The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-04-21
Reform School Boys Played Some
Very Strange Franks.
SOAP PASSED THROUGH A KNOT-HOLE.
An Interesting Account of an Institution
which Has Been Observation-Disclosures
that Bloom in the Desert-A Good
Place for Bad Boys to Grow Good In.

Inc following interesting SkeCcn
of the Reform School and account
of the present status and needs of
the institution, was written for the
ADVERTISER by Mr.. Girvin:
We read descriptions of Oahu Jail,
and many other noble institutions in
our land, of which we may be justly
proud, but no one speaks of the Re-
form School. In court mans reputa-
ton is considered established as
"good'' when it is testified to as not
being questioned. 1t is not so long
ago when the Reform School had the
reputation of being a place where in
EQUITY in all its worst forms was syste-
matically taught. Hawaii's only
man-o'-war "Kaimiloa" was manned
largely from rascals from this institu-
ton, and they were the original
'sforty thieves" Some of the most
weird tales are told of the escapades
of the reform boys of those days. They
have been known to steal hive of
bees, bringing it home to their own
Jail yard where it was so cunningly
concealed as not to have been dis
covered by the manager. They have
gone into town and robbed a garden
which they duly transplanted
into their own yard. They have
burglarized music store and
supplied each of the boys with
instruments. Like dogs they
would cache their plumbers until the
storm had blown over, then they
would unearth them and generously
divide. They were the most incorii-
gible lot of youths, and could not be
- kND1f nd hnr
who have been punished by having
their ankles chained together have
escaped, broken into blacksmith
shop, secured chisel and file and freed
themselves. Boys carrying a ball and
kchain have scaled the high wall sur
bounding the institution and obtained
liberty. Some of them, before escap-
Ing, have made provision for future
comfort in the way of blankets, etc.
Aided by friends without, they have
robbed the institution of every port
able thing of value. In JacksoH's
time, in the good old Gibsonian re-
gime, when any burglary Or larceny
was committed in Honolulu. the crime
was laid at the door OF the Reform
school, and, in nine cases out of ten,
it was true bill. They have been
aided by their relatives in break
ing jail, and boys have been
known to pass soap enough through
knot-hole to friend to run q laundry. |
There is hardly part of the grounds
from which has not been unearthed |
cached stolen goods. Today it is diff |
ferent. We rarely hear the Reform
School spoken of, and would only |
know we have such an institution by |
seeing q company of we'll dressed |
graded boys, in charge of native |
master, marching to Sunday school |
or church.
The Reform School is situated in |
Palama, on King street, about one |
mile from Fort street. The premises |
consist of about six acres of well kept |
lawn and garden. There is nothing |
attractive in the architecture of the |
buildings. The school room and dor
mitory are large and adequate for the |
present demands. The boys all sleep !
in one room, which contains about |
thirty single beds, each with it's can
opy mosquito net. The different rooms
are kept scrupulously clean, and the
sanitary conditions of the institution
are in excellent form.
Each boy, however, should occupy |
a room of his own. They get good |
food, consisting Of poi, rice, salmon, |
beef, bread and fruit. No death has !
occurred in the school for six years
past and the general health of the |
scholars has been good.
! They work in the grounds, and are !
taught native in the morning and !
English in the afternoon. 1t is un-
fortunate that they are not taught /
trades. They are as bright and good !
a lot of boys as can be found on the !
Islands. and the discipline of the !
school is perfect. Some of them have !
been drafted into the late band on
account of the development of their
musical talent. Some of them have
done excellent work with pen and
ruler. One little fellow ingeniously
invented windmill which he placed
under the school, where he had no.
ticed the wind drew through strongly,
and to which he attached a pump and
machinery. Flowers will bloom in
the desert.
They have been sent there for va
riety of terms and causes. We find
one sent up for truancy for balance of
his minority. Another for two years,
another one and still another six
months for the same cause. We find
one undergoing a sentence of seven
years for larceny, and others again
three and six months for the same.
No matter how refractory "a boy is
on first arrival, he soon becomes do
mesticated. He is cleaned up, in
structed in the rules, his skin diseases,
if any, cured up, and he soon finds he
has clean, pleasant home, where he
will be compelled to work and
study and submit to the inevitable.
A very little extra expense would
provide tools, material and masters to
teach them trades so that when they
leave they would have educated hands
which would place them above the
necessity of competing with the COM
mon laborer. 1t is to be hoped that
the new Board of Education will take
hold of this institution and make it
real reformatory. Perhaps one of the
lady members will make it her espe-
cial hobby. I wish that teachers and
magistrates would have no diffidence
in sending boys to this institution
where they would have so good a
home and regular diet which 1 know