The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-12-29
their teachers and officers. besides what ed


| ings exerts silent influence for good every
where. Within the past two years, the hOm
and school building has been much improved
The walls and ceilings which were old ant
dingy have been painted and whitened "a lit
tle fresh paint works wonderful changeS) al
a'ditiOnal boiler with necessary heating ap
paIalus has been added, furnishing necessa
ry warnl..l in winter throughout the Who'll.
| building ana Basement; good ventilation ha,
been secured Sebago water has been intro
duced, which besides furnishing an abun.
| dance Of pure water for drinking and house
hold purposes and for use in case of fire ha:
enabled the trustees to remove all nuisances
from the play grounds and furnish ample
closets in the basement opening into the
=, yards. besides large bath and washroOm
| well warmed, and ample for the accommo.
datlon OF all, with abundance Of hot and
| cold water In pipes, so connected that water
Of any temperature can be obtained. These
improvements have given a more cheerful
appearance and are silently exertlng an in
fiuence for good upon these boys.
Third-The establishment of mechanical
department was step In the right direction.
1t is supplied. as has before been stated, with
portable engine and boiler Of sufficient ca
pacity for operating all machinery as eircu-
lar and jig saws, laths, a planning machine,
&c. There are twelve benches in the shop.
each supplied with full set of carpenter
tools Here two classes, Of twelve boys
each, under the supervision OF competent
luStIucLOT. VINO Is nToL Cltoo iuCtuduic, art
acquiring good trade, which will enable
them to earn livelihood when they leave
the school. All the carpentry work about
the school and farm buildings for the two
years past has been done by the boys, and
well done. 1t happened that on one OF
the visiting days Of the committee,
some Of the boys were laying a
hard wood floor in the hospital or sick cham
Der, and so well was the work done we could
but express our surprise and qualification.
l recommend to anyone visiting the institu-
tion to call into this shop and see for them
selves what IS being accomplished, for an
inspection Of the work and the improvement
made by the bcys will show beyond doubt
the wisdom Of the law establishing this de-
partment Many more boys than can be ae-
commodated are very desirous Of entering 1t,
and this Is an additional incentive for
them to do the best they can In behaviour
as certain rank must be obtained before
they are eligible.
In the summer months large number Of
the boys who can be trusted work on the
farm, while In the winter quite number are
employed about the buildings and In taking
care of the barn and stock. Those who can
not be trusted, and whose department will
not Justify their being allowed TO pass be
yond the walls Of the play grounds, work in
the chair shops, as do many others when
there Is not work to be done elsewhere. The
boys. as rule, enjoy the farm work, and
they here acquire a practical knowledge of
farming, better perhaps than they would II
employed on majority Of the farms through
out the State. Mr. Harrington. the superin-
tendent Of the school, In one report says:
The great variety OF crops we cultivate In mar
ket gardening and general farming, and the i'm
proved implements and machines that are used
become we'll acqualni ed with the best methods oi
SOWING and o. planting. OF applying commercial
teItlllzeIs anu stable inanuIe anu oI eultisating
harvesting, preparing for market and storing the
crops Of a farm.
As result many Of the boys on leaving
the school seek to obtain employment in the
country.
Suitable hours for recreation and play are
given, and four hours daily are spent in the
school room, where the boys are doing as
well as can be expected. Many an one who
could hardly read, much less write, on enter
ing the school, has acquired fair education,
and their penmanship Is good.
The committee have frequently inspected
the building, going into ali the rooms and
shops used by the boys, into the kitchen, en-
gine, wash and bath rooms, and we have
ever found them neat and tidy. We have
frequently seen the boys in school, at their
work, their play and their meals; and every
thing about the institution has plainly shown
that a master hand controlled each and every
department The d0mitOries are large, well
ventilated and lighted, and on the sunny
side Of the building. The school Ia well
managed; and yet, when ha 10 been there
never to have been sent there, and would
not have been had they had decent parents
or anyone to look out for them | have felt
that something was lacking; that 1t was not
habits Of vice, who were sent there simply
because they had no one to care for them,
should be thrown into daily almost hourly,
contact with boys from our larger cities, who
were hardened criminals. Our Reform
School as now conducted should not be
nlaaa for fhaca fnurod 10 arfraa hnf Taa
In my last report, place where boys with
out suitable homes, exposed to crime In its
thousand forms, and in great danger of
growing up in idleness, ignorance anu wick
edness, may be sent, that under proper re-
straining influences, surrounded with the
comforts and pleasures Of home, so far as
1t can be, they may be brought up to lives OF
usefulness
II boys who are confirmed criminals are to
be sent to this school, as has heretofore fire.
qnently been done, then 1t Is the duty of the
State TO see to 1t that such arrangements
are made that they shall not cOntaminate
and corrupt the others. The only way this
can be done will be the establishment Of the
family" or 'home plan" as has been done
In many other States, at least In part. IL
two comfortable buildings could be erected
on the farm, each with a dOrmit0ry sufficient
ly large for the accommodation Of twenty
five or thirty pupils, and man and his wife
under their constant care and supervision,
all eating at the same table, II would answer
the purpose for years to come. ln this way
the boys could be separated into suitable
classes; and such q home would be the best
they ever had, and the only one where their
young minds will, II ever, receive those ten
der impressions and pleasant recoilectiOns Of
boyhoOd which shall enable them to restrain
their passions in after wears, and make tht m
good citizens. This wilfcOst little more,
but the cost will be nothing compared with
the good results which must inevitably fol-
low. Respectfully submitted,
JOSEPH A. LOCKE.
MRS. HUNTS REPORT.
To His E1celieney the Governor, and the
Honorable Council Of Maine:
herewith submit my third annual report,
as member Of the visiting committee Of the
State Reform School.
A childs story which always deeply i'm
pressed me, was written to tell how misery
came to remain so peTsistently in the world.
After many adventures and many vain at
tempts to remove her, Death was forced to
make a compact with her that he would
never come to take her away till she hal
called for him tnree times, and misery has
never called.
In our dealings with poverty and crime,
the difficulties In the way of their removal
seem many times as great as If this story
was really true. And yet philanthropy,
private and public, can never abandon the
right every wrong, and drive misery with
all her attendant evils from the earth. Such
a hope has inspired the State in founding its
reformatory institutions, and ought TO cheer
the hearts Of all whom the State has appoint
ed to study and report upon their workings.
This has been called the age Of benevOlence,
but without this hope 1t will not surpass the
ages which are gone.
In many respects, Maine may be Justly
proud of its Reform School for boys. The
appointments and condition Of the institu-
tion are good. The building is now thorough
ly warmed, well ventilated and supplied
with pure water in abundance. The boys
are well clothed, and have a sufficiently gen
erous diet, while earnest and faithful officers
and teachers give them all the care which
Is possible under the present system. The
hours for work and study are judici0usly ar
ranged and casual visitor to the school
would conclude that the State was doing its
full duty to the class of boys committed to
its care.
But visit to a similar Institution In an
other commonwealth has convinced me that
we must make our means still broader IL we
wish TO secure the best results from our re-
forming work. had an opportunity for
full and leisurely Investigation of the cot
tage, or family plan Of reform schools. las
we'll NJ lisfanfnU M fha avuarfnnoa aud