The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1895-05-09

lutions he has formed, and is forming,
for the conduct of his future life. from
the numerous letters we quote, written
by inmates who cheerfully acknOWl-
edges the great benefit derived from
our prison school, more perfect esti-
mate can be placed upon the good re-
sult1ng, not only to the inmate himself,
his friends, but to society, from these
advanced and Christian methods of
dealing with and curing crime. When
it is considered that many of these
were written by men, who, one year
ago scarcely knew the alphabet, and
some of whom could not point out a
letter in it, reformers and philanthropy
lists may we'll look about them, to the
vast army of men and boys in the out
side world, who are cropping on
through darkness: and cease to wonder
at the increase of crime, when so many
are entirely ignorant of what constl-
tutes crime; as many here are con-
fined for the commission of that, which
in their ignorance they did not con-
slider violation of the law In no
other country on earth is the education
of the masses so neglected, and it is to
the highest honor and glory of those
statesmen. and states, that have in
corporated in their statute the COM
pulsory education law. 1t is the
highest standard of civilization that
every man and youth should know his
country's history, it's laws and its re-
uuirements to good citizenship. Teach
the man the moral as we'll as the ply
sical results of wrong doing, and crime
must. will diminish.
THE FIRST SCHOOL.
About six years ago, Mr.. H. G.
Sterdock, then warden of the prison
had large number of idle men on his
hands, and realizing that idleness bred
mischief, even in prison, conceived
/ the idea OF forming a school class
Meeting the hearty cooperation OF
= Chaplain Father Gaughan, class was
organized, composed of men of all de
: grees of intelligence, good, bad, an6
| those who were unlettered. Arrang
+ ing number of benches along th'
s wall of one of the cell house wings, tn
:. reverend gentleman undertook to in
a still the A, B, G, and fractions, into tn
!. heads of the few who took sufficlen
8 interest in the efforts made in thei
r behalf to join the class; for it was no
d compulsory to do so as it is at present
:. From the very nature of the make-u
(. of the class, little progress was made
n 1t was uphill work to endeavor t
2 teach one man how to spell cat, an
his Immediate neighbor how to squar
y the circle. 1t was an experiment, how
ever. and led up to the formation of
1t class little later, and held in the ROOF
ol now occupied by THE MIRROR as
II stOre-room, under the supervision
Chaplain J. H. Albert, assisted by on
N or two inmates Considerable intere:
u was manifested by both teachers an
10 30 scholars in this class, and we learn tn;
le quite number took advantage of tt
opportunity given them to learn, an
made some progress. 1t was not, hoy
lg ever. until Warden Garvin's admin
d tration, that the real interest in
ssSS prison school took root. and classes
~ different grades were formed, sever
re convicts assigned as teachers, and
le' systematic course of study laid OF
Of Of with regular school hours, and tt
,s- proper facilities provided for the ca
or, rying on of a regularly organic
school.
is
=. CONVICT TEACHERS.
er. Too much praise cannot be Civ
en- the three or four inmates who CO
he Quoted the classes in this school. The
ng are number of men still confin
or here, who owe their present ability
GU read and write, to the earnest work
.en these men, who, so nobly entered in
is the spirit of the work, devoting tn
est time cheerfully in assisting these al
of ious hearts to acquire that, which
in youth was neglected. or perhs
at through circumstances could net
-.o1 until %ho fa1I