The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1869-09-07
House Of Refuge.

rouse OF refuge.
This Institution, at Plainfield. Ind,
receives the following notice from a cor
respondent of the Madison Courier, of
the 1st inst:
This Institution is legally known as
the House of Refuge but it is con-
Quoted On the Family System in imita-
ton of the Ohio State Reform Schools)
as contradistinguished from the sCongre-
gate Plan.' 1t has none of the charac-
pends for its success much more upon
the exercise of moral means than coer-
Give instrumentalities.
It is situated on farm of 22O acres,
about a mile south of Plainfield, which
is susceptible of high degree of culti-
walton. It embraces large variety of
soil and all the vegetables common to
this country can be successfully raised
on it. Eighty acres Of it are still in
timber, which is we'll scattered, thus af-
fording good pasturage for the fine stock
of horses and cattle owned by the In
stitution. The crops of the farm this
year are as follows: 25 acres in corn, IL
acres in oats, l5 in grass, II in wheat,
corn, in sorghum, 6 in garden, 6 in
vineyard. II in pasture, 25 in yards and
Fairgrounds.
The site for the buildings is certainly
beautiful one, and seems to have been
especially designed to serve the purpose
for which it is now used. It is bea1-
tiful plateau, lying between two roman
tic ravines, sufficiently elevated to be
above all miasmatic exhalations. At the
bottom Of each Of these ravines, at all
seasons of the year, may be seen beau
tifal little stream of water meandering
its way along, through them aud across
the green lawn below, purifying and in
vigor ating the atmosphere, till it is lost
in the tumbling waters Of the White
Lick-a stream running through the
eastern part of the farm, affording ex.
cellent opportunity for watering stock
and for bathing purposes for the in-
mates of the Institution.
The subject of establishing an Insti-
| tuition for the correction and reforma-
ton Of juvenile offenders, is one that
is being much agitated, and it has occu-
| pied the serious consideration of benev-
olent and philanthrOpic minds for years.
That an institution for the purpose was
needed, no one doubted, but the kind of
| an institution needed and the best means
to be employed to secure it, were prob
lens that baffiled the most ingenious
| brains The efforts put forth for the
consummation of this purpose were fee
BILE and unavsiling. The combined eff
| forts of all who saw and felt the neces-
sity for action in this direction could
accomplish nothing. The population of
the State was being rapidly augmented,
and crime was on the increase, and the
evi! of neglecting this great and impor-
tant matter had swelled to such huge
proportions as to be a disgrace to the
State and a terror to her citizens. At
last the right men took hold of it and
made move in the right direction, and
by their combined efforts and untiring
perseverance a bill was crowded thro'
the Legislature, which was approved
March Z, 1867, establishing House of
Refuge, and appropriating $4,000 to
carry out the provisions Of the act
Governor Baker, in accordance with the
authority given him by this act, appoiu-
ted Hon. A. c. Downey, Of Ohio county;
C. F. Coffin, of Wayne county, and Gen.
Joseph Orr, of Laporte county. as Com
missioners who, after full considera.
tion and personal examination Of the
systems in vogue in the different States
for the reformation of Juvenile offend
ers, unanimously agreed to adopt the
Family System
This action met the hearty approval
of Gov. Baker, and he at once proceeds
ed to select and establish site, after
which the Board, with the approval of
the Governor, adopted o plan of the
grounds and buildings
HEM