Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-04-30

500 and an urban illiteracy Of s,7s1
Our percentage Of illiteracy in 1910
was Al; in 1920, 3.3. This shows
substantial reduction but not sum.
cient.
"The distribution Of iIIiteracy IN
Maine by counties fs as follows:
Hancock. 81; Lincoln, SO; Knox, 14s:
Waldo. 14S; Sagadahoc. 34s; Washing
ton, 361; Franklin, 800; Piscataouis,
56s: Somerset. s18: Oxford. s7s; Ken
nebec, 1883; Penobscot, 1855; andre
scoggin. 1891; Cumberland, 2,542:
York, 2,s11: Aroostook, 5.s72.
The distribution by towns and cit
les is as follows:
"Illiteracy by cities, $4,000 or more
population-Bangor. 241; Lewiston,
1925; Portland, 1868.
"Illiteracy by cities. 10000 to c5,-
00o-Auburn, 272; Augusta, 35s; Bath,
202; Biddeford, 1901; waterville, 1856.
"Illiteracy by cities, $500 to 10000
Belfast. 10; Brewer, 81; Brunswick,
229; Calais, 49,; Eastport, SIS; Ellis
worth. 8: Fairfield, S.; Gardiner. IA;
Hallowell. Is; Madison. 100; Old Town,
299; Pressure Isle. 131; Rockland, 20;
Rumford Falls, 900; saco, s1s: South
Portland, %; Westbrook. 344.
1T seems to me that it would not
require very heavy responsibility for
Hancock and Lincoln counties to wipe
out illiteracy entirely since they have
only 81 and SO illiterates according
to the last census. It would seem that
such places as Belfast, Ellsworth,
Gardiner, Hallowell, Rockland and
South Portland should relieve them
selves Of their handicaps in a few
weeks time if they would set about
1t as the largest number of illiterates
any one of these has is % in South
Portland.
Business houses can help commit
tees who are interested in finding
those who sign their names with a
cross. These persons can be brought
into evening classes and taught to
write their names and to read simple
sentences, even made somewhat indie
pendent In pursuing their work under
their own tuition. The method used
in teaching these adult illiterates to
write is to take some soft material
like blotter and with some blunt in
strument make a groove of the let
tiers of the persons name. The person
who is being taught should then take
the pencil and trace these letters until
the form becomes learned. He should
then write his name on plain paper
learn the letters of the alphabet and
how to form them. He may be taught
many Of the common words which he
uses in everyday life on sight and put
them together, both names and action
words, into sentences so that he can
distinguish them and use them indie
pendently. 1t is an interesting thing
to teach the adult mind to do the sim
pie things which the child mind
graSps so easily.
'In Maine, we have IS evening
schools. All of these have classes for
illiterates and also classes for Ameri-
canization work. They have been
rendering a noble service. They need.
however, the interested co-opera ton
of local organizations. The American
Legion in Augusta has done a splen-
did work and deserves commenda ton
This is true of many other American
Legion posts in Maine. The W. c. T.
u. Parent-Teacher Association, Fed
GRAFTON of Women's Clubs are all in
terested. There is no reason why, we
should not combine our forces and
make Maine one of the first states in
the Union to overcome this handicap"