The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-01-03

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The number of boys in the school at the be-
ginning of the year, was 147; 80 were commit
ted and 80 discharged, leaving al at the close
The average number in the school was 144. 1t
appears, therefore, that the total cost of main
tanning the school, including all salaries, re-
pairs and expenses of all kinds, was less than
$3.50 for each inmate. The bounty of the State
was SOL 80 for each boy
The trustees say that the plan introduced by
Superintendent Wentworth, of classifying the
boys according to department, granting privil.
eyes as rewards for good behavior, has trans
formed the institution from juvenile prison
into reform school properly so called. The
three grades are now kept entirely separate,
and promotion from one to Another is granted
only when it is fairly earned. The boys of the
first grade are trusted completely, and only two
of them violated the confidence reposed In
them during the year. These boys, sixty in
number, were taken down to Little Chebeague
in August, and had a weeks sport there in
camp. They also attended the Poultry Show
at Portland and the exhibition of the State Ag-
rlcultural Society at Presumpscot Park; and
those of them who chose to earn their tickets
by extra work, were allowed to attend one of
Barnabee's concerts in Portland. None of
them abused these privileges by deserving or
disorderly conduct of any kind.
Amusements have b3en provided also for the
whole school. Two concerts have been given
in the chapel. All the holidays have been set
apart for recreation, and the Christmas festival
as usual, has been especially interesting.
stock of in, door games has been provided for
bad weather, and the library now numbers
about 1900 volumes.
OF 80 boys committed during the year "a were
sent up for theft, four for sruancy, TWO for va
grancy, one for assault and one for malicious
mischief A third of the whole number. eleven,
were fatherless, and five had lost their mothers
Their ages ranged from nine to sixteen. Two
of them knew the alphabet only; all the rest
could read little; seven could not write; aud
nine knew nothing about arithmetic. The
scho4w work is said to have been very success
full.
The Trustees explain that the chair shop, for
which the last Legislature appropriated $1,000,
has been very useful in completing the ciassl-
fcatOn of the school, There are now three
schools, three work shops and three play yards,
SO that the grades are kept entirely separate.
In order to protect the building more thor
oughly against the danger uf fire, an appropria-
ton Of $1,000 is desired, to construct tank in
the attic of the building, with pipes leading
downward through all the stories to the base
ment
La postscript to their report, the trustees
mention the sudden death Of Superintendent
Wentworth on the Sth of December, aud pay a
just tribute to his worth and efficiency, The
wear has been unusually fatal a the Reform
School. George Is. Bolton died of consump-
ton in September-the only death among the
boys for more than three years; aud Mrs. Ann
Prescott, for many years house keeper, died of
apoplexy in October.
The trustees invite careful inspection and
examination of the school By the Legislature,
through its committee, and ask for an appro-
priation of $l2. 900 for the expenses of the cur
rent year.