American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1859-03-03
Third AnnunI Report % the RsGOrm
. school.

lent lnstiiui0n, NJ cOnsideFahls length, and q
with the strongest marks Of appreciation, II
both OF the syslem and the efficient oper- /
s'or. Mr.. Hsemslin, and our 0pinioDS ats
not changed 10 The least by ths present d
that We feel better sufs6ed Z
than then. There Is much 10 the Report 1
that should be generaly spread before tbs
II istnol only an able. but an
honest Report. We feel proul oft. The
institution never will prosper. but in the
hands OF honest aad benevolent men. We
hope it will never have worse acting
CJmmisioner than It's last; it will be long
time, We fear, before il will have a tettef
one.
I. The farm, containing ITO acres has
just been put into operation. The mum.
Der Of boys received during the past year
was forty EIGHT Of whom fourteen were
honOrsbly discharged. Their average age
is about thirteen years. Most Of them afe
orphans, or have but one living parent
Out Of forty eight inmates. tweitv;ene Of
them are Of Irish parentage' OF these
forty eight boys. thirty nine were Sent
there from prison. and still only one finally
escaped. though no walls, or fences. or
handcuffs are employed 70 keep them =
Honor and affection are the chief bonds.
The Commissioner urg.s on the public the
urgent necessity OF uot incarceraiing boys
with hardned criminals, in our common
jals. Will not Cleveland take the first
step TO something better?
The Rsforme school. besides giving 4
good common school education. instructs
the BOYS in manners. and morals, and Ia
Dor; milking, plowing. teamiug.&c. A.
bout one third Of lhs labor has been given
directly TO the farm. with the following
result
We have Used $50 bushels Of potatoes.
900 bushels OF corn, 10 tons Of hay, AZ
tons Of scrgho and corn fodder.l5 bushels
of sweet potatoes, so bushels Of turnips. 4
quantity OF beans. peas. onions. carrots
pumpkins, &c. We have planted one-hal
an acre Of vinvsrd, anew orchard, con
tanning 100 choice kind Of cherry trees
r 100 pear trees. 10 apricot trees GO ounce
: trees, 450 peach trees;of small fruits. l0(
goosberry bushes, 200 raspberry bushes
8 100 white currents. and 5000 stawberr'
: plants. We have sOwed 81 acres Of wheat
s 6 acres Of rye, and as acrOs in grass seed
II Their gross earnings during the yea
0 have been Sl.349.43- 1t is designed t
d make the Institution self-suppoatUg, with
IS in eight or ten thousand dollars. Tb
e whole Report bresths an economical spirit
n nor is this only in words but the figure
n support the spirit 1t records the astor
:. ishing f.ct that the buildings were put II
l. at, and within the estimated cost! Whe
g did such thing ever occur in the er"ctio
d Of public buildings? OF punishment IL
= Commissioner says. "We have not y
n whipped a boy. nor inflicted other humil
Is ating corporal punishment" Lock-u
er bread and water. and solitary couinemen
IS. are the MOST eficit us. On religious exc
d: cises, the report makes the following g
IS celleut remarks:
n The moral and religious tr lining Of o
as inmates has caused US much and serious J
Of Elections; and we have not y5t attained t
ty right kind Of religious instruction. So IA
we have hal church every SABBATH artf
an noon; but dursng tho week We have h
- no clerical attendance, nor any instrncti
- upon this all important sublect, exec
In what is impaired by our own officers.
ial were forcibly reminded Of our duties
sea this respect, by the results OF one OF tn
AL periodical examinations male by the A
ing Commissioner, in which he inquir
a'u among other things. into the state OF ei
no BOYS mind on the subject Of religion;
~ to his utter a>tonishment it was acertain
civ. that although prayer had been had
~ ularly every day three times. and 81
'AN Seen said at every meal, aud Sunday re
ious exercises as above, yet 80 out OF
jN had no real conception of God or relig
n. and all except three confessed their Il
- ignorance rs to the true object or pre-
s;ot mode of prayer. This degeuerscy
~ -, mere form one Of the most efficient me
-" bf reformation shocked us very mt
80, and ever since, we have taken espe
'''0' pains to aw ken among them lively Sc
Of the true relation OF God to man,
ou have retreivei the institution thro
I"u III these means. 1t has thrown over our
i,oI i.oI tire dispiline bright glow of sunsh
'ooA whereby sll our reformatory ell
10 ,ho have been lightned in an astonishing
'o ~ gree, and our government works easier
= !" freer. We have now learned sthe effi
was was of religion in educating and reform
''0' youth and we shall never again pc
oo, aeligsous~ exercises to relapse into l
oo oud form and ceremony.
""u There ara many other things of int
V"o ,%e and value in the Report. which only $
~ s1o forblds us noticing We cannot b.
onu w conclude than in the closing remarks
s.a, sn the Report itself. which we fully end'
'n'0' ~. We have in the proceeding pages and
~. lowing docum'edts. furnished all the
80, =. ~ which are essential to form CO.
tE"s 'a!E judgment Of our institution. We
= :s'" Withheld no adverse points, nor over 81
y ~ ,ha any thing favorable. With Gods b'ef
'n' nearly all the obstpeles in our path
been overcome and we rely confde
'"G on the continuance Of His guidance
a lo' protection, and in this hope we antic
1reu' t success. All OF whiohis respectfully
Ia rom mi,ted. CHARLES REEMELfS, Acting
'a'ou' missioner. j. A. FooT aud j. D.
"a :, Vi. Advisory Commissi 'ners.
day, conr, or COMMON pleas, Fairfield ,
cum = - Nv. Ohio.