The morning call., 1894-06-18
ORPHAN TRAINING
Trades to Be Taught at
St. VinCent's
AFTER SEPTEMBER FIRST.
Christian Brothers to Assume
Control.
LIKE WESTMINSTER SCHOOL.
The Asylum Near San Rafael Is to
Be Transformed Into Technical
Institute.
LIKE WESTMINSTER SCHOOL

|
city after an absence of many years and
left behind him the impulse of new
work which promises to become as great
in its time and in its own manner as the
aftergrowth of the pioneer movement
which the same person started in this city
| twenty-siX years ago. This is the CONVEX
sion OF the St. Vincent Orphan Asylum
near San Rafael into practical trade
school, similar in purposes and methods
to the famous Catholic Protectory at West
chester. n. Y, and the asylum under the
control of the Xavierian brothers a. Bal.
| timore, Md. The first step toward the
change will be accomplished in September.
when, unless something unforeseen inter-
feres meanwhile, the st. Vincent Asylum
will pass under the control of the Chris
tian brothers, or Brothers of the Christian
Schools. as they are more properly called.
Brother Justin, the superior of the
Christian Brothers Order in the United
States. is RESPONSIBLE for the proposed
change. To effect it was one OF the pur-
poses of his recent visit to the coast in
company with Brother Maurellan, who
had charge of the Catholic educational
exhibit at the Worlds Fair.
ST. Nincents Asylum is now under the
conduct of an ordained priest. two male
assistants and five or six Sisters of Mercy.
All the inmates, some $50 of them, are
boys. Only the common school branches
of study are taught. The State withdraws
its aid from the support of each individual
boy when he reaches the age of IA. ana.
unless the Catholic authorities see fit to
extend their charity, he Is at that time
sent out into the world to become master
of himself. Brother Justin's conviction
is that this care and training is not ade-
quate 10 equip boy for an after-life of
self-suppOrt. The common-school educa-
tlOn gives him nothing but the ordinary
ability 10 read and write with which to
earn his living. and most boys have that.
But the training of trade school would
give him-and an orphan above all others
stands in need of some such qualification
definite craft TO recommend him to the
employment of business men.
Ii is a little over twentv-siX years since
Brother Justin first came to San Francisco
and in company with seven other mem bers
of his order founded St. Mary's College
the institution whose great brick edifice
stands at the corner OF Broadway and
Piedmont avenue in Oakland. That was
the begiuning-and Brother Justin was
the pioneer-of orthodox pedagogy under
parochal control in California. The
changes in the management of st. Vim
cents Asylum is the initial movement
Brother Justin again the pioneer of tin
the formation OF new pedagogy to which
the Catholics under the sub-coutTOl of the
Christian Brothers are latterlY devoiing
much attention. In the end it is hoped
that most of the eleemOsynary and reform
atOTy schools tn the coast will be followers
of 1t.
The plans for the new school have not
all been arranged as yet. Brother Justin
has returned TO the East and is to send GU I
two experienced teachers from Westches-
ter. Then about September / the local
N lS n VF1n
troll. The Sisters will all be retired and
none but men employed. AS closely as
finances permit the methods and score of
instruction pursued in the Westchester
school Will be employed. The trades of
printing, shoemaking, chair Gaming, stock
ing Knitting, mechanical drawing. machine
embroidering and weaving Will be taught.
Each boy Will be allowed to choose for
himself the craft he wishes to learn.
In the Nestchester schOol-Or PTotectory
as 1t is named-there is complete print
ing establishment. q weaving machine, a
paintshop, etc. Over $500 boys and girls
are 10 attendance, and great deal of use
| full commercial material is turned out each
year. To every worker is allotted a cer-
tain amount of daily work. If at the END
| OF week be has done more than his as
| slgnment calls for the proceeds OF the sale
OF the extra product 60 to his own bank
account, thus stimulating. rs has been
proved, his spirit of industry and bis per-
! sonal ambition. The gross product of th g
| institution of the Xavierian brothers at
Baltimore has become very large, notably
In the stocking-knitting business.
1t is hardly TO be expected that the st.
| Vincent Asylum will be able to accom-
plish such great results, at least for some
years to come, Tor tn e total attendance. as
| stated above, is only about 500. and boys
have 10 leave il at the age Of fourteen. The
| ST. Xavier and Wesichester schools, on
the other hand, are the reformatories to
| which Catholic minors are committed from
the courts. Youths remain in them up to
the age of tweuty-one.
AS the Youths Directory performs this
! Office IN San Francisco, reporter when
| interviewing Brother BetLin, the local
head OF the Christian Brothers, asked IL
| there might not in the end be a onsoida-
ton OF that institution with the asylum.
The answer WAS in the negative. The two
were under different control was replied;
the one special creation of its present
superintendent, the other but one piece of
vast educational scheme carried on by a
large and comprehensive society.
The Christian Bro theirs, founded in
Paris by John Baptist La Sale. in $780,
exist for the express aim of gratuitous in
| struction of youth. They have a mother
house in the city of their origin. large
establishment in Dublin. and innumer-
able ones in America, the chief OF which
| 10 haundttdu COlltRo VI new L IA, ol
which Brother Justin Is the president.
| The membership of the order, amounting
10 about $4,000 in number, are not or
dalned priests. though they take the cell
bate vows and live the clerical life. Their
| work covers all branches of education
fInm the Kindergarten TO the university.
On the Pacific Coast. besides ST. Mary's
College in Oakland. they have under their
direction the Sacred Heart College of this
city, the st. Michae's College of Portland,
Oi., and most of the parochial schools in
the vicinity. which have been founded
| here since 1880, when Rev. William Glee-
son opened the first one in Brooklyn.
They expect to start the ST. Vincent
Asylum in Its new work modestly and &C
! cording to their means. in the end hoping
to enlarge it to as great preten sions as
possible. Ii the result is combination
with the Youths Directory they will well
come It. though they do not now look for
ward TO it.
The chief obstacle in the way of success
seems to be, according to Brother Bettin
and the other leaders of the movement. the
limit of age at which the State wlthdraws
Its aid. II is scarcely possible for youth
to learn trade by the time he reaches his
i fourteenth vaar