Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-01-05
THE FERRIS SCHOOL ANNEX
Formally Opened With Inter-
esting Exercises.
THE LEVY GOURTMEN PRESENT
Hon. Thomas F. Bayard Talks
to the Boys.



of ladies' and gentlemen of this city and
also county officials, including the levy
eourtmen and levy courtmen elect and
members of the Board of Trustees Of
the Poor. The new structure Is fine
three-story red brick building, situate at
the rear of the main school building. 1t
adds largely to the capacity of the in
stitution, affording quarters for about
from 40 to so more boys.
The visitors were invited to the re-
ceptiOn room, where the inmates were
found seated at their desks. The lads,
both white and colored, are attlred in Il
gray blue uniform, not different to that
affected in what are known as military
schools. They all looked extremely
neat and healthy, and seemed, in the
general opinion of the visitors, very
Intelligent lot of boys.
Among those present were, Of the
executive committee, Mrs. Elizabeth w.
Mendinhall, Mrs. Frances 5. Garrett,
George S. Capelle and Alfred Gawthrop;
also Hon. Thomas +. Bayard and Mrs.
Bayard, Hon. Charles B. Lore, DR..
Caleb Harlan, Rev. X. b. Cook, ID. ID :,
Mrs. A. d. Warner, Mrs. Edward An.
drews, L. @. Vandegrft, President of
the Levy Court Richard G.. Bucking-
ham and Levy Courtmen John W.
Jolls, David =. Hutchison, Levy Court
men-eect II. Lewis Armstrong, William
A. Scott, Henry A. White, DR.. +. y.
Enos, DIR. w. +. Quinby, Principal A.
II. Berlin of the high school, Newlin
Gawthrop, Wilmer Palmer, Principal
Isaac I. johnson of Friends school,
Hon. Thomas Il. Smith, Joseph A.
Mather, A. S. Reed, Joseph Baily.
Exercises We're opened in prayer by
DIR. Cook, after which the school boys
sang very pretty air.
DIR. Harlan, the president of the board
of managers, then briefly welcomed the
visitors, thanking them heartily for ven
turing ont in the extremely cold
weather. After another song, Mr. Lore
introduced Mr. Bayard Mr.. Bayard
addressed himself directly to the boys.
He said, in effect: My little boys, this
is your home What have to say to
you is just in conversation. What /
think could best speak to you Of is the
KIND OF man who gave to you this home
When was q little boy, remember
plain, quiet gentle man, moving about
sill, .tly, working hard at his business Il
think il was that of a cabinet maker toll
ing hard day by day, and not saying very
much tohis neighbors. This was John
Ferris. We who daily met him thought
he was laying by his store of savings as
other frugal men were doing. But we
really knew very little of what was
going. on in John Ferris heart. lie was
not making for his friends whom he
knew. He was making for those he
never was to see or for the thanks of
those whose faces he never was to sec.
1t was for the thanks Of his own con
science, and you to-day are reaping the
harvest If his disinterestcdness.
Il would have gladdened the heart of
John Ferris could he have seen how the
work of his life is developed to-day in
these fine buildings and in the lads
gathered here.
The speaker then cited instances of
those who have acted for the alienation
Of the condition of their fellow humnn
beings, Charles Dickens was one. lie
wrote that "Jails should be barred on
the outside as well as on the inside"
The bars set up by John Ferris are on
the outside. This school is u bar to
prevent boys from ever getting into
prison, and so it was that the ounce of
prevention is worth more than the
pound of cure. We who are perhaps
little more fortunate than you, rejoice
in the opportunity of coming here to see
how comfortable and well cared for you
all are. The gentle influences of the
beautiful music we have Just heard, its
refining effect, the home that opens
daily with prayer and also closes with
prayer, all these combine in building in
and around You the conditions of per-
manent good. There was nothing that
compelled Mr.. Ferris to do this good for
you, or that compels others who will
follow in Mr.. Ferris footsteps to do
likewise.
Mr.. Bayord closed with some pointed
remarks to the lads to make an effort to
make the best use of the advantages now
offered them.
The next in the exercises was come
dietta i'll which four of the boys took
part in most creditable manner. This
was followed by the reading Of poem on
Old Swedes Church, which, on request
was read by Mrs. Frances $. Garrett.
DIR. Harlan then made an address on
the topic, "Nature of Man in School
and Society,"" He said that every man
Is endowed with the quality of destruc-
hveness. Iney naturally have the tiger
attribute in their brain development.
He cited several instances in support of
his assertion. One was the recent case
OF two university professors who
brntally quarreled, when one killed the
other and the killer was hanged. He
gave Bonaparte as an instance of one
with this hateful disposition. The case
of Mahomet was cited as an instance of
man possessed of the attribute of de.
GtruptiVaupss but which in Soma ,,aga,
was used in good direction. The speaker
held that it may be trained for good and
that it is the duty of everyone to hold
this quality firmly in subsection.
Lewis z. Nandegrift was the next
speaker. He addressed himself particu-
larly to the Levy Court commissioners.
lie said that there is nothing in this
State that begins to compare with the
Ferris Industrial School. There is no
institution in Delaware in its line of
public good that can compete with ii.
If you wish to lay aside the moral or
even the intellectual advantages, then
there is the financial one, to which no
limit can be drawn in the good accom-
plished. The outgoing Levy Court did
no es;ter thing than in giving assistance
to this institution. Applause.
superintendent Halnes then gave the
following figures in regard to work &C.
complished by the boys during the past
year; 4I9 various garments made; 5,033
pieces of mending; 2,379 of washing;
lO,3OO loavos baked. All this is indie
pendent of farm labor and Of other
work done through the year.
MIR. Lore thanked the visitors for their
attendance and also the members of the
'EnNNE 80