Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1891-09-19
SATURDAY, SEPT. 10, 1891.
The State Reform School.

Inc state Reform ScnOOl.
We are under obligations to Mrs. VIII
Kelley, of the State Reform School, fol
Boys, at Topeka, for the following inter.
esting letter about her work, and her
family" as she calls the boys under her
jurisdiction. We thank her for the letter,
which will entertain our boys and girls,
and for the kind words for our depart
ment, with which she closes:
"We have sixty-two boys,the largest on
the farm. Some of them are larger than
Will. One boy stands feet inch in his
bare feet. Some of them have been here
about seven years. A boy can make his
Honor in about sixteen months, but there
are not many that do if. e. They must be
perfect to do that. Two years is the
average. They are most always polite
and respectful to the ladies and officers,
and are not so bad as one would think
when you know what their homes and
parents are. OF course there are boys
here who have good homes and parents,
but they are the exceptions. Taking
away their merits is their principal pun
ishment. Three merits make a day.
When they do anything wrong they must
report to their officer and he dement's
them anywhere from to 400. Depends
altogether on the offence and what he
thinks they deserve. 420 merits are a
grade and there are five grades. Honor
LIST, End, 3rd and 4th, only they run just
the other way. There is a badge for each
of these grades, and when boy drops
below the 4th grade he has to do without
badge. Every boy, when he comes, is
given grade 4 and 210 merits for a
starter" but great many loose them all
in a few days.
We have one boy in our family who
has been here but year and ne will have
his Honor in few days. He has never
had report and has done work that
brought him extras.
Each boy makes his own bed and if it is
not made right / mark it and he has to
report, and it costs him 25 merits. They
have such nice beds. Single iron bed
steads, with woven wire springs and cot
ton mattresses.
The doImitories are large and airy and
the little beds look so nice.
We have also cottage, the first floor
Of which is devoted to boys bath room
and play room; the second floor the school
room and our room. We have four rooms
all to ourselves-bathroom and two
closets. The two upper floors are dormi.
tories.
The whole building is heated by steam
and lighted by gas.
The boys principal game is baseball
but they play marble, pitch horseshocs,
etc. In winter they play football great
deal They have about half an hour for
play before breakfast, fifteen minutes be-
fore dinner, half an hour after dinner, if
teen minutes before supper and until dark
after supper and all of Saturday after
noon, except the time it takes to battle
and change their clothes.
On Sunday they all go to the chapel.
In the morning to Sunday School and in
the afternoon to preaching. The balance
OF the day they spend IN reading or writ
ing. Every boy must get the Sunday
School lesson.
There is one family of small boys on
the farm, aged from 5 to IL years, who
are the most trying family of all. They
are SO hard to learn anything. They
don't understand what it is to keep step
IA marching or anything OF that hind
fhey forget SO soon what they are told