The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-01-17
REFORMAT0RY.

not tainted with fraud
REFoRMAToRY.
Tn pursuance of the act passed oy Cne
Twentieth Legislature CONFERENCE.-The mn inotifn,
were appointed to locate CL,s t tad and
ton. and $4,000 was APPROPRIATED T ahn =
expended in purchasing a sue. tmo
trustees, subsequently appointed un
der the provisions OF the law, na 1y: ga
nended S62 III in erecting puliuings,
fencing, etc. all of which IS seI Iortn
bv detailed statement in thelr repoi'
submitted. nm
Tn the purchase of the farm OF o96
acres in Coryell county, lying about
two miles from Gatesville, we thlnK
the requirements of the law have beer,
fully complied with. The Location Is
central and of convenient access from
ali narts of the State by the Cotton
Relt railway. The siteis elevated ana
healthy. aud commands fine view Oh
distant hills in almost every direction;
The buildings were completed ana
turned over to the State November ~,
1888 and it was contemplated that IL
would be ready for the occupancy OF
the vouthful convicts to be transferred
bv proclamation as the law directs, at
an early day after the state LOOK
charge. But the artesian well, from
which water supply. was eX-,
pected, was partial failure,
as a flow of water was
not obtained of sufficient quality ana
quantity for all purposes, and as TINS
was imperative, renewed effort
was made, which was reasonably sue
cessful, furnishing flow OF 250
barrels per day Of pure water. The
completion of the buildings and their
additions, and the preliminary arrange
ments to be made for the reception OF
those within the prescribed ages and
confined in the penitentiaries, necessi-
tated the appointment of a Superin-
tendent, and accordingly on NOvem-
Der Goth, 1883, Mr.. Ben. E. McCulloch,
who by reason of his executive ability,
and well recognized experience and
worth, was deemed well fitted for the
responsible duty, was placed in
charge, and on the first of January the
youthful delinquents were trans
ferred by proclamation from the
State prisons as the law directs. The
act of the Legislature establishing this
institution for the most beneficent
: purpose, and sustained so generously
in obedience to the popular sentiment
: of the State, was silent as to the plan
to be adopted, devolving upon the Ex-
ecutive the responsibility of choice
: between what is termed the "Congre-
gate SYSTEM with its adjunct of prison
walls, and the congregae or family sys-
tenn of more domestic type. This
was to me matter of anxious solicit
tude, as it was so vital to the future of
the institution. / therefore deter
, mined to seek all the light that the
wisdom and experience of similar in
situations could bestow, and every
f province Of knowledge upon this
point within my reach was fully ex-
, plored before entering upon the plan
/ of the buildings. 1t was found that
in many Of the States, after they had
: experimental for years in a sea of blum
f ders, humanity had suggested, and
experience justified the change of
these institutions at great cost to the
f respective States, from the prison
plan to that of the family system, and
, the best and most thoughtful minds
among the superintendent, many of
whom had been continuously en-
| gagged in this kind of work for more
than a quarter of century, con-
CURED in saying, that the experience
in their own and other institutions
. had taught them that boys could be
, more judiciously and economically
trained and educated by this than the
plan formerly in vogue throughout the
: country. The reformatory at
Gainesville is a reflex of the plans
: and suggestions Of Geo. f. Howe,
: superintendent of Meriden (Conn.}
Reformatory. He is the father of the
family system, and for nearly q half
century has been the superintendent
OF the Ohio and Connecticut institu-
IONS OF this character. The most ma
terlaI point of objection to the plan
seemed to me to exist in the apparent
FACILITY for escape. But two of the
slperlntendents of similar institutions
declare that Every few have escaned
and but little expense has been in
Cured in the pursuit of ftlgitives y and
they take the broad ground that adj
uniting some might and probably
N"S"PC, ~ WOulu De 0lghlV lIn.
/ proper and impolitic to restrict nine
out OF ten boys in the additional facili-
tles afforded for their reformation and
future usefulness, because the tenth
one was incorrigible and refractory
ana might escape. l have had the
assistance J.. Of an earnest, active Board
o. trustees, and we can only hone in
t eIt discharge of this duty to have full
IiIIed your expectations and those of
the people, and that the institution
VIII yindicate its claims upon public
confidence, and the generous s1nnort
VI the state. Its success will he
measured by its results, and as the
youth Of the State are the hone Of the
nation, if by its moral help it shall
reclaim those drifting upon the cnr-
rents Of evil, and make them honest
industrious, temperate men, and snc,
cessful wage-winners. adding tn H.
productive income and taxable valuaS
! IN OF moral lepers upon society
the state will be abundantlv recoEo
pensed for its outlay. -'0'in-
AS some changes in our laws ara
necessary to the furtherance of the
pan OIL reformatory work sought to be