The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-07-30
MIDDLET0WN'S SCHOOL
FEMININE TASTES CULTIYATED Al
GIRLS IN ID USTRIAL.

Mirrors for Their Rooms and Cr'mps on
Their Heads-They Are Said to Aid the
Discipline at the Institution-Interesti ting
Facts of Superintendent Fairbanks Adj
ministration.
AS the crownlng idea in experiments
to decide whether girls can be most
successfully reformed with or without
crimps and other trifling adornments
dear to feminine vanity. one hundred
looking glasses are to be placed in the
bedrooms of inmates of Russell Home
at the Middletown Industrial School
Heads of reform schools for girls
maintain that if it were not for the
love of srimps, jewelry, ribbons and
the determination to procure articles
for personal adornment at any cost,
the number of girls supported by the
public purse in industrial and reform
institutions would be greatly diminish
ed SO it has been customary for years
TO frame stringent rules against crimps,
hair ribbons, corsets paint, powder and
style. Mirrors are regarded as the
prime cultivators of vanity and enc
mics of reformation.
Connecticut, it is conceded, has a
model institution in the industrial
school at Middletown. 1t is about
two years since Superintendent Fair
bank took charge and made a revolution
in favor Of crimps and everything ex-
cept paint and powder, that a girl needs
to make herself look pretty. 1t is an
experiment that is being watched by
similar authorities all over the country.
Most of them predict failure. However,
it is claimed that the percentage of
reformations at Middletown has been
just as great under the crimp regime
as with the old straight laced method.
The permanency of the reformations
also seem to be assured.
UNIQUE AMONG INDUSTRIAL
SCHOOLS.
Superintendent of many similar in
stitutions from different parts of the
country visited Middletown during the
recent HdllOIldl COuNcHllOll III 4NSW Ilet-
ven Most Of them haven't yet re-
covered from their amazement at the
sight of over 200 girls with hair crimped
or waved, fashionably arranged in
Psyche knots and decorated with fancy
pins of gilt, silver and shell; young girls
with curls down their backs, knotted
with bright ribbons stylish frocks
trimmed with lace of the latest designs
Rade after the reigning styles and
with sleeves as voluminous as any
to be seen at the most fashionable sum-
side an institution might envy the ap-
pearance of some of these stylish look
ing girls.
To the Russell Home, where the mir
rors will be placed if the present in
tention Is carried out, are sent the worst
class of girls from all over the Nutmeg
state. They are not criminals, though
often children of criminals A good
many of them would answer tn descrip-
ton of "toughs.' They are committed
through the courts from the most de-
PRAYED of homes. Many are weak
minded. Some Of them are colored. A
large number are cursed from birth,
and owe their depravity to heredity.
They are never allowed out of sight
of an attendant and each is locked into
her room at night. They range from
fourteen to twenty or twenty-one years
in age.
Before the liberal reign of the pres
ent superintendent, every girl was COM
PEELED to wear her hair brushed smooth
ly back.
The novel experiments at Middletown
are startling by comparison with the
ordinary institution rules. Among the
first concessions made was that of al
lowing the hair to hang down the back.
1t was observed that the big girls liked
to appear girlish Corsets are allowed
but not lacing. Friends and parents of
girls are allowed to send girls presents
of lace, ribbons, fancy ornaments, neck
beads collars, handkerchiefs, brooches,
stickpins, BELTS cologne and similar ar
ticles. Almost every girl in the institu-
tion who wears her hair in woman
ly fashion has one or two fancy shell
pins or silver combs. Material can also
be left, or the money to pay for them,
for dresses
HOW THE GIRLS DRESS.
Many of the girls are wearing to
chapel on Sunday as dainty and be-
coming challie or white muslin dresses
as any girl could want The sleeves
are not am inch behind the fashion in
size either, and they are trimmed with
ribbons after quite the latest designs
OF course not all the girls have friends
to bring them pretty things and the
state doesn't purchase them. Never
theless the superintendent wife be-
lieves in getting the prettest things to
be had for the money at her command,
and the result is that good taste APP
pears in everything furnished by the
state.
Crimps are one of the latest privi-
1eges granted to the girls. A few in
dependent ones don't care for them.
The great majority wear all they can
make. One of the girls, whose people
sends her pretty dresses, scorns crimps
and declares that some of the girls sit
up half the night doing their hair up
in curl papers.
The rooms occupied by the Middle
yir1c no