Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1881-01-13
IN OLD PROJECT.
The Lost Labor of n Dozen Years
AgO-A Work House on Paper.

AgO-A Work House Oh Paper
There is, in the Wilmington Savings
Fund, deposit in the name of Henry f.
Askew as Trustee of the House of Refuge.
The original deposit was 5000, the accrued
Interest of dozen years has increased 1t
to about $3.50.
The story Of this deposit dates back to
the early part of 1865. On March 9th of
that year the legislature incorporated
THE House of Refuge of New Castle
county"
THE CHARTER.
The act OF incorporation provides that
Daniel M. Bates, James F. Wilson, M. D.,
John O. Clark, Samuel Harlan, ,Jr., Edward
I. Beilsb, Washington Jones, l.. P. Bush,
M. D., Lewis Zsbley, William o. Lodge,
Joseph Tatnall, j. W. Maury, Solomon M.
Curtis, James Delaplsine, David Chandler,
Nathanial II. Benson, Elihu jefferson,
Joseph M. Pusey, Edward Belts, Daniel
Oorbit, Gregg Chandler, Hanson Harman,
Peter b. Vandever, Lewis Thompson, j.
Taylor Cause, Phillip Plunkett, r. r.
Porter, M. D., Caleb p. johnson, Achilles
Holingswnrth, William s. Hilles, David O.
Wilson, Jesse Sharp, Henry F. Askew, NJ.
D., Robert L. Hicks, Edward Moore,
Theodore F. Crawford, John Watson
Evans, and as many others as shall con-
tribute to the support of said corporation
shall be empowered to organize and con-
duct the business of the said corporation,
which shall have succession under the
name of 1.-The House of Refuge of New
CASTLE County" for the period of 20 years.
Additional sections provide that every
person who shall contribute $40, or eight
annual payments of So each, shall be
member of the corporation during its
existence, and every person contributing
81 annually, shall he member as long AZ
he keeps up his subscription; that the
business shall be conducted by board of
managers, 2l in number, and chosen
annually, of which the Mayor of Whining
ion shall be ap er-oBiciO member; that the
Board of Managers may erect suitable
buildings in the city of Wilmington; that
incorrigible and yagrant youths may be in
osioerated in the House of Refuge, upon
commitment Of the mayor or Justice of
the peace, or upon an order of the county
courts and that the Board shall have
power to place such youths at some suit
able employment and cause them to be in
structed in such branches of useful
knowledge as may be deemed fitting.
EXTRACTS FROM THE MINUTES.
The late DR.. Askew was the head and
front of this movement, and his endeavors
were ably seconded by Joshua Maris, Esq i,
then Mayor OF Wilmington, and others
whose names appear in the list of cor
porstors.
The first meeting of the corporators was
held in the City Hall, April 20, 1865,
Mayor Maris presiding.
In September following the first election
Of officers was held. DR.. Askew was
chosen president; the late Hon. d. NJ.
Bates and William D. Clark, vice presi-
dents Edward Belts, treasurer, and
Joshua Msris. secretary.
On March 9th, 1866, the Committee on
Buildings and Grounds reported that the
trustees of the Poor had expressed their
willingness to donate one acre of ground
al the intersection of Front and Harrison
streets, as building site for the House of
Refuge.
At the next meeting, the same
committee reported that the City Council
was willing to donate, for the same
purpose and coupled with the provision
that the city might reclaim the ground at
some indefinite time, the square bounded
by Eighth, Ninth, DUPONT and Lincoln
streets. Oa motion, this proposition was
accepted aud it was resolved to request
Coucil to memorialize the legislature to
convey the property TO the corporation In
fee simple.
In November, 1866, committee was
appointed to canvass for subscriptions
with instructions to raise, If possible
$4,000, and the came committee was also
| authorized to apply to the legislature fol
an appropriation of $4,000. The Sav.
ings Fund deposit shows how the public
responded.
The last recorded meeting was held on
June 9th, 1868. On this occasion the
president made a short speech, 10 which
he said that no meetings had been held fol
several months previous ''in consequence
OF the apparent indifference of the people.
NOTHING BUT TALK.
Thus the House of Refuge corporation
collapsed for want of pecuniary er
couragemept.
Since those days there has been somt
talk at different times about getting up q
House of Refuge, bur it all ended as il
began. After the abolition of the City
Hospital the opinion was frequently ex
pressed that the hospital building might
with some alteration, be converted into {
reformatory institution for the bad boys
whose management aud punishment pre-.
sents such problem to the city suthor
ties. OF late, however, this idea Seems t
have bsen lost sight of, and it is proposed
to either sell! the Hospital, IS provided by
the Legislative bill, approved by Council
on Wednesday night, or to transfer it Il
the Board of Education to be used as
school house, either of which disposition
of the property is regarded by many q
likely to be of less benefit to the city thar
its conversion into a House of Refuge, o
some similar institution.
THE WORK HOUSE MOVEMENT.
Analogous to the House of Refuge
question WAS the work house movemen
of 1877, which also accomplished nothin,
beyond brief agitation, public meetin.
aud the drafting of bill which never go
through the legislature.
The public meeting was held in the cit,
hall on the evepil Of February 18th o
that year. Mayor whiteley presided an,
spoke of the need of some reformator,
institution for young criminals. A civil
lied community, he said, has three thing
to do; first to protect itself as much n
possible froui the effects of crime
secondly, to ameliorate the condition o
iis criminals; and thirdly, to reform then
IL possible. His official duties had i'm
pressed upon him the existing necessit
for some place of punishment, other thai
the public jill, for three classes of crimi
mails: tramps, grown persons guilty o
minor Offences, and vicious boys.
As for tho tramps, he would soon ri,
the city of them II Council would furnis
200 perohes of stone. When q tramp ha
oaen given nights lodging in the Hall
he would givs him three hours work NOV
ing stone the next morning, and tina
would settle him He would not com
again. Hecontinued:
''But there is another class" said til
Mayor, THAT | want work house fol
There are. in this county and State, plenty O
people who commit petty depredations, VIII
are not thieves but do these things under th
influence of drink or the spur of necessity
Many are brought before me who l am satil
fined, steal from hunger, and whom / al
obliged to commit to jail, when | would nC
do NO if l had any suitable place for then
Such men ought not to be sent to prison, bt
to some place where they can be suitabl
punished without being associated with erin
inals of worse grade.
Next comes a class of boys who are undo
our present SYSTEM being educated as Grim
Hdls. There is hardly vacant house in tn
city that has not been, since cold weather 8,
III, stripped OF leaden pipe and other remo'
able material by parcel Of boys who sell I'll
same to the junk shops that are kept by abol
the worst class of men in our city, Thes
boys should be taken care of and sent to SON
place where they are to stay until somebod
can say whether they are reformed or no