the more advanced pupils with commercial
business ambitions, the classes in book keeping
and short hand offer practical instruction in the
theories of two studies. Either is we'll worth the
time and effort necessary to master it for the useit
will be to you in the conduct of your own business
affairs if you do not contemplate using it as
means of gaining livelihood
Just one thing more. If you do decide to at
tend school-go there to work, to study. Take ad-
vantage of the opportunities offered. No one has
yet invented away of learning anything useful
without working for the knowledge No one can
teach another anything that he does not want to
learn. If you want to learn, the night-schoo is
there to teach you everyone connected with it will
try to make the teaching as thorough and attrac-
tive as possible.-BeUU ESpTitG.