Show ci i c I Moonlight School Move Spreads 4 o 1 Founder Tells of First Efforts 1 lk Illiteracy Crusade Crusa e Brings Results 1 I The Tue Moonlight loon Schools are arc th tho thi greatest contribution to American merIcan civilization by any woman This was the decision of ot tho tilO judges who in 19 1921 1924 t awarded a a. prize to Mrs Irs Cora Wilson Stewart who Is Ispa l pa paying ing a brief visit sIt to Salt Lake She has been lIeen the tIle subject of ot fa famous lamous la- la writers In national periodicals for fOt the past sex several years Little mote more than a decade ago this brilliant and Crave trave little woman welts wom an of ot tho the mountains struck a light tIght in the darkness about her and 40 day site she holds a a. torch that sends its Us rays to the other side of the wor world word d 18 f s says js the Pictorial I t Review STARTED IN 1911 In 1911 she started the now or wido campaign against adult illiteracy in the s schoolhouses of her native county of Rowan Kentucky The Tho schools were open only on moonlight nights because beca In the dark of tho the moon tho the mountain roads toads were we're impassable The story of ot the Moonlight Schools sounds like romance By now hOW there thero is scarcely a a. state in itt the tile Union in which some tome sort of campaign cans cam l Is no not under way to eliminate illiteracy Mrs Its Stewart is isa is a pleasant littie I woman quiet dignified and modI mod mod- I cst est But when she speaks tho tragedy of ot Illiteracy makes net ncr words intense Intense dramatic AccordIng According According Accord Accord- ing to statistics thero there are some confessed illiterates in this country and probably as many more who are Illiteracy hut hut- Is not confined to the Ken Ken- tucky mountains We had estimated the number who Wile would attend Miss Stewart said regarding the first bright moonlight night the schools were opened In Rowan county We e hoped that each school might have havo an average ge of ot three pupils and so soWe sowe sowe we set the maximum for fot the entire county at Imagine my joy when reports showed that 1200 came for fOt miles they came single or in groups they came with ba babIes babies be- be bies bles in their arms and leaning on c canes nes There Thero were middle aged men who had seen golden opportunities opportunities pass them by because of the handicap of Illiteracy men illiteracy men whose mineral mineraI Umber timber and other material resources were in control of educated men who had made beggars of them WOMEN WOMEN ATTEND There were women whose children children chil chit dren had grown up and left the home women home women who missed the handclasp and tho the spoken word and whose heart to heart communication lion tion n had ad been cut They could not write write to to their children nor children nor nOl read their thelt letters Jetters The youngest sl student de t was visa 16 the oldest SU 86 It ht- was a scene to bring tears to the eyes but one ono to tomake tomake make the heart rejoice those rejoIce those white haired old people and robust young people seated at their desks studyIng studyIng studying study- study Ing together or 01 standing In a row rowin rowin in class to spell or lined up Tip at the tile blackboard to solve problems or ot to write GREAT REJOICING Many o of them learned 1 to write their names the first evening and such rejoicing as there was over this tilis event One man over ovet 50 shouted shout shout- ed for Joy when he learned to write his name Glory to God he lIe shouted Ill Til nevet never have o to make snake my mark any more Some were so ao Intoxicated with Joy that they wrote their thelt names In frenzied delight on trees fences barns an and barrel staves Perhaps the most astounding feature tea fea ture of Mrs 1 Stewarts Stewart's work vork is that she has done It almost wholly without money Now the National Illiteracy Crusade composed of both educators and laymen is tryIng tryIng trying try- try Ing to knit the tile army of powerful organizations such as th the General Generall l Federation of Women's Clubs th the American legion eglon the Red Cross the National Education association and others together to equip It to present presenta a J. J united front until Its eff efforts efferts culmInate culminate culminate cul cul- minate In a movement with the power and sweep of ot wartime activity ac no- It Is in behalf of this movement movement move move- ment meat that Mrs l Stewart is making a tour tOUt of the c. c country |