The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1872-04-06
From the anderson Herald.


Mr. EDlToR-H Having had the pleasure Of
visiting what is known in the statutes of our
ktate as the House of Refage,'' and know
ing that you are live m an and always ready
10 give your many readers information in re-
gard to every thing pertaining to the & Hoosier
State" hope it may not be uninteresting to
a few at least 10 know something about the
/" Reform schools at Plainhsld, and know
Of no reason why it should be called Plain.
field unless it is from the fact that its citizens
are all plain, unassuming, hospitable people,
and adhere to the good old-fashioned way Of
speaking plain language in plain manner to
every one with whom they come in contact,
be they plain or otherwise. Plain6eld is sit.
mated in narrow plain between the banks Of
Q beautiful little stream bearing the classic
name of Whitelick, in Hendricks county, on
the I. V. II st. l.. Il. R., fourteen miles west
Q, Indianapolis, aud the institution Of which
propose to speak is about one mile south
west from the depots, and is comprised Of
two hundred and twenty acres of fine farm-'
ing land. The buildings, so far as completed
are Of brick, and of plain, substantial char
acter, and we'll adapted fer the purpose for
which they were intended, and are in charge
Of Mr.. Ainsworth, who is certainly the right
man in the right place. There are at present
near three hundred happy and contentsd
boys in the institution, learning useful and
honorable trades and -callings, prominent
s. - 1c
farming in all its details. Each one learning
to do and be something in the world i; and in
connection with all this they are securing lib.
eral educations, and, what 10 above all, good
moral instruction and training. The system
of management contemplates making this in
stitution not simply place OF correction bu.
. reform school in the fullest sense Of the
word, whore the Juvenile offender, separate
from vicious associates may by careful phys
ical, moral and Intellectual training, be re-
formed and restored 70 the community will,
purposes and character fitting them for good
citizens and honest and honorable men. To
those who are skeptical a. to the practicable
il, Of the Golden Rule; would earnestly com.
mend visit to this best of lndiana's beneH-
cent institutions and see the beauty Of il.
exsmpiihcatiop. ] use the word best " 30.
cause think ii superlatvely above all otheI
of our State institutions. Not that would
3 tor one moment detract from the merits O
our deaf and dumb, our blind or insane asy-
= lums. But common humanity makes US in
stuitivsly kind to that class Of unfortunate,
when or wherever we meet thcm. But wheI
the Maynard mar, or boy either. once start
d on the downward road Of vice, hun,orou
!, writer has truthfuliy said, Everything SEEM
creased for the OCCASION" and our daily oh
n servstion teaches how rapid the descent an
how soon the poor unfortunate is brough
!. under the ban Of the offended law, and chris
tisn protesting people look coldly on an
sarely extend haad In friendship, or eve
! whisper . word Of sympathy.
In this school habits Of industry and eeoS
.omy arc rgidly enforced. and yet an unkin
word il never permitted, add corporal pan
ishmen 10 not kaown OK thought Of. Frol
thr.s :.sad . hall to,avs hcsr's work is PEI
formed daily BY svSty one; and from "