New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-11-20

too for 10 60 or no, requitipR the for their tins
end trouble Ii there are any SUCH csc say to them
that vsi TO the house Of Refer alton will sIpy
repay them; ard intend TO throw 20 N sob light on
the inter- al character Of the house tha, vsi or in
mesipgs tour CT IRE premises uil scarcely reed q
conductor, and certainly not lsntsrn.
But IL is time TO introduce resders TO the nmRes
theusely OF these there now i've hunire1-
four huLCred and thirty boys, the remainder girls
hey are IeaIly al there for crime ordinar for
petty thieving. Taken there b. the officers OF tle
lav, they arr Ii handed to the superintendent
Who says W az be peases 10 them, and among other
thin gs te IL them the two laws Of the Refuge
pecialy for item. The frat is that boy lor girl)
shall ever tell lie; The second. that every boy
pecied always to do ss well as he knows how. cesk
OF these two rules here that my readers may, in the
que judge whether the Inmates likely learn and
prscice them by imitation Thus co nmences the pro.
Of reform" the sole object for which this house
was built As seeord step, the boys and gls are put
10 Eork. The girls do all the washing and ironing of
the institution, make their ilohes and the shirts
for the boys and attend TO thsir own house scrubbug
TIE boys are varousy occupied Some are retained
20 do TIE work Of he house and Kitchen others do the
gardening Vhe Others DO the talloriOg ard shoe max
iTg, and the remainder 60 10 the shoe shop" aud
chair making chop. According 10 the laws o..
the institution, for purposes of reormston the boys
should be divided INTO two classes In respect TO labor
the worst behaved boys aborng Ell ht hours dsy, the
better behaved Elk yet point Of fact the digision not
made on this mOEs distinction, but Just as may be found
meet convenient by TIE head o: tee house 50 IS ID
tractor. Now, the boy now eiecuy well vast the
original distinction meant for, while the principle
is set ssice and vet in view of this example they
expected to " reform their "morals " The labor OF
the boys is conir acted or-he institution receiving
twelve snd half cents day for each Of the eight
hour boys and ten cents cay for each of the sixhour
boys employed in the shops. AZ son "a they have
cone TO sto dexterity 10 the of tools they
have tack assigned them and what may sppes- to
some little singular, this task is not given by the
house but by contractor whose sole object to make
ey out of their labor, and this task raised from
time 10 'ne the boys acquire facility 10 performing
IL These boys then work for twelve and half cen aud
ten cents day for men whose Interest in tasking them
is modulaed in direct raio witt their eve of gain;
ard who does not know Whist this asion is ia place
like New York The boys will commonly peg from
ten and twelve to eighteen pairs of shoes in the SIX
and eight bour Of the daythe price for doing which
am told is very low at three cents the pair Having
received heir task the officers in charge of them en-
force lis performance; snd this is rot optional but i'm
era i've being required Of them by the superintendent
who has been heard to character re the labor of the
WORK shops Of importance 10 the boys thai the
school is. This shows pretty clearly his view Of
the institution end in singular consistency with the
objtc. for which he evidently lsbors.
The reader may be curious to know what the conse-
quence is if boy fails to perform his task. He Is
pupished Of course and this in vario US ways. He
msy have noihirg bat bread at his meals for certain
lene Tn of time he may be put in the lookup" in
fetal darkness without bed to sleep on, and with bread
and water for food Re may be locked in his own bed
room from Saturday night to Monday morn ig quite
a common thing, visited twice in the mean II ne, with
a partial allow vance Of bread and water. But per-
hspa tbs more usual punishment for getting short
of work the rattsnthe boy being made to lie over
a stool or the end Of bench go as to draw the
korsers til hit, while the deputy superintendent uses
the rattan according TO his liking. As ono instance OF
this kind might mention bis severely fogging boy
over stool and speaking with me about II afer send
ing him back to his work, said that the boy seemed
wiling enough to work, and be thought tried to get
his task DONE but somehow other failed to do 1t.
The boy being Of very nervous temperament, was
excied by the foggng, and the necessity OF work
ing with rspdity, TO spoil two pegs in every three
he attempted TO drive. The deputy superintendent
spoke to bin once or twice TO have him work moro
delbefa tey, and wished ne to stand by him and CAIN
him do wp and escertain il could, what the trouble
was with him. did 3d. standing by him probably
four or five hours in the next two days in which time
he got 20 IA to work coony and deliberately, ana
found that the previous trouble" had been effort
to work fast he thereby losing time Ia striking too
hard and multiplying strokes through nervous failure
in driving the pegs. The remesy little nsttuc-
ton. But do not intend to speak here OF puoish-
ments as shall consider that subjec. by and by. l
have heard fair visitors remark with pleasure and
smiles that il because they were present that the
boys wrought with such diligence and dexterlty. l
would caution such hereafter 10 be chsgy In express
ing their delight at the odustry of toe BOYS, for
though some m ay doubtless still be proud TO shox their
ability in presence Of the fair the greater part know
ing the error Of such conclusion feel wrOngef, AMI
would gaoly say to you at is because we are COM
" PEELED TO labor thue'
Having treated ef the industrial department of tn
hOu,e, my next etter will be devoted to consider
alton of the educational department together vita the
course Of moral and religious instruction, and the
system of rewards and puDhhnents. j. K. HALE.
Nsc York. Nov. IL, 1856.