The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-25
What Shall
We Do
With Our Boys and
GirlS-The
Whittier School.
Written for
1.-The Call"
By Supt. j. E. Coffin.


girls? Not the boys and girls who have
good homes, however humble, with kind
and loving parents to counsel aud encour-
age them. We have spent and are spend
ing thousands of dollars for these. We
have provided grand system of public
schools, and at Berkeley we have estab-
lished great university, which will very
soon, If not now, take rank with the fore
most educational institutions of the land.
OF these privileges they will avail them
selves.
But what shall we do with the unfor-
tunate boys and girls of California, many of
whom never had a home, and large per-
centage of the remainder of whom would
probably be better off If they had not had
what they have been taught to call home
children who, from very force of circum-
stances, go wrong, almost of necessity
yielding to the evil influences surrounding
them, and find themselves at enmlty with
the law and lawabiding people?
"a child is man in small letter, the
best copy of Adam before he tasted the
apple. His soul is white paper, I'M
scrubbed with observations of the world,
wherewith at length it becomes blurred
notebook. He is purely happy because he
knows no evil, nor has he means by sin to
be acquainted with misery"
Could we, while the page is white and
the child is at the most impressionable
age, compel its parent or guardian to love
it and give it the wise, judicious care and
training it should have; if every child
born with vicious surroundings could be
removed at once to a pure atmosphere and
every apparent or suspected evil tendency
combated in the light of our best knowl
edge of child training, large percentage
would be saved for usefulness who other
wise will be trained in lawlessness, and
the necessity for reformatories and prisons
would be reduced to the minimum. I'm
fortunately, so far, we have been unable to
do this.
1t is an easy matter to find opportunity
for criticiZing parents in the care of their
children. ANY number who have the
means to provide well for their children
make no provisions, exercise no restraint
and are only. too glad to have the State
step in and relieve them of their care.
There should undoubtedly be some means
for compelling such parents to at least pay
the expenses necessary for giving their
children proper care and training, but to
hurl children back upon such parents
without doing anything to better their
opportunities is doing justice to neither
the child nor ourselves. So interdependent
have we become as fellow citizens we can
not be wholly disinterested parties to the
training our neighbor gives his children.
What is our responsibility to these chill
dren who have never known the influence
of a good home and the watchful care of
true loving parents? Children who have
inherited criminal tendencies, or those
who have acquired them through enforced
associations, are rather to be pitied than
blamed. The highest motive which should
prompt us to an interest in such children
is that we may save the children. Another
motive is that the safety and general well
fare of society may De conserved.
If we let them drift they will undoubt-
eddy work out their own ruin, become q
curse to others and burden to the State.
Given the opportunity for reformation;
vicious surroundings replaced by those
which are hopeful and helpful; not only
the temptation, but the opportunity for
offenses removed regular habits and
cleanliness enforced; sufficient and proper
food supplied and both mental and
physical labor exacted, with view to de-
veloping and strengthening feeble or
dormant parts and faculties and q vast
number of boys and girls now growing up
to fill prisons, hospitals and asylums may
be diverted from their present course and
saved from that for which they are not
responsible to become law abiding, wealth
producing citizens.
har ia oHa hoir
shall we ignore them until they force them
selves upon US as adult criminals g,
lunatics and paupersp
California gave a most emphatic answer
to these queries by establishing first. the
Whittier State School, which opened its
doors for the reception of children July l..
1890, and secondly, the Preston School of
Industry at lone.
The basic principle on which reforma-
ton is carried on at Whittier is the devel-
opment of the good in the child, to the sup
preston of the evil. Occupation pre-
cIudes mischief; diversion rather than CO.
ercion maintains restraint.
A child entering the school learns that
the officers and teachers are not avenging
fates sent to upbraid and punish for past
errors, but friends, giving small heed to
his past, but greatly concerned as to his
future. Infexible discipline is main
tanned, but in its enforcement the child
meets with kindness, to which the major
ity of them have been strangers, and to
which, as rule, they readily respond.
The boys and girls are assisted in their
choice of occupations by the officers.
With rare exceptions, they want trades
and choose the places for which they are
best adapted. Children are not born lazy.
Many are misplaced, but if given an occu-
patton for which their abilities and in
clinations fit them, they work enthusiastic
ally and become ambitious to excel. In
the boys department there is:
A shoeshop where all the shoes for the
institution are made, and thirty boys are
learning to be shoemakers.
A tailor-shop where all the clothing is
made, and thirty-five boys are learning to
be tailors.
A printing ONCE where thirteen boys are
learning the cart preservative."
An electrical department where the
heat, light and power for the whole in stitu-
ton is generated, and where twenty boys
J.-.;,r 90 ha electricians and eQpl-