St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-12-03
Fruits of the Reform School.

The II. Alban> Messenger announces
the death of Michael f.. Rowan who
lett -. Alham> Il week ago for Florida.
having sailed from New York on Thurs
,IaN of last week. In connection with
the announcements. Il sketch of his his
toIl i> given. We give extracts there
from. showing what u hoy can dc
tul himself. a> well ;i> what our reform
school arcumpliShcS i'll some instances :;
Nj. Rowan had Il sad history. hnt he
Developed manly qualities which would
have given him excellent standing in
the world had his life been spared.
Left an orphan in Montreal. ut u tender
aye. he WAS adopted lay ar aunt. and
She proved 81 cruel To him tliat he LETT
her aud took to the street. selling pat
p,lS. backing boots. gathering rags.
ANYTHING to keep his body and soul to-
mcthrr Somehow he drittcd to st.
AlhanS and naturally found his way to
a NEWSPAPER office. Mr.. Whiting took
him as an apprentice and kindly cared
for him. but the life he had been lead
iny had left an impress which made
confinement irk>"ne, and for several
wears he WaS Il housrlcSS and homeless
Vaudcrcr in the streets of st. Adams.
BRIGHT and witty. he was ready to Gu
"I"c any one in an intellectual combat :;
and ragged and unkcmpt. he had many
Il phy steal combat To keep even with
the hoy of the period" Kind people
of his own nationality often took him
in. and business men, attracted hN his
brightness and touched by his miSt"lt
unc. often gave him some little job. but
on the whole he lived as the birds live.
and no one knows, nor ever Will. what
his sensitive spirit suffered. Finally ,
at rs, on some contrivcd offence. he was
sent to the reform school. and it WAS Il
undScnd. He remained there three
years. serving ont his sentence. acquir-
inc il full manly stature, Il good cduca-
| tiou. and such confidence of the super
intendent that during the last year he
was entrusted with the running of the
steam and gas works. At the expiration
of his time he returned to st. AlbanS,
and through the Kindness and Influence
of Mr.. George Gregory Smith found
employment for IL year or more as fire
man on IL locomotive. Losing that po-
sitiom, owing to Il large reduction oi
help on the road, he went into the roll
ing mill, where he worked until tn,
mill shut down in the fall of last wear
Applying to the proprietor of the Mes
Scnger for il position, and expressing :;
Willingness to do anything whereby h,
could earn an honest living. he Wa,
taken in. more out of consideration toi
his circumstances than becaIisr he WA,
really needed, and .S he soon developed
IN aptitude for reporting. he was en-
ploNcd IN that capacity. until disease
which attacked him last winter, com
PEELED him to give up work Il few week
ago. Becoming convinced that he ha,
the consumption, he had AN intcIIS,
longing to go south, and through th,
generous contributions OF friends il
towm-tor all were his friends colectc,
without his knowledge. he WIS enable,
to go, but alas, too late.
1t gives us pleasure to testify to the
character-that word means Il good 'lea
which thi>,poor young man developed
We have seen him more than once
within Il yeaI placed under circnmstaH
ceS which would have caused many To lie
or show some unmanly quality. Bu
he stood the test and was as trIIStwol
thy as Il dial He wrote an elcgam
hand and was acquiring an easy am'
correct style of reporting. His habit
were good, his ambition worthy. ana hi
prospects excellent.
Dying in the Catholic faith, the Hi
bernlan brotherhood have teIegraphc,
to have him receive christian burial Il
savannah. and there, probably, i'll Bon
; aventure. the most beautiful cemeter,
III America, he will he inferred, as ten