The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-01-23
The State Reform School.

| tire satisfaction with its management under
the care of E. B. Woodbury., the Superintend-
ent. The Superintendent reports that the
number of boys now in the institution is III
| precisely the same as at the close of last year.
The average for the year has been slightly less
than last. The whole number committed to
the school since its establishment is 11O5; the
number committed last year So; number tha'
have escaped 10; number escaped more thah
have returned 8; died 2; discharged or appren-
ticed So The offences of those committed
during the past year are follows: larceny, 45:
breaking aud entering, L; common runaway,
| .: truancy. 7; ASSAULT malicious mischief. 1:
cheating, 1; vagrancy, Il; shop breaking, i:
idleness, 1; robbery, l; embezzlement. I: So
domy, l. OF the 50 committed the past wear 40
were born in Maine, 8 in other States in the
Union, ond in foreign country. ..r
Inere can be no more deeply interesting
| s'uoy than that of the details of this report,
especially of the table showing the moral CON
diton of the boys when received Twenty
four, or more than 40 per cent had Incorporate
parents; 10 were much neglected." nine were
truants, sixteen were Sabbath breakers, fifty
| were profane, 81 were untruthful, q drank ar
| dent spirits, never attended school, AZ used
| tobacco, and all were idle. Untruthfulness
seems to be the leading characteristic of their
moral condition, there being found only one
out OF the 5S that did not lie. One boy of the
age of fourteen, committed during the year,
did not know the alphabet. .......
The year has been an unpropitious one for
the farm, but the value of its products amounts
to the handsome sum of 81 ,4S3 There are
l fOIlptPpn IN 10,
the care of e. A. Stevens and Foscari Wymap.
repairs of the house and barn have been made
during the year. The Superintendent saws
that there has been marked improvement in
the habits of the boys, especially in respect to
personal cleanliness He recommends that
steam apparatus be resorted to for the purpose
of heating the building and for cooking and
washing. .. H.H ..t .r..ra = ..
Forty boys under the charge of Robert o.
| Humphrey do the work in the shoe shop.-.
Next year the shoes for the boys will be made
by the boys themselves. Miss E. NJ Wood
bury has charge Of the chair shop, where 80
boys are employed; Miss Mary G., Akers of the
| sewing room, with so boys. An immense
| amount of work is done in this ROOM Edgar
w. Emery has charge of IS boys in the Iaun-
| dry, Mrs q. Il. Anderson of z boys in the Dor
mitory, while boys assist Mr.. j. f. Ayers in
the kitchen. Twenty boys in the brick yard
under the charge of James Z. Aver have made
half a million brick and thirty-seven thousand
drain tiles, the net profit of which is $1,737.
The schools under the charge of George W.
| Woodbury., Francetta A. Woodbury. and Mrs.
A. L. Libby, are reported both by the Trustees
and Superintendent to be making commenda-
bic progress. Rev. A. P. Hillman continues
to perform chapel service, and the Sabbath
School prospers under the charge of VIM. E.
| Gould and w. w. Brown. The Superintepd-
ent closes his report with the following re-
| marks: eI -.l aaa tra5a sT..a (
In reviewing the past year we are enabled to
rebort progress in the physical and moral con-
| dItlon OF the inmates of the institution The
| glowing, healthy coun!enances of the bows the
| cordial, hearty intercourse, the bright and ami
mated faces, the comfortable and tidy dress
the order and decorum everywhere observed,
all indicate that the school is in some degree
performing the mission for which it was de-
| signed. We have good reports from many who
have enjoyed the privileges and benefits of the
i school, and we believe the number not benefit
| ted by their instruction here small, compared
with those who prove worthless members of
| society who have not enjoyed its benefits The
| school should be regarded as it really is. n
| blessing to society and the State. 1t takes the
err!ng and unfortunate youth from the TENN
| tatlons and pollutions of debased society, from
rags and filth, and places him in good society
takes from him his rags, and clothes him with
COMFORTABLE tidy garments, gives him clean
wholesome bed, feeds him with good nutritious
food, provides good schools and requires his |
punctual attendance, makes provision for man |
ual labor, SO that he may have some regular |
| employment, and learn what will be useful to |
| him through life. 1t makes provision also for |
his higher nature, Tor his moral training; pro-
Il wi hnnly nh Iii
sanctuary privileges, that he may be prepared
for usefulness in this life and happiness in the
| life to come. .a. Nv 4 -. ~. -
This leads us to inquire what it costs to feed, |
cloihe, educate. teach some usefnl trade, and
| furnish religious instruction to each bow? The
| cash expenditure, as appears by the Treasur-
| er's report, from April /, 1867, to March 81 |
1868, was S23,47190 TO this add the value of
farm products consumed, 81 1891, and we |
have total OF SIS, 591 81, which divided by 241
the whole numter of boys in the school for the
year, gives us $118 % to each boy ordivided by
$50 II, the average number, it gives $157 40 |
FMS gives the whole experse, unless you reck-
on the interest upon the investment. But |
when we consider that the boys pay portion |
of this with their own labor, and that part of |
the expense is Incurred in providing Eelp to |
| take care OF hayward boys, we shall have |
more just appreciation of til J cost The whole |
amount paid by the State for the year specified
was l3,9436 so, which divided as above, gives TO
each boy $57.S7 in the one case and 81? % in |
| the other. 1t will be seen that the boys pay
| with their own labor more than one half Of the
expenses of their subsistence, clothing and ed
ucation, besides the improvem ents and repairs |
| upon the buildings and farm. The question |
addresses itself to each individualin this State
is this money wisely expended? Do the re- |
suits Justify the continuance of this expendi- |
ture? What are the results? So far as nv |
| inquiries have been successful, and according |
to my present information, more than three
| fourths OF all the boys connected with the
f1IfI inon s,.fa
become respectable citizens, and are credit |
not only to the institution, but an honor to the
State. @ g. u. lHa .s.H ....'.I
The suggestion of the impression in my last
report, that the Superintendent and all having |
charge of the boys should be a pattern suitable |
for the boys to initiate has become settled |
conviction. Industry, strict integrity scrupu- |
lous neatness, chaste conversation, refined |
and cultivated taste are qualities not to be |
overlooked in the employment of assistants. |
These qualifications are Indispensable to insure
the desired results, the reformation of the in
mates. The discipline is of character to win |
the boys by love and kindness if possible. Their
| physical wants receive careful attention. Good |
nutritious food is bounifully supplied until the |
appetite is satisfied, but no waste is allowed. |
Comfortable and desirable clothing is provided |
and they are required to care for it and have |
it neatly upon their person. They have COM
Portable beds. and an abundance of bedding in I
commodious rooms, and many of the bows show
much taste in decorating their apartments. |
lucy nave games OF Daii, and various other |
sports, such as coasting, skating and fishing. |
We make ourselves their servants during the |
holidays The hours of study, labor and rec
reation are divided with regard to their physi- |
cal, intellectual advancement. Kind words |
and pleasant looks always greet them, unless |
duty requires different treatment Wise and |
ludicions rules must be adopted and obeyed. |
Good order must be maintained, and when |
kindness and forbearance fail to win the Of |
fender to a just sense of submission to proper |
authority, the strong arm of injured mercy |
compels unconditional submission.
REPORT OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL.-Gep. |
Caldwell's report is not so meagre as that of
last year, but is in marked contrast with the
portly volumes that used to appear in war
times Eleven Thousand of the tastimonials |