St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-01-28
HOUSE BILLS PASSED.
REFORM SCHOOL.
The Annual Visit by the Legislative
Committees Yesterday.

committees I yesterday.
Yesterday afternoon at 3 O'clock the COM
mittees on reform school of the two houses
of the legislature paid visit to that institu-
| ton. The committees were accompanied by
large number of the members of both
houses, who desired to see and note for
themselves the workings of this very excel
lent institution of which they had heard so
much. The trip was make in covered
slelghs, the start being made from the CAPT.
tol. The drive occupied about
half an hour. Arriving, the visitors
were met by Superintendent Riheldeffer
and assistants. After a few minutes in
greetings the visitors were escorted through
the school rooms, domitorics, dining rooms,
kitchen, store rooms and shops. The rooms,
as is always the case, were the perfection OF
neatness, and elected the most compliment
tary expressions from all. The shops proved
not only great attraction, but a genuine
surprise, very few of the visitors having the
faintest conception that this annex to the in
stitution was of the size, completeness
and importance it is. In one de-
partment they found q score or
more of boys from twelve to eighteen years
of age, engaged with the most improved
machinery, under the direction of COM
petent foreman or superintendent, in
fashioning parts of the small wagons and
seds, of which many thousand dollars worth
are manufactured annually. Desks and other
articles requiring more skilled workmanship
are also turned out in this department. The
word work has to be painted of course and
the lettering and fancy work Of one of the
boys attracted much attention from THE
originality of design shown and excellence
of execution. In another department the
manufacture of the most useful articles of
tinware is carried on quite extensively. All
the young workmen appeared to take a real
interest in their work and 10 be DESTROYS of
perfecJing themselves in it.
From the shops the visitors returned to
the general school room for boys, where
they were gathered The mem
berS seated, Mr.. Ingersoll, president
of the board of managers, and
Senator Billson.and DR.. Murphy, of the house
committee, were invited to seats on the
platform. The school then sang, accompa-
MED by the organ, "While the Leaves are
Going By" speaking the words distinctly
| and rendering the music very creditably.
Superintendent RiheldefTer then briefly well
coined the visitors, saying he was glad to see
so many Of them present to see
for themselves what the school is doing. He
was followed In brief remarks by Senators
Billson aud Goodrich and Representative
Murphy, who complimented the boys on
their appearance, pointing out the ad-
vantages the school offered for securing
III. 4
urging them to improve the same, so that
when the time came for them to go out into
the world they would be fitted and ready to
take their places in the general walks of life,
and fill the same to the credit OF themselves
and the state which was trying to do so much
for them.
The talks were necessarily brief, and at the
conclusion the visitors were invited by Supt
Rihedeffer to break bread With him, for
which an adjournment was had to
his residence apartments, where a
most paatable lunch was spread, consist
ing of scolioped oysters, cold turkey and ham,
tea and coffee, and ice cream and cake JUS
tice done to this feature the visitors returned
more than pleased with what they had seen
The school now has 1870 boys and fifteen
girls as occupants which number calls into
economical use all the room provided, aud it
is probable the present Legislature will be
called upon for small appropri-
alton to provide the necessary
| facilities for meeting the demands
that are made upon 1t. The need for such an
institution, and the real benefits it is con-
| ferring, is no longer problematical. Both
have been demonstrated by experience, and
it is not probable that anything will be left
undone by the state 10 enable the managers
to keep the institution In the future, as in
past, in the fore rank Of progress.