Los Angeles herald., 1891-07-01
THE REFORM SCHOOL.
Major Stern Says There Will
be no Festal Opening.
The School Needs all its Money
For it's Work.
Ready Today to Begin its Work of
Reformation.
1t Should Furnish Many Good Men and
Women to the State-SOme InfOrma-
tion About the Institution and
Its Scope,

MAUI II. II. pIcTu VI uhO Uooiu vi
trustees OF the Whittier reform school
said yesterday apropos OF the school
which will open today:
"There will be no celebration, no
opening festivities. do not think that
it is proper to use the states money for
such purposes, and the institution can
make much more profitable use of its
funds. 1t needs all the money availa-
BILE for the good work which we trust
it will do.
''The school is all ready now to take
care of all the children who may need
its reformatory process. We will care
for them.in the best possible manner,
and we hope to be the means of giving
to the state great many good men and
women by developing the good qualities
of the youngsters who may be placed in
the institution.
''The building is as perfect as money
can make it. In fact it is the best in
the United States the officials employed
are well adapted to the work before
them and everything indicates that the
institution will be of great good both
to those who will be in its care, and to
Southern California.
The school was established about two
years ago during the administration of
Governor Waterman.
The work of selecting site suitable
for the location OF such an institution
took some time and was rather a diff
cult task, as many localities were eager
to have the school located in their midst.
The commissioners after personally in
specting the different sites offered and
carefully weighing the advantages OF
each decided that the offer of 40 acres of
land as a gift made by the people of
Whittier, says the Pointer, was GER
tainly the best proposition that had
been made them and they accordingly
located the reform school at Whittier.
Subsequently realizing the need of more
land they bonded 120 acres adjoining the
original forty of A. H. Dunlap at 5000 an
acre.
Immediately after the preliminaries
had been settled the board set an archi-
tect at work to prepare plans for the
necessary buildings. The contracts for
their erection were then let, and as soon
as the contractors bonds were approved
work was commenced. The entire work
was under the supervision of DIR. Walter
Lindley, and everything was done in the
best possible manner. All who have
seen the buildings at the Whittier re-
form school say they are without excep-
ton the finest set of state buildings in
California.
During the time of building the
grounds were being put in order; walks
and drives were being laid out, and
trees, flowers and shrubbery planted.
This work was directed by Mr. Robert
Pegg, most artistic landscape garden
er.
Shortly after the election of Governor
Markham the term of Trustee Sims ex-
pired, and Major E. L. Stern, of Los
Angeles, was appointed to fill the va
cancy. This was one of the most popn-
lar appointments made by Governor
Markham.
1t is intended that the school will be
home for the friendless and criminally
inclined boys and girls of the state, and
not in any sense prison. They will be
taught useful trade, and will be given
good education; their willful instincts
will be subdued as much as possible,
and their moral nature will be developed
and turned into the right channel.
The institution will be conducted on
divided into groups OF family circles,
each under the care of housekeeper
and proper guardians. The entire man
agement of everything will be intrusted
to DR.. Walter Llndley, who is exception
ally we'll qualified for the undertaking.
Nearly all of the skilled trades will be
taught to those showing desire and
aptitude for such work, while those OF
the boys who manifest desire for out
door labor will be put to work on the
farm and in the gardens. In both of
these departments practical men will
have the direction Of things and every
opportunity will be afforded the boys to
become experienced hortfculturtits,
farmers and gardeners.
1t is the intention of the school to
raise everything it can and to make it as
near self-supporting as possible. There
are 15l % acres under cultivation, as fol-
lows: Ninety acres of barley now being
harvested will yield about 225 tons of
hay; thirty acres are in corn, eighteen
acres in potatoes, five in alfalfa, four
acres in peas, beans, cabbage and table
beets and two acres planted in beets for
stock. Five acres OF oranges and lemons
constitute the orchard, while there is a
large and valuable assortment of young
trees, plants and shrubs.
On the farm are five milch COWS, eight
working and driving horses, and the ne
cessary number of farm wagons and
buggies, and full set of the latest inn
proved farming implements.
The different buildings now erected
and which will be used to promote the
great philanthropic purpose of this in
stitution are a large and commodlous
barn, girls cottage OF ten rooms, a
factory where the laundry and electric
plant will be located and where most OF
the trades will be taught, and the ad-
ministration building, where the off.
GERS will live, the school rooms and
boys dormitories located, and other
departments such as the Office, recep-
tion room, rooms for the trustees, drug
store, chapel, wash room and plunge in
the basement.
The furniture was supplied by the
Los Angeles Furniture company and the
plumbing by S. M. Perry & Co.