The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-01-19
variety az the cleanliness of the meal.
with my boy, We crossed over the Vsrmil-

variety as the cleanliness of the meal.
with my boy. We crossed over the Vsrmil-
lion river to the Pontiac reform school.
The school Is large brick structure
with the necessary workshops and out
buildings. situated on an eligible site on
the farm of two hundred and eighty acres,
about one half of which is drained and
cultivated, and the remainder soon will be
a. the state has provided the funds to do
the work.
The building and heating apparatus are
valued at $IOl 700 and the tools and outfit
entire at $I37, 459 90 They have about
$50 boys now in the institution, aud the
method of schooling and working them
will be the principal points in my present
letter.
The boys are comfortably housed and
fed, and attend school two hours in the
morning and two hours 10 the afternoon;
work six hours in each day. the younger
portion Gaming chairs for the Bloomington
Furniture Mandatory, and the larger
bows 10 the shoe factory where Ladies' and
Misses shoes are manufactured by Mer-
rili, Iced & Co, of ST. Louis. The labor
of the larger boys is contracted for at Is
cents per day, 40 young Wainer informed
me he had to nail or peg rs pairs per day.
it would seem SIS if the contractor might
sell those goods cheap. The boys do all
the work on the farm and raise nearly all
the vegetables, pork, and about 5000
pounds of beef yearly
The institution is commanded by j. D.
Scouiler, NJ. D.. with the following assis
tants: J Kalleen Assistant Superinten,
dant. Mrs. J D Scouller. Matron; Samuel
Williams, Clerk, ard the following teach
ers: Ada Lewelng, Samuel Williams,
Mrs. E A G Williams, Miss II S Brigham
and Charles Mcintyre.
The boys, by good conduct, get pro-
NOTED from the general dormitory to the
family building. where they have neat
ruome, separate dining room, and are
not kept under as strict discipline as The
other boys. This is the prize held out
for good, manly conduct, and many Of The
boys are working pobly to Jain it.
They have chapel whers religious SER
vices are held every Sunday. Also fair
library and reading room containing a
large NUN Der of we'll selected and illustras-
ed and weekly papers.
The ordinary expenses Of the school are
about $4,000 per aunum. The problem
of what good can be accomplished by this
institution is by no means settled. The
trustees are advocating an entire change.
claiming that to do good they should have
entire charge of the boy from the time he
is convicted until ho arrives at the age of
81. unless soon.r discharged for good con-
duct or pardoned by the governor, as now,
Also they have power to issue tickets of
leave. for bad behavior, or for violation OF
tie rules, boy may be returned for
further discipline.
We saw three Moline boys there and
they all seemed healthy aud apparently
happy.
Ii We are to have bad boys and must
have reform schools, We think the Pontiac
school will fill the bill admirably with the
present staff of officers. who seem to be
anxious to DO their part of the grand work
committed to their care, with earnestness
and zeal
Returning to Pontiac l found the train
again late. and while at the depot met
Sheriff Hunter of Livingston county. tbs
gentleman who hung DsBocr. the Mlnonk
murderer, some months since, with neat
ness and difpatch. He seemed to be a
very pleasant gentleman, just adapted to
bis present position, and We venture the
prediction that be will xsan and wear
we'll
Dwight. OdeIl. Wilmington and Brad
wood. important towns were passed on our
return trip, reaching Joliet in time to learn
that the last western train had left an
hour previous, and that we had to renal
over until Sunday night for the first train
west. 1t didn't suit our previous expert
ence tos stop ct tho Robertson House, so
We went to Chicago and put up with our
friends Hilton & Cobb at the Sherman,
and attended the Carpenter Memorial
Concert TO hear Bernhardt at the Central
Music Hall. VIM 6. MORRIS.