Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-07-19

To the Editors of the Worcester Spy; Sirs =
a recent visit to the reform school at West
boro' furnished me an opportunity for observ'
ing its internal arrangements and workings"
which, have thought, might not be wholly
wanting in interest to some of your readers.
The aims and management of any eleemosy-
nary institution, whether it be merely to les
sen human suffering or to develop 'the intel
lect, to establish virtuous principles, correct
waywardneSs, and strengthen the social atfec
tons, any and all of these objects, are repete
with interest to every one who appreciates
| human life. All these are aimed at in this in
stitution. Such enterprises are the glory of
the age, unspeakably more so than patented
inventions or commercial enterprises. Wheth.
er the public, especially the patrons of the
school, are to realize their anteipations, a
hasty visit of two nights, and the latter part of
wo days, can furnish but little evidence. Yet
it may contribute something.
Invited by the superintendent, William e.
Starr, Esq, 10 supply on he Sabbath the place
of the regular chaplain, Rev. Mr.. Sleeper,
stlil' dbStits IGdCllSQ Inc liISliluLiOH
on Saturday afternoon, and remained until
Monday forenoon. The courteous hospitality
L received is of personal, rather than public,
interest. The beauty Of the place, to be APP
precated, must be seen, and seen at this love.
ly season of the year. There are in the insti-
tuition something more than four hundred
boys, of ages from ten, perhaps, TO nineteen
or twenty. About three hundred of them
are at the farm, the remaining one hundred,
or more, in the village two miles distant,
where, since the fire, temporary accOmmoda-
tons have been provided. The clothes, on
Saturday evening, were such as boys or men
ordinarily have on at the close of days
work on the farm or in the shop. They
were BETTING the service they had rem
dered. On Sunday morning, the same
class of garments came out IN a neater
edltlon-cheap strong, suitable summer suits.
Their appearance on all occasions was not es-
sentially unlike that of farmers or mechanics.
There was nothing peculiar in them, except
their uniformity Of texture or form.
AT the supper table, sabbath evening, saw,
in addition to good wheat bread, an ample piece
OF ginger bread, (moSt Of our boys would
have thought it ample,) and bowl of coffee.
On Monday morning, bowl of chocolate had
the place OF coffee, as it ordinarily does. Their
beds are neat, ve,y neat. Each boy has bed
to hlmselt-some in separate dormitOries,
small but comfortable most Of them on colts
-four, one above the other. In the apart
ment l visited, were about one hundred and
fifty beds; the room is large, shigh, and, it
seemed to me, well ventilated. Before dis
posing himself in his cot, each boy sus-
pended, on a. pin at hand, his neat white bed
gprpa1 tn bo rnr1Iapo1 aS
when, in the morning, he should make his
bed. The impression made on my mind was
that few of them had enjoyed so many COM
forts previous to their connection with the
school.
Several of the boys work on the farm. l
saw only few of them at work, but from the
high state of cultivation which that beautiful
and ample farm exhibited and the few hired
hands employed, there must be much labor
performed by the boys, many of whom are
approaching the strength OF manhood.
small number who had earned confidence were
employed as inmates of the private family,
rendering SERVICE but manifestly respected.
The washing and ironing both Of which were
praised by the ladies OF the family, employ a
number tailoring, a score or two; while in one
shop are half-hundred making shoes and in
another a much larger number was construct
ing cane bottom chairs. Each company, su.
perlntended by an Overseer, was silent, but
cheerful and digent There was a quiet,
earnest manner which impressed me as re-
vealing the stimulus of reward. Seven hours
of each day is allotted TO labor, but no one
with whom | cOnversed said he required it for
his task. Several required no more than one
half-some even less. To the inquiry How
do you spend the remainder of the time some
replied, in play, others in reading, and others
in 6ninn tra1 work for binb
small stated compensation Though there
was present an overseer, do not believe that
their edIneStneSs was in any great degree the
result of his presence. There was a lcU to
work, excited by hope In these, l believe,
consists the genius of the institution Here
are acquired physical strength skill and a
habit Of industry ON which, if diffused through
out society at large, depends national wealth
and power. Such citizens, if virtuous, are the
hope of the political economist.
The discipline of the school strikes a stran-
ger as peculiarly excellent What defects
might be detected by more intimate observa-
ton l cannot say. My object is not eulagy.
There was obviously no overweening conf
dence either in the system of reform or its ex-
ecution. The managers evidently appreciated
alike the responsibility and difficulty of their
charge. The discipline of four hundred boys,
OF these ages, OF early and skilful training by
pious parents would be no easy task. But
having first to reclaim them, and then estab-
lish habits Of virtue and industry, in such Il
collection of boys gathered from homes of
poverty and vice-many Of them from no
homes at all-must be peculiarly difficult.
The order was erdct, yet it seemed genia-a
yoke easily borne. | was so impressed with
this feature of the school, that felt an instinc-
tive desire that it might be witnessed by the
public, both by those who contribute the funds
and by those who prescribe their disburse-
ment. The discipline is of three kinds-the
majority are subjects of the double influences
OF fear and hope, each acting on the character
by silent application of rule, which. one
might say, is selfexecuting its rewards
and penalties coming on the pupil as
of course. few must be punished
others, including class l was assured suffi-
GENTLY large to encourage the patrons of the
institution, are drawn exclusively by reason
and kindness.
AS intellectual culture except so far as it can
be secured through the general influence of
each days duties, is not the leading object of
the institution, only two hours, one in the
morning another at evening, are given to
study during the summer twice the time in
the winter. The branches taught are chiefly
elementary, rarely extending to English gram.
mar. Whether this is all that benevoence
warrants, or the interests of the county de.
mand, may be a question. 1t is, probably,
many times more than they would have re-
ceived had they been left to stroll at large.
They are not so well, physically, developed
so large or so stout as they would have been
had they, from infancy, been better fed and
warmer clothed. From these and other influ-
ences almost inseparable from their early con.
! dition i'll life, their intelects are even less
| hopeful. Lord Brougham considers the deyel-
opment of both body and mind chiefly settled
| during the first four years of life. This may
be too positive and discouragng but the