The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1893-03-23

essay by Ernest Renan, behind the raised cover
of his desk In some way, known only to prison
ers, he had secured the book, for Renan is pro-
scribed author in the reformatOry section of Con
cord
This pupil of infdel tendencies knew no other
meaning of a sentence except the one the court
gave him. He was surprised when informed
that the earth is a globe and revOlves around the
sun, and he had only an instructive knowledge of
arithmetic.
Until they are made to feel the weight of au-
thOrity the prisoners do not take kindly to the
school. They offer all sorts of reasons to be eX-
empt from attendance. Defective eyesight is the
most common resort. Such excuses as Il never
went to school BEFORE" II can't remember any,
thing learn, A." l couldn't learn when was out
side" are continually made in all faith
One self-satisfed pupil once sent the following
communication to the school officer:
dear Sir though rite thease fue lines too
teel u that Would like too be in My room all the
time if you Will please take from chOOle am
satfied With My Turing think that have huff
am perfectly Willing that My techer thinks am
a hunk Head am yer sober Man never sho My
Turing keap it all to Myself and sho now one My
Wits come hear fOer fOurgreay was sent hear
foer too doc My time and ddn think that am
compel too chOOle.
1t is needless to say that this appeal was un-
successful.
Some of the lazier pupils resort to all sorts of
subterfuges to escape the work of the school
room. even to nflicting self-niures. A pupil,
who had a distaste for writing exercises, appear
ed in his class one night with his right forefnger
in bandage.
The teacher was suspicious of trick, but on
| in RI tbat no boI
ceiyed painful wound on the end of the finger
When three weeks went by, and the wound Show
ed no sign of healing, the young man was locked
in punishment rOOm,' and that week the
finger healed.
The life of a Ounce i'll this prison school is far
from envable. His classmates find in him a butt
for their contempt and ridicule. One such fellow
earned for himself the strange nickname of
Concord Junction under very amusing crcum-
stances. The study of grammar was his bette
nOir.
He could never remember the grammatical
term Conjunction and the teacher, try as hard
as he could, was for long time unsuccessful in
| fixing that word in the dull scholars memory.
| Finally, the pedagogue had one of those happy
| inspirations that come in such emergencies, and
the close proximity of the institution to Concord
Junction furnished it.
! Now, Tom," he said, you can always remenl-
Der the word conjunction by thinking of Concord
| junction.
Toms face beamed. for he felt that at last he
had caught the bOthersOme word, and the teach
er was likewise happy that his trouble in that
direction at least were ended.
Col. Tufts. the former superintendent of the
institution, had habit of suddenly appearing in
the class rooms without previously giving notice
| of his coming. One night, with some distinguish
| ed visitors, he visited the pupils of the teacher in
question.
The teacher having natural weakness to show
off his class at once changed the exercises, which
were going very badly, to those in which he
thought his pupils were letter perfect. He called
upon Tom to analyze the following sentence:
Washington is called the father of his country
and was the first president of the United States
Tom got along very well until he came to the
word land " when he heSitated, and the perpleX-
ed look in his eyes sent chill through his teach
er. He glanced at the floor, and then at the CELL
ing, and as his face frightened with a look of
intelligence, he burst out
| 'And-and is a Concord junction.
| Sometimes the ignorance displayed by these
men on most commonplace matters of knowledge
is appalling. After a recent examination a
teacher in the school was amazed to find this re-
markable statement.
Queen Victoria was the mother of George
! Washington
| Farther down on this same paper he was still
more astOnished to read
| waterloo was the last war in the Revolution. "
In the illiterate department of the school some
of the answers of the pupils would be amusing if
they were not pathetic for displayed ignorance
One pupil, 25 years old, defined circle as "a
wide line." And another described an angle as
a straight curve.''
Many of these men, however, display remark
able aptitude for study. A case in point is that
of young man who, three years ago, entered
the primary division of the school. He remained
in this division for seven weeks and was pro-
NOTED to the intermediate grade.
| At the end of two years, when he was discharg-
ed from the reformatory, he gained p per cent,
from paper which had been given to the gradu-
ating class in Concord grammar school.
Another pupil who some years ago graduated
| from this prison school began his new life in a
Western State, where he now holds responsible
municipal position in the town where he lives.
| There are many disadvantages which this
prison school naturally labOrs under, which are