The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-06-24

The Reform School bus yesterday morning.
by some strange mistake, instead of proceed
ing to the Jail for delinquent youth, drew up
before the United States Hotel. There was a
cargo in waiting however, albeit somewhat
elderly for that destination Our reporter was
told, and with the guileless innocence of his
class believed, that the nine persons who enter
ed the carriage were the Governor and his
Council, accompanied by the Secretary of State
and Superintendent of Common Schools. We
have pointed out to him the absurdity of sup
posing that these gentlemen could ON any pre-
text be sent to the Reform School even for
day, but he insists that law or no law, he saw
them go, in point of fact went with them, and
saw them in the school and dormitories, the
shops and cells, and at various points inside
the walls and bars of the institution at Cape
Elizabeth. He even names Councillors Ran
DALI Flint, Reed, Holland, Sanborn and Mill
ken as members of the party.
What he says about the school itself may be
received with perfect confidence, as he speaks
on that point from his own observation, and
notwithstanding his amusing creduility is
faithful witness to anything which he sees with
his own eyes, He says Judge Woodbury. is
doing most efficient and humane work there
and the signs of improvement among the boys
sinces his last visit are numerous and unmis-
taxable There are now 173 boys connected
with the institution. Fifty of these boys our
reporter found in Mis-. Libby's school room
| and he speaks in enthusiastic terms of the
readiness and accuracy of their recitations and
the orderly promptitude of their movements
at the word of command, Face" "Passp He
| explains that "Passp corresponds to the mill
tary order, "March" and has no relation to
the noble game of euchre. The rest of the
boys were in Mr.. George Woodbury's school
| room, where portraits of Lincoln and Grant
and plaster bust of Washington serve as
| monitors In the library our reporter heard
Miss Francetta Woodman instructing two or
three classes with patience and sweetness
which cannot fail to do them good, and wit
messed the Superintendent method of exam
lining the pupils to be sure that they under
stand what they are learning,
| 1t is not merely book learning which they
are getting. The boys are taught practical
| farming and gardening, and after raising their
food are taught to cook it.. They are taught
tailoring enough to cut and make their own
clothes. They have now on hand 200 suits of
new thick clothing, are making 200 thin suits
| for summer wear, and have knit all the socks
| they will need for next winter. After making
their clothes they learn to wash them. The
laundry is now managed under the direction
of one of the boys, who receives the pay for
| merly given to a laundress and earns it faith
| fully Habits of personal neatness are rigdly
| enforced. The clothing is kept in good order
| and the bath is a part of the wholesome disci-
| pline of the school summer and winter. There
| are twenty tubs in the bath room. For trades,
| there is not only tailoring, but shoemaking
and brckmaking, so that every boy who leaves
| the school has some occupation to which he
| can turn his hand The fare is wholesome and
abundant. For dinner yesterday the boys had
| plentiful ration OF beef broth with wheat
bread and Adams ale. The hospital is vacant.
Our reporter says the person whom he per-
| sists in calling Governor Chamberlain talked
in his manly and sensible way to the boys after
dinner, Mr.. johnson, Superintendent Of
Schools asked them to write to him at Angus
ta and Councillors Randall, Holland and San
Dor made some excellent remarks. He says
| he was invited to make speech himself which
confirms our impression that he has been the
victim of severe practical joke. What he
| says about the school however is undoubtedly
true. 1t is in the right hands; it is doing a
| of Maine ever made, and we trust the hands of
the Superintendent and his assistants will be
upheld by the State Government and their
hearts sustained by the sympathy of the COM
munity they are serving so efficiently.