New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-08-12
cnLoprRLTTVE EDUCATION.

COOpERATTVE EDUCATION
self-supporting Cooperative Industrial
School for boys and girls was founded IN
Reuttinpen in Germany in 1884 by Herr Won
Werner tho son of the Finance Minister Inc
founder was student of the University Oh
Tubinpen. and at the time q poor vicar ne
Institution was opened for poor and destitute
children. in order to show the possibility Oh
using children's work as capital for making
such institutions self-supportiDg, and OF getting
rid of the degrading influence OF aims-houses
Herr Won Werner was assisted py an eAeeiiehs
lady, who was his true helper IN housekeeping
and needlework, which she taught III Ills
school until her death IN lo4V' ihey
worked very hard, and were sometimes
in want of food nevertheless ne was aoie
in 1870 to buy four COWS and to rent some
land A great misfortune happened to him at
tbis time-tbe loss Of his place as vlcar-but, as
bo copld not swear over the symbolic books the
Government dismissed him from his vicafship
1t was a fayQyite idea Of Herr Werners not
only to give his pupils the opportunity to see
different occupations, and to choose freely from
them after some experience, but to keep them
from IA to IS out of the way of the dangers
of life in large cities, when they could not
have the shelter of home-life, with friends. He
therefore admitted outside children as apprenti-
ces, but they were obliged to pass full year on
probation, and to remain four years as APP
prentices.
With the assistance of some friends, he
founded, in 1867, paper mill and Credit
Institution, in which every one belonging to
the Institution could take a share, large or
small.
The next year occurred a great hail-storm
and famine, and seventy children left in the
care of the community of Fluorn were put
into the almshouse. Herr Won Werner went to
Fluorn, and leaving some OF these children in
the care of his friends, took the rest into his
Institution for certain sum paid by the
community. He now bought water
mill in connection with large
farm, so important to the comfort of
the establishment. This farm of three humid
red acres, stocked with thirty-six oxen, ten
horses, cattle, and sheep, was conducted en-
tirely by two men and these children. They
ground -four, OIL and bones. 1t was very prof
liable, and very central for sending vegetables
and other provisions to other similar institu-
tions. From this time, they grew very fast.
The paper mill made every day from fifteen
to twenty hundred weight of beautiful paper,
with the help of twenty workmen and one
hundred girls.
The large so-called Mother-HOuse contained
the different bureaus under the care of ten
persons; the needlework department with forty
girls; the tailor and show workshops with from
thirty to forty. The Gotteshulfe contained the
church and schOOl-roOms for four hundred boys
and girls the dining rooms, the home for Herr Won
Werner (Which seems to have belonged to all the
family, and the sleeping rooms for the boys
and for hundred workmen, nearly all OF
whom have been educated in tho Institution.
This Institution is now very large and quite
rich. 1t sends its travelling agents over Wur-
temburg, Switzerland and the Rhine. The
knitting and crochet-work and network OF the
girls is sold for from thirty TO sixty thousand
forms per year. The cotton mill is owned in
fifty shares; a wool factory and chemical
laboratory occupy twenty houses. A Kim
derearten. hospital and n bank, also bolone
| to the establishment also n ribbon factory, ma
! chine shop, blacksmith's shop shoemakers
shops, a furniture factory. tanncry, school
of design and engraving, and large machine
shop and steam works, and two thousand
acres of land. There are nine hundred
children from two to twenty years Of age,
and five hundred aud eighty adults
in twenty-three different establishments,
entirely self-supporting. All this is blessed
and guided by one head and one large heart.
The capital building. although the work was
all done by members of the Institution, cost
SoOO OO0 Sometimes the whole town have
given security for Herr Won Werner.