The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-06-14
BOYS REFORM SCHOOL.
A DESCRIPTION OF THE AGRlCuL-
TuRAL COLONY OF METTRaY.

A French Training School for Abandoned
Children, Founsiiings aud Young Wan
ierers in the Streets--striet Discipline
Occupations Taught.
Mettray, which was the great good work
began by De Met, and carried on by the
two friends DE Met. and DE Courteiiles,
was opened to children in is4t hut seven
months before in July, 1859, a school was
upeded there OF the utmost importance,
namely, for the education OF tho house
fathers 1t was the purpose of De Met,
and has always been one of the funda
mental principles at Mettray, to divide the
young persons committed to it into groups
or families The s0J children are distributed
in twenty families of about each, living
each in separate house and ruled by u
house father. Now, De Mot. understood
that the success OF failure OF his great ex-
pertinent must depend mainly on the house
fathers Accordingly, his first step was to
open school thoroughly to train suitable
persons for this responsible work before
singh child was received ut the colony
The hoase-fathers are the governors OF the
81 aeiai families con.ided to them, but they
have nndoF them assistants, and some OF the
boys themselves are trusted with authority,
according to their good behavior, un.ier
The title o. freres aines, that Is, eldof broth
els; and this principle OF making the COO
nlsts govern themselves as far as may be,
rams III many ways through the establish
nenL Military orders prevails TIE boys
rise, dress, iSneel for prayer, fold their ham
mocks, march silently to breakfast aui to
WORK, AID 50 again at evening stretch their
hammocks told the,r clothes neatly and lie
down to sheep, all by bugle call,
SrRit TNTssS OF The DISCIPLINE.
The discipline is severe In this remark
| bla colony ain not describing Il piece of
tender entIn,entalism, but an enlightened
treatment for moral disorder The very
ieast inffactiou OF the rules is punished De
Met. understood the humane view OF Bee
caris, that not severity, hut certainty, of
punishment is what is neces sary- The pen
a.trs at Msttray are reprilnands, public and
| pIi ate but always given after an interval,
| that both tie boys aud the house father
| OF director may have hai tins to reflect
| an grow calm loss of rank as for OK
ample reduction from the position OF elder
| brother in "a family loss Of reeroatlons aud
other privileges, and, finally, confinement
IN Il cell Sat the boy punished to this ex-
IRENE de Eree Is not ieit alone, bat continu-
| ally visited by the director or by the house
father, and earnestly talked with and ad
visea in the paternal. patient way which
| ziye the colony its uatus-i.a Societe Pater-
nellie which is its formal, legal designation
Tar more than in penalties trust Is put IL
rewards, of which there are many and
soma OF them ingenious One of the high
est Is the roll of honor on which the colo
| MIST 5 name is inscribed after three months
| of excellent conduct, in which he has re
celved not SINGLE punishment. Once on
this ron SAYS NJ Blanchard, the present di
rector. the boy Is saved, for almost never il
| a name once inscribed, erased, aud, If erased
| it Is by vote OF his elbow members of the roll
| Alter Tour successive enrolmehts-that Is o
course after year Of absolutely exemplary
cunlnct-a badge OF order Is given to III
worn a. IA sign OF Dist notion and confidence
arioIs privileges go with the position Oh
the roll OF honor tlor example, from thu tn
elder brothers of The family are chosen, ans
finally the liberty of the coionlst. For III
boy /, sent to Mettrav on u time sentence
but 10 be cured, and there he stays unds'
| moral treatment until healed in his soul
OCCUPATIONS TAUGHT AT MEETBAY.
The occupations at Mettray are boil
mental and manual The common branche
OF education are taught. Also music, ant
the iireetar records that not only is muel
| proficiency made in this art, and with grea
subgeluen usefulness to those who enter tn
army, because they are often received int
the military bands, but also that it is
| great heailng power, AMI that somatime
The lTst step or sign OF y0ung coionIst ii
a good direction viii date from his ntIsl
less us Agriculture is tha main pursuit
and one of the chief reIiances of Nj. De Met
lo7 moral effect, so that the place Is Gale
the Agricultural Colony of Mettray. Bu
many very many, manual trades are ais
taught and special provision is made 70
boys who come from seaport towns an
have a tast9 for maritime life. They al
instructed III sailor duties, and practice
III the eyoutions By means OF a model of
thres ia, sts1 ship which is rugged iii til
coiOny.
Mettray may be said to stand securely o
three points of support-hrstt the separatio
into fannie with a hanse father and a
lhe moral influences going Herewith; Sc
oudiN, thuroagh instruction and occupation
chiefly III agriculture Tie third l has
now to speak OF, namely, what the author
ties cali patronage, that is to say their Pc
peiual care Ut Their liberated rolonists
the end OF hfe ile Met declared til.
Mettray was a paiernal society, yeritabl
paternal, and that therefore Its colonis
should be followed with fathers care pc
petuaiiy
Accordingly, patrons are carefully sougi
10 Loo. after the eolonlSt;' sent out into FRI
lie, and to surround them with csnltai
friendship and guardianship
In another way the truly perpetual cha
| acter of the iustitut on is lnaiuta.ned II
coionists may AWAY return to it at auY tin
| of life, as to "A fathers house always open
them. Ii they are out of work they hay
refuge there until they can ind employ mel
again. il in trouble there is kind wei ,om
advice and love atways awaiting them.
sick, the door of the iniirmary are alwa,
| open To them There are touching stori
OF anxiety to reach Mettray again in sic
ness and death What i contrast to the c
feet Of the ordinary barbarous prison. Go
Chicago Herald
Manuscript Of Germany's National Sr::
The Emperor William has purchased f
~ one marEs the original manuscript of +
German national song ''ihs Yacht A
Ehpin I he manuscript into t
possession OF NJ Manned, Swiss forest j
,,ector living at Besthoud, near Berr
tbfGugh the circumstance of his being t
executor of Herr Scheneckenburgt t
aat.or Of the song Foreign Letter
Torniga Travel ami S.gid export.
The banker, Henry Ciews, calls attenti
to the influence the remarkably large al
} annually increasing foreign travel has up
,, the export OF gold. 1t is estimated til