San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-02-22
ghe Daily Eight.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY. ~. 1899.

man has, and the boys are put into cells two
by two, so that night and day the work of
corruption goes or
Since 1889 there has been a school held in
this ward at first one session, and after a
time two every day, but now only one, and
that in the morning. The teacher endeavored
to train, first OF all, their moral nature.
Much time is spent in that direction, and the
singing Of Gospel hymns is a great delight to
tho boys Then reading, spelling, writing
and arithmetic are as thoroughly taught as
the short time win permit These boys chew
tobacco like Veterans and smoke cheap cigar
cites till the air 10 blue and choking, but
when the teacher opens her school with
pleasant Good morning, boys" hats are
taken off, tobacco is pushed in great lump
into the cheek, cigarettes are poeketed and a
general attempt is made to 'straighten up"
and appear a littls better, which shows that
some self respect is left.
APPALLING STATISTICS.
Since 1899 there have been 1920 boys in
this ward of the Cook County Jail, many of
them, am sorry TO say, for the third and
fourth time, so that their faces have become
quite familiar, and they recognize the teacher
as an old friend In this state, according to
prison, 733 of these being between the ages
of IL and Is years. These figures do not in
clude those who are temporarily in the vari-
Gus jais of the state. The superintendent
of the State Reform school at Pontiac says
that fully so per cent. Of the boys who get
into trouble are within the pale of hope,
fact that certainly affords stimulus to earn
est effort in their behalf.
I ~ ha not hOI, rnn &c
put in Jail is corrupted, depraved, and in
jured for life-here and hereafter Is he
helped by being sent to the reform school?
A thousand times no! There, instead of
forty or fifty boys, there are hundreds
Cook county alone has over 100 ell of the
time. The lowest light in which one can
survey this frightful question is that of econ
omy, and to the tax payer let me appeal
4 DETENTION SCHOOL
1t costs great deal more money to carry
boy through the jail, to the reform school, |
to the penitentiary, and perhaps TO the scat
fold than it does to save him from such a
fate. If building. or rooms, with the ne
cessary locks and keys, aid | must add bars |
also. but called "The Detention Manual
Training school" of Cook county, were to be
furnished by the county and well equipped in |
all lick ptiSlNe ILtilUeI, 81 JlldU tHeSb DONS |
could be taught not only the simple but |
necessary English branches with this same |
moral training in a wise and brief manner |
and could at the same time learn trade or |
part of trade, so that on getting out they |
would not be obliged to steal to get some |
thing to eat and to wear, it would not only |
save many of them from life of crime, but |
also be a financial saving to the county. |
Many of them have no homes, even of the !
poorest and meanest kind, and what place is |
open to them but their old haunts, and with |
them their old comrades' A trade of some |
kind is what is needed, for these boys are |
busy, active fellows, and are not unwilling |
to work.
If the county will help me in this matter
the daily morning school shall cost them
nothing. We have carried it on through all |
these years, and will continue TO do so. This
question is so important, relating as it does |
to the future men and women of the city. |
that | am sure of kind consideration from |
the thinking and wise people of Chicago
Adelaide B. Groves in Chicago Tribune.