Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-01-16

was published, some three weeks since, In
the Woodstock papers, indicating gross mis-
management and neglect Of duty on the
part Of the officers of the school, aud the
result is that these charges are, apparently,
entirely unsustaincd. 1t will be rcmem-
bcred that the report referred to had lis or
igin in the fact that a boy named johnson,
who had been at the school since last Feb
ruary while awaiting trial, was taken TO
Woodstock to be tried at the December
term Of the Court, and, ailer lying in Jail
there for DAY or two, was found to be
lousy, filthy in person and ragged, and on
being questioned. told story t,ndng 10
show that at the school there was total
disregard of the sanitary condition Of its
inmates, that the boys were virtually COM
PEELED to go filthy and lousy, that they
were brutally whipped, &C., etc.
As soon as this story was published rep
resentalives OF several of the State news
papers, among them two of the Montpelier
papers and the Burlington Free Press. WIS.,
tied the school Jnd made thorough EXAM
ination Of its condition, and week before
last the Trustees of the school, John l.. Ma
son, james NJ. Slade and Paul Dillingham;,
made an investigation Of its management
and the published reports Of all these par
ties unite in saying that the charges entire
~ lack confirmation. aud that the school il
in every respect all that could he expected
or desired, and an honor to the Slate.
1t 50 happened that the Trustees OF the
school, and Mr.. Wheelock Of The Freeman,
were there on Saturday and witnessed the
weekly ablution> of the boys, which inva-
riably take place on that day, and The oper-
alton is described Is being strict aud thor
ouch in every respect They also found
that tue boys are always provided with
clean, whole, and comfortable clothing, that
they have clean, tidy beds, plenty Ct good
wholesome, substantial food that 10 harsh
or brutal treatment is allowed, and in
truth, that every available means is used to
make the school comfortable home for the
boys where proper attention is constantly
given to their physical, moral and intellect
ual needs. At the time of the visit of the
trustees, out Of l42 boys in the school only
two were in the hospital, showing very
favorable sanitary condition.
From the report Of the Trustees, which
is OF considerable length we copy the fol-
lowing, as Indicating iu part the system
followed in the management of the nstItu.
toni
"The system Of government in the insti-
ton is one calculated TO arouse and keep
alive any ambition and pride of character
which nature may havr bestowed upon
these boys. When they are received each
( t,ls in, third lf,.I gis Al
tes bad boy Al the expiration OF three
months, IL he has conducted himself prop
erly, he is promoted to the second grade,
which is good boy and SO on into The first,
which is very soJdb1y, and the additional
degrees of'trusr and honor Those in the
last mentioned degrees are accorded more
privileges than the others, and are selected
for positions Of responsibility. They are
considered to be ans are in every way
treated as persons Of integrity worthy of
confidence and esteem, and it is from this
class that furlOughs and final discharges
are made. Every boy j. anxious TO reach
these grades, and rs they are aware that
any mise nduct cuts them down in their
marks, and so sets them back in their
grades, they have great Inducements to do
well.
"ln the shop where chairs are seated
each boy has daily stent, in no case an OPP
pressive one, which be must perform, and
DCNOhh NAlSs bI u ut htsllGS, GOllllI-
ne to work, and the State pays him in
money, a stipulated price for each seat.
| This is done that the inmates NAV be en-
| Outraged to habits Of industry, aud it was
| in this way the b vs. this year earned
the money which enabled them 10 make
very elegant Christmas presents 10 Mr..
| and Mrs. Fairbank, and 10 several of their
Sabbath school teachers who come in from
| the village. This system OF encourage
ment goes 80 far that no officer is permit
ted 10 administer any but the most trifling
corporal punishment, until he has first
stated the case to the Superintendent, and
this regulation is fully understood by all
the boys. They have been frequently in
vited by members of The Board of Trus-
tees, and by Superintendent Fairbank him
self, TO freely make known any grievance,
real Or fancied, which they may have. They
avail themselves of this privilege, and il is
impossible that any cruelty could be prac-
tised upon them without its coming TO his
knowledge, and As he is held directly re-
sponsible for the conduct of all his subor-
dinales, his position and reputation are de-
pendent upon his diligence in seeing that
they properly perform the duties assigned
them
The boy Johnson, whose story furnished
the foundation for the sensational stories
about the school, is ifleen years of age, OF
very small mental capacity, indolent, stol-
id, and bad Specimen" generally. lie
was subject to epileptic fits when sent to
the school, but under proper treatment had
been so far cured as to have had none since
June. He was evidently disposed to make
trouble in the school If possible aud is said
to have boosted to the boys that he should
'mdke ii hot for Tie Institution uhen he got
10 Woodstock, get pdrdoned himself, and get
the rest Of hem pdrdoned also" The
charges OF brutal punishment are denied
in toto by the officers of the school. When
in one of the fits referred TO he invariably
iouled his person, and as he had one while
lying in Woodstock Jail, this accounts for
the condition in which he was when brought
up for trial. The boy plead guilty of the
crime with which he was charged and was
sentenced to five years confinement.
The Freeman closes its article on the
school by saying that at is a noble institu-
ton. II is doing Christ-like work for the
neglected boys of Vermont. We could not
keep silence and hear il slandered. This
attack upon it will not, however, harm the
institution. II will only call public atten-
lion moro directly to it, and prompt great
or personal knowledge of its inner work
ings by the citizens of this State"
VERMONT DAIRYMES's ASSOCIATION
The fifth Winter meeting Of the Vermont
Dairymen's Association will he held at Es-
sex Junction, the 2lst, 22d and 23d inst.
This meeting is expected 10 be the most
Interesting and profitable of The entire Sc
ries. Persons who pay fare over the Mont