The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-05-31
NOBLEMEN OF NATURE.
A COLONY FOR THE MORAL TREAT
MEMT OF YOUNG CRIMINALS.

IN France-Caffng Tor the Nagrant
Parvi of the Streets-The Work OF Res
cuing Children from Vice.
The name OF De Metz ia an honor not
only to France which p.oiuced him, but to
the whole human race Few deserve better
to be known and loved in this generation;
yet few perhaps of such genuine eminence
are SO little known, and many now are
household words who deserve not to be
known at all in comparison, and by and by
will sink out of sight For time is a great
leveler, and pulls down the mighty from his
seat and exalts him of low degree" This
true nobieman Of nature was born to wealth
and culture, and lived among books, pict-
ures, statues, rare and beautiful oh .ects of
art, and flowers which he delighted 10 eulti
vate He was fine both by cultivation and
descent, and moved in circle of scholars
and of influential rank. He had a nature,
however, which seemed inaccessible to that
peculiar seltishness which besets delicate
culture He thought it belonged to him to
give care and time TO public interests, &C
cordingly he took office and served IN vari
Gus functions, till finally he was made presi-
dent of the court Of correctional police il.
Paris.
CHILDREN LED AWAY TO PRISON
0ne day eight little children, it is
narrated, were brought beiora him for
| sentence for some triting oiense They
| were so little that, so it is told they had TO
he lifted on to the seats and OIL again in
court when brought in 30 be sentenced, and
| then led away to prison. De Metz SEN
fenced them to a long ternl thinking 1t the
greatest Kindness he could do to these ex-
POSED, bereft Migrants, wanderers IN the
| streets without care, without homes But
| this police judge, having a heart, could not
| forget these prisoned children, and after
| awhile he visited them in jail, where he
: made a discovery, the horror of which to
his heart and conscience changed the whols
current of his life He found the little
\ creatures already much worse than when he
sentenced them, showing every sign Of being
daily more hardened in evil feelings and
manners, and evidently undergoing school
| ing in crime This led the good man to look
/ into prison life, and the result WAS that no
4 longer could he sentence the children
| brought before him to what was inevitable
corruption of mind and body, and his sell
| fences became such evident evaslons so
| short and meaningless, that complaint arose
against him, and he was removed from the
bench and given an office where his feelings
| would not triumph over his duties But
still he could not forget, and here again he
showed his superiority to the selfishness of
fine culture
The French law of that time, fifty years
ago, permitted children under sixteen, if in
the opinion of the judge they had com
| n,iffaI off without iJSpratnu tn hp SAINT
either to reformatory or remandei to their
parents. In either case the result was ruin
GUS, for, if to their parents, it was only to
the same bad conditions out of which they
had come; and if to the prisons, which
We're the only reformatories, it was to still
worse conditions, which inevitably corrupted
them more Here then was an occasion
taking hold of heart, the occasion being
the fortunes of the exposed children of Paris,
the heart being De Metz. He set his affairs
in order SO as to leave his family comforta-
bly, provided for, and then set out to travel
ali over the world in search of knowledge
He visited European countries, and also
whatever places in America he could reach
where he heard of penal institutions for
children which he could study probably
Finally at little village named Horn
not far from Hamburg, he found more light
than elsewhere and some ideas in operation
which gave him more hope and which fur
nished him the hints that he needed. These
principles were three: First the children
were separated into small groups, which
were ruled as much as possible like a family
secondly, great attention was paid to relig-
ious training, and, thirdly, agriculture was
made prominent industry All of these
l a. Il = n
gard to the last one it became his motto
thereafter to improve the earth by man
and man by the earth. Thus equipped
and his heart quite on fire with these ideas
he returned to France, resigned all his of
fetal duties, and then hied to his friend
FOUNDERS Of THE AGRICULTURAL COLONY.
AT this point there enters into the story
another name, as good, as noble, and per
haps as much beloved by the eoIonists al
Mettray as that of De Met himself, til,
name of the Nicomte de CourteileS Dc
Metz and DE Courteilles had been friends Al
college and had continued their Friendship
afterward, being drawn together even "A
that early age by like tastes and feeling
regarding social questions. De Courteille
entered the army, and the friends core
sponded, the magistrate and the officer, OF
questions of penal reformation. When ID
| Metz was on his travels he dedicated to hi
friend various reports and brochures, which
he published, of his discoveries and expert
ences, and Courteilles, on his part sent t,
his friend his work on Prisoners ant
Prisons" To this friend now De Metz ap
piled, full of enthusiasm, but De Courteilie
hesitated He reminded De Metz of the i'll
success which had attended similar expert
ments in Belgium and Holland Experience
he said, had not proved the wisdom of thu
models which had inspired his friend witt
confidence.
But De Metz, glowing with well
founded enthusiasm, for he had observed
closely and thought deeply, not wildly, con
WINGED his friend that certain details OF bat
management, especially the poor and un
productive soil, had been the cause of tn
failure of the foreign Institutions He de
elared it fundamental that a usefu
school of reform should be placed on ricl
and fertile ground. Finally De Courteille
was convinced, and then Joined his frien,
with an ardor equal to De Metz's own
Both these men, fortunate, cultivated, pros
porous, surrounded with everything that ed
ucation, high circles of friends and socil
IpfisiifbcS eouiu give, Ielifou IIont III
world together, devoting their time
strength, minds, enthusiasm to the new
work They selected fine stretch Of soil
purchased some acres, hired Others and ii
1889 founded the agricultural colony oil Met
tray. Thirteen years they worked togethe
there until De Courteiles died, in Septeni
her 1852 After the lose of his friend, h
Metz worked on alone for twenty one year
til November, 1873, when he, too, died H
never reinquished his ardent work up t
the last moment When over 20 years O
age he suparintended his colony and mad
endless journeys over the country lookin
after the boys that had been sent out fror
the institution, going to their rescue when
ever he heard of one who lacked employ
ment or for any reason seemed in DANCE
again and needing encouragement, adyie
or help, Chicago Herald.
: 4 candidate in Oregon is so slender tina
The Portland Oregonian expresses the belle