The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-10-12
MILLS OF NIGHT
CLASSES GRIND
OUT AMERICANS
Foreigners EnthuSe Over
Learning Language and
Citizenship.
BY RAIDER WINGET

Making Americans" is one Of the
outstanding features of the Manual
Training night school, which has
about 500 students enrolled in all
classes, three nights a week.
There are five classes through
which the foreigners must pass be-
fore attempting to gain citizenship.
They are beginners, elementary, in
termediate, advanced and citizen
ship, the latter operated by the Gov
eminent.
Fifteen students grouped about the
teacher, Miss Bertha Thormeyer. in
the beginners room. 81 stand" said
a Chinese boy. II walk to the door
Il close the door, open the door
Il go back to my seat-I sit down."
And each phrase was accompanied
by the motion.
Eager to Learn
Then a German boy who had
been in American just five days
went through the same forms. A
Greecian girl wit ha beautiful old
world accent tried. The teacher Ia
bored with pronunciation.
After an hour of the work the
bell rang. Disappointment was EVIL
dent on the faces. 1t was expressed
in "Ach," from the Germans, and
''tb'&5I14?&!" from the Chinese. At
the end of the five minutes inter
mission the students returned for
another hour.
Three German boys who had been
in America less than week were
asked their names through the in
terpreter. The boys were Will
Roehling, 10; Will Groeber, %, and
Henry Bick, 10. All were from West
phalia and work in Indianapolis as
gardeners.
II came to America because there
is no work in Germany" said the
oldest in German. "And I came to
this country because there is no
pleasure in the old country" Will
said.
Making Americans
What, no pleasure in Germany
with good nickel beer?" he was
asked through the interpreter.
Zach, but there is good beer in
indianapolis" said all three at once.
In the citizenship class were
foreigners from all the world looking
very American" just like a seventh
inning baseball crowd. They were
learning about the landing of the
Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock.
The teacher talked very slowly
and repeated expressions in differ
ent terms. AS they learned the
early history. of their adopted
country, their expressions became
more and more American. Walk
ing toward the door, we even ex-
pected someone to yell that typical
Yankee institutional expression,
"kill the umpire"
Numerous Courses Offered
But English for foreigners is only
part of the Manual night school,
according Bertram Sanders, director.
There are $50 enrolled in CONNER
cial classes and many in salesman
ship and advertising, commercial art,
mechanical drawing, machine and
tool design, architectural drafting,
plain sewing and dressmaking. There
also is a popular course in brick
layers estimating" for journeyman
bricklayerS under union direction.
Enrollments are smaller than sew
eral years ago, but attendance is
much better, says j. r. H. Moore,
assistant director. When there was
no charge for enrolment, many per-
sons came just for the warmth and
dryness. Enrolment was boosted, of
course, but the results were poor. A
charge of $3.50 stopped the loafers,
and only those who really were sin
cere remained. The charge is re-
turned at the end of the term pro-
viding. attendance has been good.