Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-04-08
Moonlight Schools
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN

Washington, D. c. April 4.--"No IL
literacy in Kentucky after 1907 This
is the slogan which appears in news
papers, on gateposts, telegraph poles
and in barber shops throughout the
Bluegrass state. You can't escape It
For you are not in Kentucky Ave min
utes before some proud citizen sides
up to you and says:
Some campaign we're waging down
here, Ell? Ever hear about our moon
light schools?" ..l
In Kentucky everybody Is a self
appointed publicist and apostle OF
learning-the whole state is inspired
And no wonder; for not only has their
slogan reverberated throughout Ken
lucky, but it has been heard in seven
teen other states as we'll. all of which
have established moonlight schools.
1t all came about through woman
a rather small. dark-eyed Kentucky
woman. with the pluck and clear
vision of pioneer. Her name is Mrs
Cora Wilson Stewart, and she started
the mo illiteracy" campaign while su
perintendent Of public schools in Row.
an county. s...-...
In Kentucky. as in great many
other states. considerable per cent
of the adult population in the rural
communities is illiterate. For ex.
ample. one night Mrs. Stewart at
tended rural school entertainment
where in the course of the program
a young man with very good tenor
voice sang pleasing ballad which
was his own improvisation. After the
program was over Mrs. Stewart shook
hands with the young man and con-
graduated him. 81 should like to have
a copy Of your song" she said, IF
you will write it down for me-" The
young man blushed, then smiled grim
ly. 81 can neither read nor write,
he said "Often I think Of songs, but
forget them while waiting for some
one to come along and write them
down. .r -'.&. g.. !. s
Mrs. Stewart was appalled,. Here
was a man with decided talent, who
was capable of giving something to
the world, handicapped because he
was hopelessly illiterate. Then came
the inspiration. Was it, after ali, hope
less? Was there not somes way in
which these adults-old, middle aged
and young-could be taught to read
and write? Mrs. Stewart estimated
that there were 1852 such illiterates
in her county alone.
A meeting of public school teachers
was called and Mrs. Stewart laid the
situation before them. She told them
about one old woman who bought a
speller and sat up until midnight
studying so that she could learn to
read letters received from her daugh-
ter who was away at school. She
told them of big, stalwart farmer
whose eyes had filled with tears as
he said, II would give twenty years
of my life If could read" She told
them about the young man and his
songs which were irretrievably lost
because he could not write them
down. The teachers, hearing these
things, were also inspired and the up
shot of the matter was the establish
ment of the moonlight school,
This simply meant that the public
day schools we're kept open during
the bright moonlight nights of the
Kentucky autumn by volunteer teach
ers, who called on the various litter
ates of their communities and induced
them to attend. At the beginning
there were many doubts as to the
plans success. The teachers thought
they knew thing or two about that
invincible Kentucky pride. But from
the beginning the moonlight school
was popular People came, and in
great numbers. They came down the
ragged mountain trails, women carry
ing their babies, and old men hob
bling on canes. Soon 1900 persons
were enrolled in the moonlight
schools, the youngest of whom was
10 and the oldest SO.
During the first few weeks of the
the trees and fences and
walls of the barns began to blossom