The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1864-04-20
REFORM SCHOOL

La hren ail,d during be wear eoumg Nov u
1860 Il u' v, ulaAing 255 bows ~Ao nave beel
lu the bol>e tii l.4-
1h,fe have been IS boys di-pa ased of go Val
Gus ~a.s during tie year Gbree ~ whom az,
Nth u assinl l~avu. ia the school at the da.
Of this report ise uoss
Matne county las furnished of lie seventy.
ore boys received -. jackson county q. Kal,
maz no county g. L-nae,e county 4. Berrirr
county 4. Monroe county g. Eator county .
hent comfy , :. Car county >. Oak ans
eolrlF :. Calhoun cornW .; Livingston Shii.
wassee uilsca'r. " tenA~. Ouaaa. Iareer
Iona b'af eh, Clinton, Marquet Genuessee
>atilac al d l. CLAIM counties. one each.
Forty seven were comm-lred bv Justir o..
the Peace, , 10y Police justices by Record
ers, by Ciicut judges
SKY were committed Tor peti, larceny. 70,
assault anu battery, Tor malicious uespas.. :
ouTg AIRY, aud Tor riot
Michigan = the birth pace OF 33. New York
>iate az l6, Ireland OF s. Canada OF 4 Ohio OF
vermont OF >, Germany Massachusetts l.poiS
Penuss lvania, Wisconsin. Kentucky and England
one each, and unknown two.
The parents OF 81 are Americans, OF II are
Irish, Of ! I are Germau, OF are French. of arr,
English, Of ! African.
The ages Of those received this wear are A.
follows One was years of aye, three were
iour were ten. six were n, eighteen Were II
iotr e-n were l. thirteen acre IL, ten were 5
AHA t"o were l6, the average being about l.
and two thirds Years
The oldest boy in the school is a little more
Than - Years old-the youuse-t eisht
The average age OF all in the school at thu
date, = thirteen aud one halt years
The following is The domestic condition If III,
tn
10 their own Statement:
Twenty have no fatl ers, / , 10 mothers, Is
are orphans. u haze relations n ho have be,t
convicted OF crime, IS have drank iutoxicltin.
drinks. u have been drunk, SO have been u
jail tom one 10 twelve tmes aud al except II
have been guilty OF theft. Many have been pii
ierrrs nearly all their ives Falsif,ing has be
come even 20 eaiy 10 life, fearluily strong hab
70 Nth a large aJ1Iity Of our boys: tiev hav,
practiced subterfuge 20 hide their other vice
aud crimes What a history TO study j. the rec
ord Of these unfortunate boys How painfulh
interesting 10 hear Of the many causes whicl
have couspised against them to their ruin. Mos
"i ih Sc causes exist at home and not the let
Of them - hat disruptng element intro .uced
u'o the fdmil5 10 take the place OF d losius
mother.
The largest number Of boys ia the school a
during the year. has been about 1877.
Oi the 6s boys disposed Of thu year. thirt,
have entered the service OF the Uuiied States
diteen Of whom Ell listed wub Lieut. a. W Carr
their former teacher ia the School Twent,
TX have been sent to parents and friends tw,
OF whom were pardoued b, be Governor Three
have been permitted 10 hire with farmers. TM,
oi these are nos Ia the army. One has beer
placed With clergyman one ~th a dentist. on,
has escaped and six have died Thfe,. of a., |
o"ys reported IA disposed Of are with W. again
y was reiurued on account of his inability t. /
eve Hs solder in the army one because b.. |
~as form School boy, and not above su-pic /
ion; the third came back OF his own accord bt..
cause he could hud no place 20 pleasant 10 him /
as the Reform School The average time !, th. /
school OF those discharged, has beeu about two
wears aud one third
We have experienced the same difficulty J.
finding SIC adv employment for an of our bow
his year as in several vrars past Oar hopes o.
employmeat M the shops have rot
been realized Nj. La Rue discontinued b.
contract III the mouth OF Maica last. and n,
ooys-2S la number-who were EMPLOYED b, |
nm in the manufacture OF chairs were agaii
without labor.
The decision Of the board not 10 canract the
Abor Ut any more boys per dien. ont tp /
Urnish them with whatever work could be found /
hat would be suitable for un-kllled hands cau- /
"a Us 10 look about AID see what there aas tha 4
4 large iamlly OF stout, healthy boys k oar
might lind 10 90 that would ia these times o. /
ioube prices, help buv Them bTesG and at lh,
same time asst IN building up al industrious /
nahhood
division Of the school was made ia the ear. /
pant OF this fiscal yeaf forty TWO Of the smailesi
boys in toe School were placed under the car,
oi female teacher, who hss instructed then,
our bonrs each day in hIe,ature, aud ,hfe,
hours il the att Of plating sttaw.
This labor has been o; lltle profit pecuniarily.
except IN the preservation OF clothing Morally ~
mas been ot great beuttif 90 the School Had ouI
arm bren large enough, W. could have employed
hese litlie fellows IN agriculture be same g%ea'
md might have b. en- attained, aud a greater De
,Uniary profit real zed by thsir Industry. A.
average Of twenty boys have been employed
part Of the time IN the shops formerly occupied
~ Mr.. La Rue, in the manufacture OF sash cane
iud flag seats, washing machines, &c. The,
lave made e Ssg lghls sash, caled aud matted
$50 seats. and made 40 washing machines H.
addition to this labor in the shop, they have
,rected barn on onr premises for stock. a.
eet long by 20 vide; built 81 rods OF good sab
tantial board fence, and have made many other
permanent improvements and repairs, in and
bout the building, which may not be counted
IS so much money earned, yet it will be under
food that if il so much saved 10 the State
We have found these shops a very convenient
md economical place in which to repair our
lxes, ssws, hoes, shoyes, Spades, &c, which
u the hands OF the boys, are 50 frequently out
f order.
Some Of the older boys have been employed
N the farm and ia the garden-a farm OF u
cres, and a garden OF four. In farming, We
we're sufferers in common with many Of ouf
leghoors. the early frost stepping in between
Is aud glorious harvest. Our pOtatOe crop, OF
which We had made much reliance, was almost
allure. From SIX acres We dug only POS II
Dushcls OF potatoes, where IN any OrdiuOry sea
on, We ID CHS have expected al east 900 bu
hels The garden, which i our highest ana
)est land cultivated, yielded good return for
he labor performed IN IL, as will be seen by the
ollo~ing amount of produce taken from it:
Sweet corn, loo bushels of ears; common corn
Is bushels OF ears; peas aad beans, green, Il
bushels; onions, loo bushels from one fourth
lcre beets, 2S bushels carrots l75 bushels
mmmer squash, l04 doB-n; CucumOer-, Is |
i,z o; cucumbers Tor pick es IL barrels
uta bagas, IS bushels; Tomatoes, bushels
ettuce, bushels, caobages, 500 heads psrs
lips. 10 bushels; shell beans, 8 bushels; straw
berries, 1876 quarts; pie plant and asparagus IT,
abundance. Our yAng orchard bore very
iue specimen OF fruit this season, both apple
.nd peach. 4 lev years hence there VII be
ruit in sbundAhce for the whole school.
From the five acres Of timber, purchased OF
NJ Cline, the boys have cut l75 cords OF wood
and "a s-~ logs, from when We cut for fencing, /
Is zoo feet OF fence boards aud posts. We
planted Al acre Of ground TO broom corn, de-