Daily national Democrat., 1861-04-16
State Reform School.

Assembly, instructed to examine into the nf-
fairs Of the State Reform School and also TO
visit the Industrial School at San Francisco
with reference to a proposed transfer Of the
/ State Reform School thereto Mr.. Merritt
was chairman Of the Committee The other
members were W. II. Parks and O. Harvey
the Senate, aud Lloyd Magruder and Rob-
ert Henderson, Of the Assembly. With re-
spect 10 the location they say:
"Iia location we found to be upon the cast
| bank OF the Feather river six miles above
its confluence with the Yuha, and about the
same distance north from Marysville. 1t is
accessible by an excellent public road which
leads to Oroville, passing about one-hali
| mile from the buildings OF the school.
| il win be remembered that this site for the
state Reform School was selected by a Board
of Commissioners Appointed by Governor
! Weller in the early part Of eighteen hundred
and fny-uine, he acting under the authority
Of an act entitled An Act for the erection and
establishment Of State Reform School,
passed April l4th, 1893. These grounds
were purchased by the city Of Marysvillc
from Chas. Coyilaud, ESD, Of YuGa, and
by him decided 20 the State for the purpose
ot a State Reform School. The lot Of ground
embraces one hundred acres---cighty-l
high, and Fifteen low, or bottom land. The
former was purchased tten dollars and the
latter at thirty dollars, per acre, the whole
amounting to the sum Of one thousand dol
lars The highest portion Of these grounds
is "pain land" and lies about thilty feet
above the river, by which it is bounded upon
The west The soil of this portion Of the lot
t,, l., t,,J.pat. .Vti e
character readily susceptible Of any required
degree Of Improvement The lower grounds
have q rich alluvial soil extremely produc-
tive The whole place, especially that por-
tion lying along The above river bank is well
limbcrel with fine oak and other wood which
add materially to the beauty Of the grounds
aud win in summer afford amyle and delight
fGl shades. Amid clusters Of these trees the
buildings for the Reform School are being
erected
The wisdom, or the lack thereof, displayed
by the Commissioners Of 1889 sel,c ing the
above site for a state Reform School, your
Committee do not feel called upon herein to
discuss. Doubtless, it has IFS advantages and
diadvantagcs, as would have had any other
which could have been chosen. Probably,
no location was or even now woIld be, pos
sible which would give entire satisfaction to
all parties, while all adopt their own ndvan-
taGe or convenience, as the stand point for
their approval or disapproyal. Your com
ujiieo, however were unanimously Of the
opinion that site nearer the city o! Marys-
willie would have been preferable to the one
selected. SO long as the inmates of Re
form school are detained within their appro-
pirate buildings, or Enclosures, Gas Of necessi.
ty they always should be) your committee
4 L.,
ton. well regulated Reform School is by
no means "a moral pest-houso that it should
be ztudously placed so remotely from other
dwellings, Were the bindings now being
erected, WIthiG any city or town. they would,
when completed, be at once ornamental and
attractive in the extreme But the location
has been made, the site OF the buildings fixed,
the State is in possession and ownership of
the property, and the improve vements thereon
are far advanced toward completion
At the tmc the establishing Of the School
was in contemplation, the grand objection to
be met was that its presence would be corrupt
ing and disadvantageous to the morals of the
locality in which it was placed, provided
there was any opportunity for the inmates Of
The institution to associate, either openly or
clandostiuely, with the neighboriug youth
In view Of this ohjeccon it was agreed al
most unanimously, not only in the Legisla-
turc, which passed The biIl but the country
at large, so far as heard from, that it should
be located at a il,cient distance from any
city, to ensure a Wholesome discipline and the
inpos.iLiily of clandcstine associations with
the youth Of any populous region. 1t was
for this reason, whether sound one or not,
that the Institution was located at so con-
siderable a distance from Marysyllc, and we
never heard any fault found with the a.
legged Inconvenience of distance until an cf-
fort was made TO have the locality changed
to San Francisco or some other quarter of the
State.
The principal fault which the committee
find with the action Of the Board of Trus-
tees is that they appointed an Architect from
their own number, and at period ''ecyeral
months sooner than his services were needed"
With respect TO the plan and specifications
Of the buildings, the committee think that
the Trustees labored somewhat under mis-
apprehension of the present demand of the
State 10 be met 10y the institution in question.
But this they well say, is matter, of opin-
ion and time alone can test its accuracy Our
own opinion is, that the Trustees were right,
in looking to the future and adopting a plan
capable Of being adapted TO the wants of the
country hereafter.
They give the following description of the
buildings:
"The buildings if erected according to the
plans adopted, VIII be Of brick The main
central structure is to be two hundred and
eighteen feet in length, by dfty-one feet in
derth-thrce stories in height From each
end Of this main building there is to extend
an ell or wing one forly-eight by eighty
feet, the other thirty-fye by seventy-two
fc IT, both to be three stories in hight With
in the court thus formed on three sides by
the main building and projecting wings, a
third building is contemplated in the plans
adopted, TO be used as a storeroom, kitchen,
dining hall, bathroom, etc
The plans adopted 10y the Trustees, are in
the opinion of your committee in the main,
cNecieut; but as before intimated, we think
them more extensive in design than are, or
for many years will be, required. We would
therefore, recommend the plans adopted be
somewhat modified SO as to render the build.
ings complete on smaller scale, and hence,
less expensive"
Regarding the progress of the work, they
say:
I'VE find the Trustees have entered into
contract with Mr. John A. Steele for the cree
dion Of lhe main eenlral buiIding and The