The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1921-10-07
MELTING POT is
OPERATING HERE;
ANDREWS SCHOOL
FIVE RUSSIAN CHILDREN, RE.
GENTLY ARRIVED, LEARNING
TO SPEAK ENGLISH HERE.
STATE OUTPUT MILLION TONS lis MOST INTERESTING CLASS
One of the Number Already Speaks
Four of the Languages With Ease,
But Seeks to Learn Esslish-Pro.
gress of Students Is Rapid.

One seldom thinks of Columbia
THE Dimple of the Universe" as be.
ing part of the great melting pot
of the universe" but nevertheless
that is true, and today five Russian
children who have been in America
for less than two weeks are learning
the language, habits and customs of
Americans at the Andrews school
building in this city.
These children are Leibs, Israel,
Italia and Morris Botwinick, children
Of julius Botwinik, merchant here,
and Jacob Nelson, their ages range
from thirteen to sixteen years, Israel
and Idalia Botwinick being twins.
According to Prof. Lee Thomas,
principal of the school, these children
are rapidly learning the English Ian
guage and acquiring American GUS
toms. Indeed, SO rapid has been their
advancement they have within
weeks time been promoted to the ad-
vanced first grade. The Botwinick
children came without the knowledge
of single English word, while ia
cob Nelson is quite a scholar, being
the son of a Russian teacher, he
speaks four languages without Difficult
ty. He conyerses fuently in Russian,
Polish and German, and is rapidly
picking up English, of which he now
has smattering knowledge. He also
speaks French with some difficulty.
The children are extremely polite
and courteous and anxious to learn
and are proving apt pupils.
The children came from the Igumen
Minsk section Of Russia, which was
overrun by the Germans, and from
1918 was under German military rule
and later under the Bolsheviks. Con-
ditions went from bad to worse-farm-
ing implements were destroyed by the
Reds and little food could be grown,
and at the time the children left Rus
STA they We're getting but one meal ev-
edy other day, and this consisted of
horse flesh and black bread. Every
one who possibly can is leaving for
Germany, France, England, America
but no Russia" said. the children.
Although no provision has been
made in the city schools for the in.
struction of foreign children, who
know nothing of the English language,
Prof. Thomas and Miss Charlotte Will
kins find a. real pleasure in instruct
ing them, and this instruction is made
easier by the fact that Mr.. Thomas
has had considerable experience in
the instruction of foreigners. For sew
eral months during the world war,
while engaged in Y. M. c. A. work at
Fort Oglethorpe Prof Thomas had
charge of school of foreigners in
which $50 students were being taught
the English language at one time.
Miss Charlotte Wilkins during the
world war rendered valuable service
while at the University of California,
there she assisted in compiling books
used in the instruction of foreign
speaking soldiers of the United
States.
Not only are the FIVE Russian chill
dren being taTght to read and speak
the English language, but they are also
to have the traditions of America drill
ed into them They are to be just as
carefully instructed in patriotism as
in readin' ,ritin' and 'rithmetic.