Evening journal., 1892-12-28
FERRIS SCHOOL OPENED.
The Home of Wayward Juve-
niles Ready for Occupancy.
LEVY COURT PRESENT IN A BODY.

'' ~" h"iu"s OF the feffis INDUS
trial school Opened with Speeches by
Dr. Caleb Harlan aud ex-secretary
of State Bayard Singing by the
SCHOOL at the Exercises.
The opening exercises in connection
with the new building of the Ferris
Industrial School. which was recently
completed, were held this afternoon at
o'clock. The program of the exercises
consisted as follows
Prayer.
Address Of welcome
Dr. Harlan, president Of the board
Address. ............... Hon. Thomas r. Bayard
Singing
temarks.-..W. C. sprunnee and Judge Wales
inning
Benedictlon.
The Managers In Charge.
The managers having the arrange
ments in charge We're Alfred Gawthrop.
G Wesley Weldin, George s. Capelle,
Elizabeth w. Mendinhall aud Frances S.
Garrett Arrangements for the reoep
tion of the many visitors have been in
preparation, foI the past three weeks,
by the superintendent and his assistants.
The boys have been practicing for some
time the vocal selections that were rem
dered this afternoon.
A Description of the building.
The new building lies to the north Of
the main building and the two are con-
nected by a covered corridor Il Is of
brick and was erected at a cost OF Si8.-
500. The operations were begun about
four months ago by the contractors. A. S.
Reed * Bro, of this city. Its dimensions
are 4OydO feet and three stories high
The steam pipes and heating arrange
ments have been furnished by Gawthrop.
Bros. q Co., and William Lawton fur
nished the lamps and chinaware
How tho Euilding Is Divided.
The rooms in the basement are three
A playroom which will at some future
time be used as a workshop has a
cemented floor and is 26x40 feet In size.
To reach it one has to follow a corridor
from the entrance toward the eastern
end of the building about twenty feet.
The bathroom is entered from a door
at the entrance to the building. In this
room the boys wash three times day.
shower bath apparatus Is situated In
the northern extremity. There Is
basin for each boy and overhead In rack
are "a comb, tooth brush, hair brush and
soap. Each rack Is numbered. as every
boy has a number. Hot and cold water
is supplied.
The Clothes Room.
Between the bathroom and playroom Is
a room l5x35 which Is used for the
clothes Of the boys Provision is made
here for the hanging Of clothes and
placing Of shoes in their proper places.
which the boys are obliged to do every
night and morning.
where the Boys sleep.
Going to the second floor the school
now occupies almost all the space, with
the exception of hall and stairway.
The dormitory is situated on the third
floor. Accommodation for seventy y-fve
boys are in { his room. although but forty.
five are inmates Of the school at present.
The apartment has been furnished with
an iron cot for each boy.
An ante room for the officer i'm charge
of the boys, and his sleeping room, are
also on this floor, The windows ON this
floor are guarded by iron bars secured on
the outside.
The Arrangement of the Main Building.
The library in the main building Is
entered from the school room through
a corridor. This room has not as vet
been completely furnished, but Is ex-
pected TO be in short time by donations
and contributions from citizens The
school was instructed in this room before
the erection of the new building
Entering the dining room FIVE tables.
at which the boys take their meals are
observed Two private rooms and a
kitchen and an Office are situated on the
first floor. Going to the second floor a
large reception room Is entered at the
left. Here the visitors to the school are
entertained The third floor was until
recently the sleeping apartments.
The Guests at the Opening.
Many visitors went from this city to
the school today. The members of the
Levy Court Of New Castle county at
tended the exercises in q body.
r. Lewis Armstrong, one Of the new
FIVE commissioners, is president Of the
farm committee Of the school He has a
beautiful farm Of about 200 acres di-
rectly opposite the grounds Of the insti-
tuition.
Location Of the School
While thousands Of citizens of VIII
mington are familiar with the name of
Ferris Reform School, few are aware Of
its situation Taking the Court House
as a starting point one would proceed
TO Front and Union streets, and from
there continue out the Lancaster pike
through Silverbrook until the old Pot
ter's field, which is at the junction Of the
old Foulk road and the pike is reached,
Take the Foulk road to the first crossing
and the traveller assumes northern
course Of about 500 yards, and the gate
of the grounds surrounding the school
are observed. The distance from the
place Of beginning is about four miles.
Purpose Of Embellishments.
The institution was established
through the hberality Of the late John
Ferris, who died on September 2, 1882.
He left an estate valned at over 5000, 600
much of which was devised for benevo-
lent purposes. His benefaction 20 the
Reform School was the residue Of the
estate, and was entrusted 70 DR.. Caleb
Harlan. to be applied at his discretion
''to aid in establishing what is known
mostly as a House of Refuge, or place
for bettering the wayward juveniles,