, 1875-03-26
OUR STATE REF0REa SCHOOL.
observations During d Weeks sojourn
Among tho Boys.
Tho Manner, In which tito Instts
tuition Is Operated.
Evils Of tho Present Systcm, AMI How
They May Ito llcmctlfcd.

~ G1 4'Aa%IT " 1HG LntCuV" 1fa0HUss
posTrAc, ILL.,. March 22.-1s lad boon long
settled purpose OF lntno 10 mako a Walt to our
state Reform School; nnd, when tho time ca.no
for mo, either to gtvo up my place In tho News-
boys 1fomo or mako at, effort to rccovor Huf-
feiont strength and vigor to rotnin It, by nnort
fur'ougl,, the opportunity 10 make the promised
visit to our boys at fontlno was nccopte1 with
real pleasure, because tho close relation extat!tg
between our iIomo and tho School makes II
necessary for ono to thoroughly undorntand Just
whas our State lloform aohooi Ia doing, mud ho,o
itB work Ia being dono, to act intolllgentlv nntl
wisely as superintendent Of our HoNsboy's
Home.
know there arc many people WHO think VIC
havo too much to do With the polloo Courts and
tho Tridewoll, nnl appenr too of1on In tho Grim.
ina1 Court ngatnat boya who would llnvo n,c only
appear In thcao pieces aa tho apolugist aud do
fcndtr OF BOYS. or not at R1: that tic pneaive,
moral.Blnslon policy aud method Ia tho only ONO
to be successfully used in dealing with our street.
borg. Lottora Oh tho eubjcck filled With kindly
advice and sweeping criticism OF my oourHo,
patrontklng, and sometimes insulting, In tono,
nro aent mo, but alwnyB With some Huch signature
rs '.Triend Of the Boys" or " Humanity" as
tho writer's.
70 oil such adyisors md critics. I have but
ono roplv to mako. You uo doubt ato very sln-
coro aud honest In holding thcao yiors md
opinions, but you aro mistaken, md experience
and long continued effort In behalf. Of these
boys will auroly change your yiows worry ma
tcrlally.
THE STATE NErOnM SCHOOL
OF Illinois III looatod III Tontiao, Livingston
County, OIL tho Chicngo l. Alton Railroad, %
mileB southwest Of Chicago. Tho buildings are
ono milo south Of tile railroad station, and con-
sist of A main contre building, Ga by o4 fect
tn". ~ s,,s,.. ",'a T.n..,s rnas n,t,, 49, ,ns.
Aou. n.et.cs nl'o AlauoAi" 1oo's "''n WV wings.
each ~ w " 1ect, enleo atofch ana Manaaeo
attic putt OF br1cK ana Joltes stoho,-sho
hecond story OF the main on!ldth8 Do,hg feachod
by broad flight OF stonc stops; and tue liberal
use OF stone trimmings SfSoa fathcr imposing
appearance to tho building from quito q uia"
ta';eo.
About 75 feet in tho roar OF the main building
continuing tho boilers engine. ooal'hoi1ao; gas-
Innchlne, and laundry, upon tho ground d-aoor;
mud soveral small rooma ID tho second story,
used for nomo ktuds Of work or elooping. g.roons.
stl,! 1arthof 10 tic roar etahta bslck
building, ~ by 12o teot,-tho ground floor now
being used for IN indoor playground. o1cept at
ono end, which 10 Occupied by platform and ~
immenao batl-sub, "hero tho boJs got m all
over Nabh every Saturday aftornoon: The two
upper etorles aIo for woFkHhops,-thot top floor
nov being occupied as cilalr-snop.
A board fence 0 feet high lncloaee several
acres lying nearest the buildings making line
playground for tho boya upon o1lo aldct and
sogstnb'o-ga5aen upon tho Other.
IheEe ar0 27o hcros or !anu belonging to ana
lying mostly south Of the buildings, Of which
ncarly a!i " tsod as yar or is undor cultivation,
an!i worked ny tho boys. .......,
Iho only Indoor traaes carried rig On Ut present
are thoho OF Gaming chara and tailoring. l'y an
unfortunate lun Of luck. of which tho School
Inns its full Bharo. with q good porcohsage to
aparo. tho shoo-Bhor lS closed. Ever since
Tic supreme Court oy ita aeels!ons' Wholly
nhapReu tue ohhracter OF cur stato hetofm
Sclinol, 1t has been tho within OF bhl manage
mnns, oad lck, oaa treatment. or ll'tllctlonB ana
aill!gtionh Of Que ktnd or another, enough to kill
anything. Gnu; b!t Tor thn pets'aienk ennst ana
State baatllng would long ago have been NUM-
bored among tho things q the past:
In looking oyer tue buildings tue appliances
ior doing ats allotted WORK, ~ aoems az tnoneh
perslatont effort Aad been msue to eco how per.
fecsly the plan OF -
hoW NOT TO 20 IT
could DO carried out. Ilefc 10 ho system OF sow
crago worthy OF tho name tAo notle OF heating
to wrotchod.7ony part or the main buildings
can 30 heated a. one time IN ths e9ldoss weather
there Is no syatem Of ventilation whatoycr
k1tohoh ana January arrangements arc miserable:
Now. add to all thcao defects d nlggardly aud
pouurous course IN furnishing tnsal's to uso tho
poor accommodation proV!d1d to tho best ndvnr-
tage. aud somo idoa may bo had Of the difficult
tIos WHICH bcset thoso trying 70 do tho work
in our htato lteiorm School. !hero 10 room
enough IN tue nniiuinsa TO lrovont efowd1ng tho
dornitories, but thorn is no appropriation TO pay
for man to tako charge of another room 20
tho 18O 70 200 boys aro crowded into two dor1nt-
tories, wilaeh mako It necessary TO sleep them IN
two dcck.heds 5ono over the othet): standing
close toEethef' Win no Seaulatloh pht tao ~ih-
But 10 spite o. all theao dotects and dsscon'-
forts, Or. Scol!lcr. the superintendent, pro-
duccs Bomo e1ccllons results and gots on 1ntcla
better than most moo Would under tho naino dlh-
couragenonss md hindfancos. Whole number
Of boya hlafch ID, l6a.
The following ID tho regular
ORDER Foa DAYS WORE:
At Q O'clock 10 the morning. tho boya alt ~.
for study and recitation for MI hour aud = half.
Thou iollow devotional exercises reading !,