Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-10-31
\ VISIT TO TIE STATE REFORM
SCHOOL.

Dear Herald:
Last Thursday the Joint Commit
tee, consisting of three members
from the Senate and five from the
House, visited the Reform School
at Vergennes, and as they had the
privilege of inviting anyone they
chose, the Senator from Essex Coun-
ty being on the committee gave me
an invitation to accompany him and
1 very gladly accepted it. We left
Montpelier at $50 a, m. on the Cen
trail Vermont Railway arriving at
Essex Junction at $40; there we
changed cars going by the way of
Burlington, arriving at Vergennes
about 9.40, where we found waiting
our arrival at the station coaches to
convey us to the Reform School,
which is situated about one and one
half miles from the station, the drive
taking us through the ancient city
of Vergennes, the Oldest city in the
State.
On our arrival at the Reform
School building we were met by the
very gentlemanly and obliging Sup
erintendent, Mr.. Fairbank, and his
equally kind and efficient wife, the
Matron.
After resting a few minutes the
Superintendent started to show us
over the building and into the diff
ferent departments, and was very
much surprised to see the order and
neatness that pervaded every part
of the institution. The boys are di-
vided into two lots, the larger boys
sleeping in one room and the small
er ones in another there are about
fifty single beds in each room all the
same size, and as neat and clean as
one could wish. The girls depart
ment is equally as neat and orderly
as the boys. Connected with the
sleeping departments is the hospital,
with bath rooms and closets arrang-
ed as handy as in a private house.
The kitchen and laundry contain all
the modern improvements for cook
ing, washing, and ironing. One
very striking feature of the institu-
ton is the nice arrangement where
the boys take their bath, twenty-five
Or thirty all at the same time. There
is box about twenty feet long,
r eight wide and three deep, cemcrted
so that it is water tight; on top of
this box is an iron water pipe run.
ming clear around it; it is, l should
say, an inch pipe with holes about
one-fourth of an inch in diameter
and an equal distance apart the en-.
tire length Of the pipe, and the wa.
ter is let into the pipe, cold and hot
together, OF either separately, as tho
case may require. The boys stand
ing in the box have each a stream
of clean, fresh water, so by this ar
rangement one boy cannot wash il
the same water that others have
used, as would often be the case il
they used one common wash bow
or bath tub; then, each one has g
towel of his own which is hung OF
, u hook over which is the name Of
the boy, so there can be no mistake
Passing to the boys work room, i
is quite sight to sec about fifty
boys, ranging from eight to sixteer
years of age, all at the same work
Gaming chairs. I understand that the
/, frames are made in Rutland, tn,
> State having the contract of fifteel
cents each for bottoming them i
is surprising to see with what rapid
ity the boys do their work. They
have to work five hours each day
. and after they get accustomed to thu
;, work one can bottom from five t
= seven chairs each day. You do no
= hear any talking or see any playing
), going on while they are at work.
l went into the dining room Will
. they were at dinner. Everything
there seemed just as neat and clear
as any private house. There wer
= eighty-two boys and girls there, al
eating at the same time, and not
word was spoken nor was there an
:. playing. When they had finished
:, at the word of command they al
= marched out, the largest ones lead
- ing and the rest following ACCORDING
= to size. After dinner the boys wer
N formed in line by the ovcrseer t
- march to the playground for a
- hours sport, and never saw a con
:, pany of well drilled soldiers marc
= hotter or knn,, hnttor t;,.,o 4hnn IL &c