Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1885-09-21
The Ferris Reform School.

Another meeting or the Board Of
Managers of the Ferris reform
School was held on Friday af-
| ternoon at the school build
ing, TO decide upon the needed altera-
tions In the building to make 1t con.
form to the purpose intended. After
| consultation with 6uperin tendent
Piokels, the building Of a laundry,
bake and wash house was agreed upon,
and besides these but few more changes
will be needed.
A committee, consisting Of George g.
Capelle and Alfred Gawthrop, went to
| Meriden, Connecticut, TO examine into
| the workings of the Connecticut Re-
form School at that place, and to see
wherein the system there in use won Id
be applicable to the Ferris Reform
School, and the committee made the
following report
Your committee, appointed TO visit
the State OF Connecticut Reform School,
beg leave to report that they have visi :
ted Meriden, where the institution Is
| located, ana were kindly received by
George u. Howe, the present supsrin
tendent, and in answer to our many in
quiries, and after d statement from us
al to our location, our conditions and
our desires, he made US, as we think,
some useful and practical suggestions.
First, there appears TO be in all such in.
| stitutions one of two systems to be
| adopted, the clone or prison system, and
what they call the open system, which
intends to be O home divested Of all
prison appliances, where freedom
exists quite equal to well.reg lated
boarding school. The latter Mr.. Howe
strongly recommends as securing the
best results in reforma.ory purposes.
Again, there appear to beunder either
Of these systems two plans of homes for
boys, one, the congregate, which i'm.
plies the whole institution under ono
roof and one set of officers; the other,
the cottage or family system, which
provides for separate families of fifty
boys in separate cottage, having its
own officers. They consist of man,
his wife, and competent lady teacher,
at cost OF 81 200 yearly for salaries
only. This latter plan Mr.. Howe
strongly endorsed. After giving him
as we'll as we could the plan of the
building, he thinks that we should
utilize 1t TO our purposes as near az
possible In its present condition, and
that it can be done to accommodate one
family Of fifty boys, and any future in
crease she uld be made by the building
lof distinct and separate homes.
He has very kindly loaned us the
plans and specifications of one of theiI
cottages, which we have for your in
lspection. In regard to our future in
crease. he thinks in a population OF
eighty thousand people, which is about
the nu IN berx in our county, that We
would not be likely to have ever 100
boys in three years, and most likely the
tirst year our number would not ex
ceed 25 to 30. In having boys com
mitted to us, 1t should be until they are
t2l years of age.
This will not interfere with their dis
missal from US, and yet give us contro
of them. Many boys are prepared Il
lleave the school on probation within
the year, and after the school is in fail
. running order, say two or three years
lyou will not increase much, but will
diminish and indenture as many as we
receive. In indenturing boys 10 far
mers or mechanics. 1t Is the custom Il
allow them, in tue presence Of tn
= superintendent, to make their owl
bargains and without any indenturinl
papers.
All boys are required to work from
live to six hours each day, TO stud!
three, and retire at s o'clock in thu
evening the balance of the time ma,
be diverted to play or reading. Their,
: seems to be several employments Il
which the boys are put, the Gaming o
chairs and manufacture of brooms anC
clothing, but the services of many o
them are required in the laundry bake
house, dining and sleeping rooms, ant
also ON the farm ;the latter employ mep
above all others, Mr.. Howe told US the.
Ipreferred, and he was often beset to b
allowed to work there.
He strongly recommends that "
should keep our farm under our owl
control, and not rent it, but have
I competent farmer who has had som
Experience in reform natory work. Sucl
!, a man, he says, can be got for $iO
month, and he thinks he would hav
Q no trouble in sondiDg us one. The in
= Idustrial departments OF the school a
h seem to be conducted by experience
loverseers, both on the farm and in th
ldiffierent rooms, and the teaching b
n lady teachers. In conclusion, the on
thing that was the most surprising
/ US was the perfect contentmeut of tt
Iboys, and the system could not bu
Icommend itself TO any one who woul
Isee the results. GEORGE CAPELLE,
ALFRED GAwTHRoP.
cI >-