The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-01-03
REFORM SCHOOL,

REFORM SCHOOL,
The management of the Reform School is
generally satisfactory !"
Inc trustees report that the farming opera- |
tons have been unusually successfui-health
OF inmates remarkably good and the progress
in the School commendable
Whole number in the school one hundred
and forty.
SWEDISH IMMIGRATION
The number of our Swedish immigrants has
been increased during the past year, by the ar
rival OF three hundred immigrants, who came
without any promise OF aid by the State to ioin |
their "ountrymen.
This increases the immigration from Swe-
den to thirteen hundred, about one-haIf of
whom are in New Sweden. The others arc
The colonists have built one hundred houses
and eight barns. They have erected and put
in operetlon one saw mill and two steam shin
gle mills. They have now in the colony seven
teen horses, sixteen oxen and Seventy-Six COWS.
During the year they have paid $2,O4O00 to-
wards the supplies furnished them in labor on
the roads. Thirty miles of roads in the town.
ship are now passable. A school of seventy or
eighty scholars, in which. the English language
exclusively is taught, has been sustained about
four months of the year and is now in success
full operation.
The large amount of rain and wet weather of
the past season has made. the clearing of land
and harvesting of crops somewhat difficult in
the older portion of the State; but in New
Sweden, where the clearngs are necessarily |
small and where more rain has fallen than in
the southerly and westerly portions of the
State, it has been with very great difficulty |
that land could be cleared crops properly |
harvested Two-thirds of the land intended |
for crops in 1872 remains uncleared on this ac- |
count They, however, succeeded in sowing
one hundred ant eighty-seven bushels of |
| spring wheat, and planting eight hundred and
| seventy-seven bushels of potatoes besides win
ter wheat, rye, oats, barley and other crops.
This is only about one-third of what they
| would have sowu and planted if the season had
| been as favorable as the average. 1t would
| have been sufficient however to place the colo
nists above want if the season had been ordi-
narily favorable; but the long continued rain
caused the wheat to rust and the potatoes 30
rot, so that not more than half crops were
| realized
In letter to me dated Nov. %, 1872, signed
| by committee in behalf of the coonists, they
express great disappointment ON account of
their inability to clear more land and the par
tial failure of their crops, but they do not APP
pear discouraged They acknowledge with
gratitude the aid the State has given them.
They say they are Injured to labor and ready
to work; that they are acquiring a knowledge
of our language and customs, and striving to
gain knowledge of our form of govern
ment, so that when they receive the rights of
citizenship they may be men and not dependent
children. They predict that New Sweden with
ten years will by means of natural increase
and immigration number its citizens by thou
ands large portion of these people came on
our invitation. They have done the best they
could; the failure of their crops is no fault of
theirs. We must not allow them to suffer-
The report of the Board and Commissioner of
immigration, containing complete statement
of the condition of the colony, will be laid be-
fore you at an early day.
PUBLIC LANDS.
The report of the Land Agent makes COM
plete exhibit of the business of that office. In
my last annual address, L called attention to
the claim made by the European and North
American Railway Company to certain lands
set apart for settlement. 1 also stated that par
ties were cutting timber on portion of these
lands under permits from said railway compa-
ny. These parties were, after due notice, pro-
ceeded against as trespassers according to the
provisions of law. This was followed by ac-
ZION against the Land Agent and the Sheriff of
Aroostook county. Two of these cases, in
yolving the questions at issue between the
State and the Railway Company, are to be argued
next. t,A
, The report of the Commissioners of Fisher
es will be read with interest. Important sug-
, gestions are made for the restoration of valu-
able species of fish into waters where they were
formerly abundant, but from which they have
been expelled by artificial Instructions. The
protection of this important interest on our
shores, and in our bays and inland waters, is
of great Importance to the State. 1 commend
the suggestions of the Commissioners in re-
! gard to certain amendments to the law, to your
| consideration. e e& f&s- M
, INSTRUCTION FOR DEAF MUTEs AND THE BLIND.
: We are now supporting in the American
Asylum for deaf and dumb at Hartford,
, Conn, ffty-six pupils at a cost of $175,-each
per annum. We are also paying the same sum
IN part support OF three pupils in the Clark
Mass.
The Asylum in Hartford is under efficient
) management and the teaching appears to be
thorough and practical, both in the school
pleasure of visiting the school at Northampton
where articulation and lip-reading are taught
but am informed that it is in all respects an ex-
celleut institution. We. also have eight stu
dents in the Perkins Institution for the Blind
} at South Boston, who appear to be making
good progress towards the ability to support
, themselves. -s-ss --.5-s.ss -
ORPHANS OF SOLDIERS AND sEAMEN.
The orphans of soldiers and seamen have
continued to receive the fostering cere of the
State The fathers of these children gave their
lives in defense of the country, and the least
We can do is to adopt their orphans as children
If the State No obligation is more sacred
than this and none will be more eheerfIlly per-
. formed The number in the Orphans Home
at Bath is now fifty-seven Too much credit
cannot be given to the friends of this institu-
ton for their substantial aid, and their devo-
ton to the welfare of these children. The
thanks of the State especially due to Mrs.
G.. A. L. Sampson who, without compensa-
ton has devoted almost her entire time to this
work of love. 81 5e#
By the terms of an appropriation to the Or
phans' Home in Bangor, that Institution is to
support such orphans of soldiers and seamen
as may be placed in its charge, not exceeding
twenty. Ten such orphans have been in the
Home during portion of the year. There are
now three The management OF this Home APP
| pears to be all that could be expected or desr-
| e6 at nd on ha
part of those who have the management of its
affairs.
The Board of Guardians of INDECENT Orphans
of Soldiers and Seamen is charged with the du-
ty of aiding such of these orphans outside of
the institutions here referred to as their neces-
sites require. This duty, often embarrassing,
and always requiring careful discrimination,
the Board has endeavOred to perform in that
spirit of tender regard for these wards of the
State which prompted the appropriation for
their benefit. Four hundred and nine orphans
have been aided in this manner during the
year.
INDUSTRIAL STATISTICS.
The attention of the last legislature was
called to the Importance of providing for the
collection and publication of the industrial sta
tistics of the State. No man has attempted to
study this subject without being convinced of
the great need of reliable statistical informa-
ton. A knowledge of what we are expanding
and doing in every branch of our widely varied
industries, with the products of each. and the
aggregate of all, would be valuable to own
| people, and attract attention to our undevel-
oped resources. The expense of collecting and
publishing these statistics would be insignifi-
cant when compared with the advantages that
would be secured. 1 hope you will provide for
the performance of this work by one of the
State departments or by the appointment of
an officer for this special dnty.
INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL FOR GIRLS
The last Legislature incorporated the Maine
Industrial School for Girls. The corporators
have held one meeting and organized by the
choice of Hon. Benjamin Kingsbury Jr, of
Portland, President, and Hon. e. r. French
of Chesterville, Secretary. A benevolent lady
in HallOwell, who is interested in this subject
| offers to the State donation of real and per-
| sonal estate valued at ten thousand dollars, on
condition that there be established in the city
of Hallowell, by public or private benefactions
| or both combined, an industrial school for girls
belonging to this State, for the purpose of
training them up in industry and virtue An
other lady in the same city proposes to donate
lot of land valued at two thousand dollars,
| ON the same conditions. The interests of NOR
atty and humanity are pleading most eloquent
| ly for an institution of this kind A small be-
ginning would test its utility and answer for
the present.