The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-08-23
sr4rE RnroRMaronr noARp.
Major Spencer of aterbury, Desoribe
 Directors Visit t, EImira,


 Directors Visit t illmira,
 Merden, Aug, 22.--Walter Hubbard and the other directors of the Connecti- cut state reformatory board have re- turned from their visit to Elmira, N, r., where they went to inspect the New York state reformatory, which is locat- ed just outside of that city, MT, Hub bard, however has not yet got home to Meriden. One of the directors, Major Frederick A, Spencer Of Waterbury, has been interviewed by Republican re- porter of this city, to whom he said
 We reached Elmira in time to be present at the regular Sunday exercises there was class in ethics at which all were present who were not excused for some sufficient reason, In the evening Professor McCook of Trinity college, president of our board, made an address before all the inmates of the reforma- tory. It was really g. sermon without notes. All the Sunday exercises which I saw were conducted in a most fitting manner and were calculated to impress the minds of the young men who were present with moral and religious truths.
 'The location of the reformatory is n a peculiarly desirable spot. The valley of the Chemung river, of which Elmira is the largest city, is one of the most beautiful parts of the country 1t has ever been my privilege to see. The re- formatory, being located some little dis tance outside the city, has the advan- tage of being surrounded by an abund- ance of arabic land, where ample op-' portunity is afforded to give the in mates of the institution outdoor life.
 "We spent the larger part of our stav In observing the routine life of the insti- tuition, trying to gain as many ideas as possible which might be of use to us in the future.
 "We found MT. Broadway a very pleas ant, mild-mannered, blue-eyed man, who showed us every attention during our stay that we could have desired We noticed that the inmates of the institu- ton seemed to be a very healthy body of men. Out of the 1,SOO inmates only fourteen were in the hospital.
 '4There is a very finely equipped gym nasium in connection with the institu- ton. It has a swimming tank and all the different kind of baths. It is as well equipped as any gymnasium ever saw. There are all kinds of trade schools where the young men are taught the plasterers, the carpenters, the brick layers, the stonecutter's, the joiner's, the blacksmith's and the machlnist's trades, as well as stenography, type writing, telegraphy and numerous other branches of industry. In fact, it would be easier to enumerate what they do not teach than what they do. They also give the inmates an opportunity to s IL dy in any branch of book learning which they may choose. I was especially im- pressed with the excellence of their mil itary company. The sil nt manual which was gone through with by body of |, 900 men-as big as two c. N. G. regi- ments-was as near perfection as any military drilling I ever saw. The sol- diers carry guns a little higher than those carried in our companies. The guns for obvious reasons are not equip ped with bayonets.
 "The inmates of the institution are | divided into three grades or classes, which are widely distinguished by cos tune and privileges. A man when he goes there is put in the middle class, 1 By obedience, faithful and industrious ! work and good behavior he may very soon be promoted to the highest class, I where a great of freedom and privilege I is allowed; or he may be debased to the l lowest class, if he proves incorrigible
 Here the discipline is strict and severe and the man is made to feel to great CT degree that he is prisoner. It must
 be borne in mind that the sentences arc indeterminate, and that the period of 3 mans detention at the reformatory de. pends largely on himself The system of marking Is made use of in the disci- pline of the institution.
 q can say that I was very favorably impressed with that part of the institu ton which I saw. MT. Broadway die
 not show us the methods or means o1 punishment. We saw nothing of the paddle. As far as we saw the institu ton it seemed perfect.
 with the $50000 which the state leg islature has put at the disposal of thu reforma'tory directors We. cannot thinl of founding an institution which would
 be of the service to Connecticut whici
 the Elmira reformatory is to New York
 We cannot build an adequate building for that amount, aside from equippint it. Its location, too, is a very import
 ant question: We should want to hav it in g, healthy place, central, well drain
 ed, with good quality and quantity O
 water and with plenty of arable land We shall visit the Massachusetts re
 formatory at Concord and other simila institutions before very long. We con
 slider that we gained valuable and use
 full information on our E1rnira trip."' |