Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-11-23
State Reform School-Bad Boys and
Girls-Causes of Crimes-Who are
Responsible Parents.

Responsible Parents.
There appears but little public
knowledge Of this State institution,
situated at Waukesha, and in Grant
County no attention paid to the adj
vantages il offers for vagrant and un-
manageable boys and such yougsters
as are guilty of crimes but are rather
fitted for reformatory schooling than
for the State prison. In looking
over the list of inmates we do not
see that any are there from Grant
County almost every other
county in the State furnishes from
one 70 thirty.
The institution is under the gov
crnment Of five managers, and a
superintendent the latter A. d.
Hendrickson, his address at Wauke-
sha.
There are ample buildings and 1872
acres of farm lands attached, and
such Of the boys as are reclaimed
and become steady are put to work
as apprentices at farming or in the
work shops where various trades are
carried on. And when boy serves
sufficient time to acquire trade
and steady habits, and given enough
education to be trusted with himself
he is allowed TO go out and DO his
own man-though at first good
home is found for him with some
farmer, mechanic or other honest
man. 1t is found cheaper to do all
This for vagrant boys, and parentless
boys, and boys SO brought up by
parents as to make them degilish
and mean and thieving, than to let
them grow up for the prison or the
gallows. Yes, cheaper a thousand
times Some men in our State
many abroad from the State, now
first class citizens, in honest employ
ment, in respectable business, served
q time and received all the training
they ever had at the State Reform
School at Waukesha. People of Grant
County did you know that? And
hadn't you better soud your bad
boys, those yon have allowed to grow
up without schooling or any care
| whatever.
1t costs the people $25, 900 year
to support the 500 bad boys and 70
rude girls at this Observation-Disclosures
school, and this is u great deal OF
money. But the amount is not a
quarter of what would cost to leave
them uncared for. You know. that
horse thieves and burglars and muir
derers and the like are all trained for
such pursuits, just as these Young
sters were trained previous to their
being,sent TO Waukesha. And crime
answers for near fourth partof what
IS paid in the State of taxes-State
and county, We think quite fourth
OF the.S23, 900 appropriated the other
day As county taxes by the Grant
County Supervisors is for crimina
expenses, which does not include ths
expense for supporting part Of those
sent as convicts'to Waupnn. Better
send our very bad boys loWaukesha
than to let them run 10 idleness anc
crime.
The following are the crimes fol
which the youngsters are sent tC
Waukesha Vagrancy, which mean.
general worthlessness as where boy,
hang around saloons and live Idly
larceny, which follows idle habits
incorrigibility, as where boys refas,
to work burglary, result of idle
ness in youth assault, a result o
hunger and want arising from idle
ness; incepdiarism, a result of utter
meanness.
The ages at which boys are sem
TO Wakesha are 6 to 10 years, th,
largest number at 10 years of age
a dangerous period OF lite.
i AS to nativity 67 of the rude boyi
and girls arc Americans, 81 are Irish
"a are Germans, % English, 10 col
ored, 5 French, 3 Scotch, and 3 ar,
Norwegians.
Of negroes there is the larges'
number in proportion to population
and no people are more neglected
when children next the Irish, anC
these too are too often neglected anc
not seen to when children; the Amer
leans, Germans and English show th,
best care in youth-save the Norwc
gians and Bohemians Can it b,
the latter two nationalities furnish
the fewest criminals in proportion
to population /? The Waukesha schoo
shows it to be so. There is. not
Welsh boy at. MISUNDERSTANDING
the Welsh to be the best people in
the State.
Well, next the largest number o.
: rude ones at Waukesha have no faith
ers, land most of them are either
without parents or having but .
father or mother. And many o.
them have Incorporate fathers
Very many have step-fathers or step
mothers, and this cause accounts fol
more being sent there than ever
intemperance. The quarrelling anc
separation of parents account fol
much of the crime of children al
SNOWFALL of which shows that ser.
vice under Satan never pays.
GooD.--Live Republicans of Rich
land County will be glad 10 learn thai