Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1894-01-19
.sTRrE REroRM scHooL.
X Letter EroDs Rev. d. Bono
van on This institution
for wayward Chill

Recently had occasion to go to the
State Reform school a Red Wing, with
two girls from this place, and while Mt
the school saw and conyersed with some
boys there from Little Falls, and thought
it might be interesting to some of your
readers to hear Of the Little Fails boys.
The school is beautifully located on q
plateau among the bluffs which over
look the Mississippi near Red Wing.
1t commands Il fine view Uf the river.
woods and fields around. There are
three large fine looking buildings OF
brick trimmed with dressed stone.
AI.elt az nyn 60 .n!llu,es, 81 -
whom ares girls The young people " ould
average about II years OF age. Their
time is divided evenly between study ana
useful labor They study during the
iorenoons and work in the afternoon.
They are divided according to age into
groups OF about SO to 60, each group
having a matron, teacher and artificer
They are sent to the institution for petty
crime or incorr!gibility at home and
kept there until OF age,
There are work shops for woodwork,
shoe making, printing. baking and sew
ing, under charge OF competent man
ayers, and the pnpiI; are divided out
among these according to taste and fit
ness. There are also opportunities for
work with engine and boilers, and on
the fine farm Of the school, containing
45O acres.
| visited the shops and schools. and
everywhere found everything systematic.
scrupulousiy clean and orderly. The
work in penmanship and drawing in the
schools was spccially fine.
On Sundays the children are gathered
together in the fine large dining hall
and the ministers from Red Wing go out
in turn and prcach to them on the great
tru tbs OF the sospai: The supeiiuteEta-
ent conducts a Sunday school service.
The Roman Catholic children, who are
proportionately very numerous, have
separate services by priest.
The girls occupy a separate building
ond are kept exclusively to that build
ing, only that on Sundays they come in
to the gallery OF the dining hall for
church services.
The young people have a fine brass
band, and in the band room, fifty enough,
found George ana Leo Fishbach. They
looked we'll, had grown considerably,
and seemed qutecontented. Iconyersed
with them alone The Older boy re-
marked that he liked the Institution and
the way things worked there. He said
it Was good place for boys to be. l
could fully agree to this view when the
BOYS are unfortunate in their home re-
lations; when they lack proper care,
good example Or good government at
home, then il is we'll that they could be
in a place like this.
| also conversed with Rheinhart Da-
mon. He, too, looked well, was cheer
ful and contented. Rheinhart had evil
IDENTIFY been promoted; he was in the
dining room Of the superintendent, and
occasio naly i'll the office.
There was Polish boy from Little
Falls, but / was not acquainted with
him. A young girl, Kate New, think,
told one OF the teachers that she tnew
me, and did remember having seen her
at Little Falls, but did not converse
with her.
In all was well pleased with the in
stitution and much interested in its
work. 1t is grand thought to take
charge OF children before they have gone
far in way OF evil, and to teach them
habits of order, Industry and self respect.
Yours truly,
49,. D. DONOVAN. 8