The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1869-06-08
House Of Refuge.

Mr.. John II. Holiday, of the Indian
apolis Sentinel, recently paid profess
sional visit to the House Of Refuge, at
Plainfeld- From his excellent account
of what he saw and heard there, we
make the following selections, only re-
GREETING that we have not room for the
entire article: sh a
PLAINFrELD. 9o'
Fourteen miles west of Indianapolis,
surrounded by hills and lying to the
south Of the Terre Haute and Indiana
polls Railroad, is the pleasant little
Quaker village of Plainfield. Original
ly settled by members Of that sect from
which Indian agents are now selected,
it still has that distinctive character
which marks the abode Of the followers
Of George Fox, although many of its
citizens now find a spiritual home in the
bosoms of other denominations. Tt is
well named. Plain, prim, precise, subs
stan'ial, yet not unpleasant. 1t is vii
lage Of white houses and green yards,
where people do not stretch their necks
out of the windows to gaze at an unfor-
nate stranger who may be walking by
their gates, and where the ears of the
passer are not tortured by the profane
jingling of pianos, or the discordant
screachings of young girls who have
got on SO far in music as 10 attempt
operate Selections A visit, 70 ma
jority Of The villagers now a.days, Is
enough to convince one that the afore.
said George Fox Was not quite IS fool
ish as some pecpla have imagined, when
he authenticated music. But in that re
spect Plainfield is happy exception.
1t is thriving village, too, being sur
rounded by agood country, and having
a fair share of trade; but it is too close
to indianapolis ever to hope to outgrow
villagehocd. To Democrat it offers
no advantages politically, for the peo-
pie brag that there are but two or three
Democratic yotessin the precinct, and a
dilligent inquiry on our part revealed
the fact that but one copy of the Senti,
mel is taken there. To the Quakers of
the State, however, it is place Of great
resort, being usually chosen as the place
for holding yearly meeting, and rumor
has repeatedly and loudly affirmed that
in the fugitive slave law days it was an
important and extensively patronized
station on the 20 Underground Railroad
At present tho only interest or impor
lance it can have for strangers is as the
station from which is reached the Indi~
ana House Of Refuge. 7TqTq
THE SYSTEM 1oa
Adopted at the Indiana School is the
same as in use at the Ohio and other
schools in this country. 1t is of foreign
birth, having first been tried and devel |
oped by Wichern at the 'Rauh House in
Hamburg. AT glance it seems based
upon a most unbounded faith in human
nature and deadly enemity to the doc
trine of total depravity, but an examin.
alton shows that this is but seeming,
that its roots go down much deeper. 1t
is founded on the principles of the
Christian religion, and in its great sue |
cess offers fresh and weighty evidence
of the vitalizing effect of those princi |
pies. Its object is not to punish but to
reform-to mould the characters of the
young afresh, to straighten the warped, |
crooked mind, TO make good and useful
men out of boys who have by the COM
mission Of crime put themselves outside
the rale of society, and who, if left to |
the mselves, would in the ordinary course
of events become society's greetest enc
mfes. BY teaching industrious habits,
developing the mind by education and |
impressing upon these morally diseased
patients the truths of the Gospel, a work |
Of reformation has been accomplished in |
some Of the most difficult cases which is |
perfectly Astonishing.
THE FAMILIES. s.af4 /
The whole institution is under the |
care and direction Of the Superintend |
to great extent the place of o mother,
but the boys live in families. There are
at present two Of these, each having fifty !
members Each family has at its head
House Father who takes the place
Of p father to the boys. He teaches
them, governs them, works with them,
provides for all their wants, and sees
that they do right He is assisted by
en- Elder Brother whose duties are
much the same rs those of the House |
Father; but whose responsibilities are
not so great They each have immedi- |
ate charge ofsstwenty five boys. and in
that way alternate work and school !
Thus one force will he attending school
in the morning, while the other will be
at work upon the farm. In the after
noon they change places. AT very busy
times, however, in the spring or fall,
when there is a good deal Of work to be |
done upon the place, school is discon
tinued, and all the boys are employed in
labor. In one way or another they are |
kept busy at all times, and if Satan de-
ponds entirely upon idle hands to do his
work, he will meet with very little en-
couragement at the Reform School.
100 y;.s5s THE DISCIPLINE 81
Is that practiced in Christian fam lilies, |
where good judgement and correct mos
tives harmonic with a knowledge of |
the disposition and wants of the child. |
It has attained that standard sought af- !
ter and advertised by boarding school
keepers, as firm yet mild : no corporal
punishment is ever resorted to, the boys
are ruled entirely through kindness.
Some of the inmates at first were FESTIVE !