The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-09-01
EsPoN NOE.
Letter from Waukesha, wis.
WAUKEsHA, August l7th, 1880.

WAUKESHA, august L TN, 1OOO.
MeSSrS. Editors,-In my former letter,
it was intimated that some additional i'm
pressions of this region would be given.
That promise I will now attempt to re-
deem. The industry and thrift of the
people strikes stranger. 1t may be
that they work too hard and save too
closely. One of their own favorite speak
ers told a company of farmers recently,
that they labored too severely and eat
too sparingly of nutritious food, and hence
the lean bodies and lank faces of them
selves and their children. The general
appearance of the people indicate lives
of hardship-they look strong but hard
even the women lack the softer lines
in face and figure.
The winters are long and severe, dur
ing which they must battle with the ele-
ments-the people partake of the vigor
and harshness of the climate. OS course
there are many exceptions of refinement
and culture.
was here during harvest, and rode
several miles daily through the adjacent
country-yet l seldom met a person on
the road, or saw one at the houses-the
whole population, men, women, and chill
dren, were in the fields gathering the
ripe grain. saw an old woman stand
ing on the summit OF an immense stack of
wheat which she had built up. I was
taken into a great barn filled with hay
and was told that an old man above 70
had cut and raked it all, of course with
the machines.
To work hard and spend little is the
rule of life here-it is the spirit of the
people-it is the condition of success-it
is the source of their material prosperity
the air is filled with it, so that the very
insects seem to feel the universal impulse
the house-hies are more stalwart, saw
age, aggressive, than with us. So great
Is this pest that not only in Chicago and
Milwaukee, but all through the country.
even in the humblest dwellings, the peo-
pie are forced to protect themselves by
means OF wire screens to doors and win
dows-else one could neither read, eat, or
sleep during the day--as it is, in many
houses there are absolutely no flies, not
even in the kitchen. The butcher stalls
IN this cl'anly village are protected in a
similar manner.
There is large reform school for bows
at Waukesha. 1t has four hundred and
fifty inmates at present. 1t State in
stitution, and costs nearly $4,000 annu-
ally. The boys are educated to certain
extent, are taught various trades, and
all by turns labor on the farm attached
to the school, By invitation of the super
intendent I preached to them on Sab
bath afternoon, and thus had good op-
portunity to study their faces. While
some indicated intelligence and sensibil.
lty, most of them were dull and spiritless.
and even sensual if not brutal. Ny spirit
was stirred within me as looked upon
those hundreds Of immortal beings, 80
young, 50 vicious-ga gathered from the
haunts Of evil-already branded with the
mark OF crime. My heart bled for those
poor perlshing souls-their lot is a sad
one-no home, no kind parents, no voice
OF tenderness, no touch of kindness. They
are, indeed, rescued from the evil associa-
tlons which, so young, had stamped them
with lnfamy-they are housed, clothed
ieo' they are trained to habits of indus
iIry and obedienct-and this is a great
boon to them, as well as necessary safe
guard to society-but how unified are
tne hlred officials Of party patronage to
rear good men, good citizens or good
CHRISTIANS There is no public provision
Ior religious instruction at this Reforma-
tory-the Legislature Of Wisconsin has
provided no chaplain or other teacher of
IIehgion for these four or five hundred
ooys shut up In prison, or working under
armed guards-yet such'is the force Of
lrrellgion in the State that the Christian
people have been unable to overcome #
aILdhough the superintendent exerts his
,H;lluence a;1S9 to secure them religious exer-
0iSes' No wonder the boys looked cold