Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-28
THE WHITTIER SCHOOL.
Annie Laurie vtsits It and Euloglxes
It's Conduct.

tative Of the San Francisco Examiner,
has visited the State Reform school at
Whittier, and sent long account to her
paper, of what she saw there and the
favorable impressions she received OF
the manner in which the institution is
conducted. She says:
l heard wonderful stories in Los An
geles about strange new system which
could turn typical Juvenile offender"
into frank, honest boy. confess that
I was a little ekeptical. The ely, de-
ceitful faces | had seen at the Industrial
school haunted me. l couldn't help
thinking OF the hangdog, cullen brutes
who stand in the prisoners docks in the
police courts to answer to the charge OF
malicious mischief.
was q little unbelieving when 1t
came to any system which could bring
the boyhood back to those hard, cum
ming faces.
The very fret boy / saw at Whittier
made me ashamed of my doubts. A
straight little fellow came to the station
to meet the train on some errand. He
was merry.eyed, freckle-faced boy-just
such a boy as knows where all the
birds nests are; just such boy as
loves to "go in swimmin'" on hot day,
and then run mile to get good and
hot,o so as to enjoy another "goin' in" (;
a regular good natured, light-hearted
boy that could whistle tune between
his teeth and throw stone as straight
as an Indian shoots an arrow.
Not trace OF the dull, hopeless
apathy of the institutional look"
about him.
A year and half ago that boy would
have been sent to the industrial school
in the San Francisco hills. He would
have been herded with hardened Grim
inals, and he would have been made to
walk to his meals in the penitentiary
lock step. He would have had his food
thrown to him upon dirty table, with
out even plate or saucer. He would
have learned everything there was to
learn of vice. If it were not for the
Whittier school ow, that boy would be
in training school for he penitentiary
Day begins early at the school. The
boys are up soon after su nrise, and by s
clock they are at work. Some of them
90 out into the fields. They are learning
to be farmers. They do all the work OF
the 100 acres. Some of them go to the
UdIu Auu lOOh Oub lOt tnC AOAcCc, EOMO
of them 90 into the kitchen, and some
to the shops.
II don't believe you know me-" said
a tall bov in the carpenter shop, looking
up to me cheerfully from his work of
saving.
NO" said, "I don't"
Then 1 looked up and saw sign over
his work bench. His name was there,
written with many flourshes. Under
it was the legend, Carpenter and build
er.
The carpenter and builder grinned de-
lightedly at my start of surprise.
Pm growin' fast, amt l ?" he said.
1t was not because he had grown fast
that / was surprised at the carpenter
and builder. The first time saw that
boy he was a sullep, lowering brute,
under arrest for trying to stab a COM
psnion. The last time saw him he was
in dark cell at the old industrial school.
He had tried to blow the place up with
gunpowder. He was considered dan
gerous, vicious little animal, and looked
anything but promising. A year of
rational treatment had gwen that boy
chance. He was an industrious, am
bitious lad, with quick. bright smile,
and not trace of his old sullen look.
81 am going to be carpenter" he
said. II like the work, and then there's
a chance to work up in that trade"
Another boy showed me the work he
was doing with great pride.
Il haven't got any relations" he said
after a while, "but I've got an awfully
good friend. There was lady on the
boat when the officer brought me down
here. She talked to me, and she said
she'd help me. She writes to me every
week, and when get out, Pm going to
see her. She gave me this" He pulled
little silver cross from his breast. The
little silver cross of the Kings Daugh-
ters.
"She lives in Boston," he went on
eagerly, "and she knows man what
writes books and she told him about me
and he sent me a book he wrote-one
that he wrote himself, you know. It's
a story, and he wrote his name in the
front page and my name near it, an
Pm goin' to always keep that book y
saw the book the eager little fellow
is going to 'always keep" 1t bore on
the fly leaf the autograph of the man
who is the friend Of every friendless
boy. Edward Everett Hale.
The most curious and interesting part
of the whole institution, to me, is the
way it is managed. There are 283 boye
there-nearly every one of them sen-
fenced for some offense against the law,
more or ess grave.
There is not fence around the place.
There are no more bolts and bars than
there are locks on any boys school.
There is large power house some dis
tance from the main building. The
electric dynamos are kept running there
day and night. The engines are run by
the older boys. They relieve one an
other during the day and night. They
are there alone all night without the
slightest restraint upon their liberty.
There has never been an attempt at q
runaway from that power house.
DR.. Lindley, the superintendent, took
those 283 boys on a camping trip at
Catalina island this summer. They
were gone two weeks. They went swim
ming, ran races, fished, did everything
that healthy boy enjoys. The camp
was conducted exactly as any military
camp is conducted. When the word
was given to start back to the school the
boys gave three cheers for "homeward
bound" On the 4th of July DR.. Lind
ley took his 283 boys up to Los Angeles
to march in the procession. They were
in town all day. They did not do one
thing to bring disgrace on the cadet
uniform in which they take 80 much