The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-12-26
BOARD OF VISITORS
Report as to Stark COunty's In
stitutiOns.
GlVIng Much Valuable Information and
Making Many Useful Sugges-
tiOns.
To THE HONORABLE. THE COURT OF COM

To THE HONORABLE. THE COURT OF COM
MON PLEAS, OF STARK COUNTY, o.:
The Board of Visitors to the Charitable
and Correctional Institutions of Stark
county, appointed at the October term
Of Court, 1882, have the honor TO make
the following report upon the condition
ami management of the same, Tor the
year ending Dec, 18th. 1888.
The act creating such 70 Board was
passed by the General Assembly IN April,
1882, and reads rs follows:
ANACT TO AUTHORIZE THE PRESIDING JUDGE OF THE
COURT OF COMMON pLEAs IN ANY COUNTY 10 APPOINT
BOARD OF VISITORS F0k rHE lNsPECiI0N OF AL
CHARITABLE AND CORRECTIVE INSTITUTIONS sur.
PORTED By THE COUNTY
OF Common Peasin each county OF the state a- thu first
satisfied by a1dav otherwise that such appointments
will promote tue welfare Of such institutions, ap oluT
i've persons, residents OF said county three uI whom
snail bewOmen, vino shall culstilutuu E) ara VI V5i. ,
for Inspection an charitable and currcctr iust-
tutiOns supported by ho said county, VIII" shall serve
without compensation.
Sec 2 1t shall b5 the duty of such Board OF Visitors,
by personal visit otherwise, % keep themselves fuzzy
advised Of the condition and management "i an CHART
able corrective institutions supported Ia wnO.Bur ia
part by county municipal taxation which under
county or municipal control and especially tho tnl-
ary, county jail. municipal prisons anu chi drsus Home,
and they shall recommend such changes ana additional
cal and efficient administration, and &c least once in
every three months al oi sAd INSTITUTIONS shdl DC
Sec g. This Board OF County visitors. a the close OF
their term OF service shall prepare report
proceedings during the year with sbcn racJmmenda-
lions as they may deem advisable, aul shat file th2
the county before the first day Of november, aud
shall forward copy Of tho same 70 the Board OF state
Charities at Columbus.
APPOINTMENT, ORGANIZATION AND MEET
INGS.
In accordance with this act, Judge
Pease, on the 18th of December. 1882, ap-
pointed the following persons as the
Board of Stark county: w, w. Clark, j.
H. DumOulin and Mrs. Helena X.
Slusser, of Canton; Mrs. Emma j.
Shaffer, of Alliance; and Mrs. Mary e.
Brown, of MassillOn. January 9th,
1888, the Board met for 0rganlza-
tiOn at the Office Of w. w. CLARK.
MIR. W. W. Clark was chosen President
and Mrs. II. Z, Slusser Secretary. Mrs.
Brown of MassillOn by letter declined
to serve, which vacancy has never been
filled. Arrangements were made for
official visits u the several institutions.
These visits have, at all times been
made without notice and the Board have
,,1thOut exception been cordially re-
.5eiyed and every facility afforded them
: for thorough inspections.
PARAMOUNT CHILDREN's HOME.
The first visit to this Institution was
made January 10TH, i'm connection with
the COlumbiaua county Board, the
Home being the jOinU property Of this
two counties. The farm contains one
hundred and fifty Jour acres. The build
ings include one main building, two
cottages, the farm house, q bake house
and a large boiler house; also baTu
wagon house, ice house, slaughter house
and other necessary out buildings.
very comfortable hospital has been COM
pleted and furnished within the year.
In the basement of the main building
are large fruit, vegetable and dairy
rooms, kitchen, laundry and sewing
room. On the first door are offices, re-
ceptiOn rooms, parlOr, dining rooms,
pantTies and store rooms. The second
floor contains family rooms, guest rooms,
store rooms and three large school
rooms. On the third floor, are rooms
for employees and tanks for hard and
soft water. Fire plugs, connected with
the tanks are centrally located on all
the floors. In the rear of the main
building are two cottages, the first floor
of each contains nursery, sitting room
for children and room for the matTOn
aud nurse, also a bath room.
On the second floor Of each building
are two dOrmitOries each with ward
robe. A covered passage way connects
the cottages with the main building.
The boys home is in the farm house,
where there are also rooms for the kim
dergarden instruction. All these differ
ent apartments are we'll lighted heat
ed and ventilated. The beds were clean
and comfortable. An abundance Of good
healthful food is supplied, as well as
neat, comfortable clothing. Kind
friends have sent books, papers and toys
to instruct and amuSe. Sabbath School
is held in one of the school rooms Tegu-
larly.
The object of this Institution is to
furnish u temporary home for the in
digent children of the district, under
sixteen years Of age, until proper
homes can be f0uEd Tor them or if not
adopted, to be retained until they are
able to care for themselves. There are
no Institutions in our state which give
greater return than our Children's
Homes. In the language Of DR.. Byers
of the Board OF State Charities they are
fOrmatory, not refOrmatOTy. Work for
the prevention of crime Is more hopeful
than work for the reformation of crimi-
nails.
1t has not been possible for the Board
to comply with the requirements of the
new law making it duty to visit. at
least once year. all the children inden
tured from the Home into families. This
work however has been thoroughly done
by the trustees of the Home.
The Board have adopted a new rule in
bnO way VA puAeAhS OAAAhAUl Out' Lulu
tOfOre they were given out on trial, and
if they did not give satisfaction, could
be returned. The consequence was
many were taken out and kept as long
as convenient, or as long as they could
be made serviceable, and then, upon a
frivolous pretext, returned. This was
found not enly subversive Of the intent
of the institution, but demOralizing to
the inmates. Under existing regula-
tiOns no child will be given out on trial.
The most minute information known
to the superintendent as to the parent
age, health, habits and disposition of
the child will be given, but it is dis
tinctly understood that when child
is taken out, be or she is adopted as one
Of the family, the trustees reserving the
! fright to reclaim the child where the
contract is not fulfilled on the part of
the foster parent.
Your Board made three visits to the
Home as whole, and by committees of
its members. Everything about the in-
stitutiOn gave evidence of good care and
management. At the last visit many
improvements In basement were nOtic-