Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-10-16
Report of the Trustees of the Re
form <ch0Oi

report of Charles Reed, Lewis Pratt. and l.
A. Dunn. the Trustees of the School
The school for the first year of its exist
ence was under the mana cement of IL Board
of Commissioners, consisting Of one acting
commissio. er, who by the statute, was su-
perntendent, and two advisory commission
ers, whose term of service expired Dee. lst,
1866. Since that time it has been under the
control of the undersi gned, trustees.
On the llth of December, 1866, the
trustees caused to be paId 10 Russell Butler
the sum Of S42t0 50, for which they Oh
tained deed to the State of the siXty-six
acres OF land bonded by him to the commits
sioners, as is stated III pages fifteen and six
teen OF their report of loO6- We also caused
to be paid to Elisha Moody S2I 81, for one
acre OF his farm, for which the limits of the
appropriation of 1865 did not allow payment.
az stated in pages sixteen and seventeen of
said report.
This makes the whole cost and quantity Of
the land of the Vermont Reform School and
farm, a. follows
Paid Elisha Moody for sixty-sevcn acres in
1906, bv commissioner. ST, ,000 00
Additional payment by trustees, 2lI 81
Paid to Russell Butler for 66 acres, / 4,2I0 30
Total cost, slO,42l -
mole number OF acres one hundred and
thrtythree.
In accordance with the provisions OF the
bylaws, the following officers were appoint
Cd
Rev. \. G.. Pease, superintendent. Salary
for himself and vile, seven hundred and fifty
dollars, and board for himself and family.
f. F.. Spicer, assistant superintendent
Salary for his services a. assistant Supcrin-
tendent and night watch, five hundred and
fifty dollars, and board for himself only
Charles Hatch, farmer Salary for him
self and wife, five hundred and fifty dollars,
and board for himself and family.
Miss Lucy \ Burnham, assistant teacher
Salary two hundred and fifty dollars and
board.
These officers have been connected wit.
the school from Its commencement, and have
discharged their respective duties in com
mendable manner.
The whole number of boys who have been
in the institution during the past wear il
torty-eight. The daily average is twenty
seven. Ghe present number Is thirtv-seven.
Ihis number being larger than could be
properly accommodated. we found il neces-
sary 10 proceed at once To the enlargement
contemplated d by an act passed at the lat
regular session of the Legislature, apIropri-
ating fifteen hundred dollars for such pur-
pose. We therefore proceeded TO make
plan and draft Tor two-storV buI ding.
thirty by forty feet. The first floor contain
in kitchen. wash room bathing rooin
store room, and enlargement of dining room
The second floor containing one large sleep
ing apartment, thirty by thrty-two feet.
and three small dormitories also two rooms
over the dormitories T. he used a. a sleeping
apartment by some officer who viii have the
boys in charge during the night
We contracted with Mr. Philo Arms for
the erection IF this building. for the sum of
fifteen hundred dollars, he furnishing all the
material ami completing the building entire
above the under-pinning. The building has
been erected according 10 contract and Mr.
Arms has received his pay for the same
With this enlargement we have accommoda-
ton, Tor boarding and lodging from sixty to
seventy inmates, which we hope VIII lie am
pie L meet the wants of the State for some
years to come. If we should crowd our in
stitution i done in some states. it could
board and lodge twenty more TO accommo-
date the new building. and for better security
against fire. the trustees deemed it necessary
t. remove the horse barn and one farm barn
and she'd, which We have done ut am exuense
of nearly one hundred dollars In making
the draft and plans and looking after the
work on the new building. and removing the
barns. 1t was found necessary that one Of our
number sh uld devote many davs time.
It has been the aim of the trustees to make
the school, rs lar possible, a farm school,
but considering the number of bows in charge
and their various ages. together with the la
blItv u wet weather, we have found ii nee
essary to employ many of them wholly and
most OF them at times. at shop work This
we have found To be more successful than
was at first anticipated. BY reference to a
table under the head of >. Shop ircounf.'
which is herewith submitted it will be seen
that the net earnings of the shop from Oct
18TH, 1900, to Sept. LIST, 1867, are $3.50 81
This sum, considering the fact that most of
the boys were from the smaller class. and all
on business wholly new to them. is quite as
large could be expected While the shop.
thus far, has proved to be remunerative as
above shown, II forms another, and to the
trustees a very important feature of the in
stitution. hv providing constant ernplovment
for the boys when not otherwise engaged
This we deemed Indispensable to the success
of a Reform School. BY reference to the
annexed tables it viii be seen that most Of
the boys sentenced to the school have been
brought up in Incidence. and there can be
but little hope of reformation without regu-
lar and constant emplovments.
The accommodations for shop work at pres
ent are entirely inadequate to the wants of
the school. The only shop We have was an
Old shed found upon the premises when pur-
chased, which was temporarily fitted up for
the purpose. This building is needed and
should be used for wood house and store
room, the only purposes for which it is we'll
adapted 1t is .the opinion of the trustees
that new building should be erected suffi-
GENTLY large to meet the present and pros
pectiyc wants of the school for shop purposes.
and also to contain the business Offices of the
institution. This building should he erected
in a substantial manner and special regard
should be had To durability and protection
against fire. At present the shop work is
mostly the seating with cane of different va
rietIcs OF chairs. 1t NAV in time be found
for the interest of the State 70 change the
class of work, and this should be kept in
mind in the erection of shop.
Some further provisions should be made
for alterations and repairs on the barns and
buildings, and when this is accomplished
and the workshop erected as above indica-
ted. we think but little more will be needed
for building purposes for many years. The
decision OF the trustees as to the extent OF
ground to he fenced into the school-yard
and the character of the fence, has been
postponed until it shall be determined what
shall be the size and location of the new
workshop, and what shall be the opinion ol
the Legislature 10 the expense and per
manency OF the erections the State shall or.
der 1T Waterbury. The present condition
of the shop, and tho smaliness of the area
enclosed by the yard fence, we hope will be
but temporary and deem them Justly sub.
.. ject To the complaint of the superintendent
in his report
, 1t will be seen from the report of the
farmer which is herewith submitted. thai
! the entire. income of the farm the last yeal
IN 4 Il.