The record-union., 1896-11-27
REFORMING MAYNARD BOYS.
The Preston School Of Industry Near
lone, Amador.
An Institution That is Credit to the
State-lts Good Manage
ment.

While on a recent visit to lone, Anna
dor County, Record Union" represen-
tatives We're afforded an opportunity
to make brief inspection of the Pres
ton School of Industry, just outside the
town, through the courtesy of E. Carl
Banks. the efficient Superintendent of
the institution.
| In the short time that has elapsed
since the school was established Super
intendent Banks has accomplished
wonders. The drive from the town out
to the school buildings is through very
picturesque bit of foothill scenery, the
natural attractiveness of which has
been greatly enhanced by the work Of
boys for whose benefit the institution
was established. But this work is
really only begun. Superintendent
Banks has plans laid out for grading
and otherwise improving the driveways
and grounds that will, when completed,
add still more to the convenience and
attractiveness of the grounds
| In a little valley that nestles at the
| foot of the hill on which the buildings
are cultivating quite extensive gardens
Each has his own bit Of ground to work,
| and the lads are encouraged in their
labors by being allowed the proceeds de-
rived from the sale of their products.
Although the hour at which the visit
was made was an early one-about 7:3O
| oclock-the boys were found to be all at
their respective tasks, and all depart
ments of the building were neat and
clean.
Owing to the lack of sufficient accom-
modations, but one-half the total mem
bership of the institution can have ac-
cess to the study-room at a time, and
when the visitors called this room was
| filled with we'll behaved, we'll dressed
and intelligent looking boys engaged in
their studies. There was no teacher in
! the room at that moment, but perfect
order was apparent. Indeed, each and
every one Of the boys was intently en-
gagged in studying or writing, and their
| behavior would do credit to the pupils
of any public or private school in the
| land.
While these boys were thus engaged
| the others were not idling. Some were
| busy at work in the tailoring depart
ment, others in the carpenter and black
| smith shops, in the shoe shop, in the
kitchen, cleansing the stairways and
| floors, working in the gardens-in short,
all were engaged in some useful and in
| structive occupation.
| AS superintendent Banks escorted the
visitors through the buildings-whic
by the way, are models of neatness from
| top to bottom-every boy encountered
respectfully saluted in military fashion,
and the Salutation was pleasantly re-
turned by their superior. Everyone
seemed to understand just what he had
to do, and if there ever was an aggre-
cation of really cheerful workers the
boys Of the Preston School deserve to
| be thus named.
| superintendent Banks called atten-
tion to the lack of room in some of the
| departments, and in his report to the
| Legislature has asked for the erection
of an addition to the school building
that will enable him to make better
division of the duties of the inmates.
| The water supply of the school is
excellent and ample. 1t is brought in
pipes from pure source of supply and
pumped to the buildings on the hill by
electric power. The dormitories. lava
tories, dining kitchen, etc, are
all models Of neatness. In each de-
partment is an attendant, or overseer,
most of whom are women, and they
are all treated most respectfully by
those under their charge.
In the hospital ward were three pa
/ L.
mates, and they had the attention Of
a competent woman nurse. The cases
were none of them serious
The same rules that insure cleanli-
| ness and discipline in the school are
practiced in the dairy and barn. These
have cement floors and are washed out
and made scrupulously clean and fresh
every morning. There is kept daily
record Of the milk supply of each COW.
From all that could be seen and
learned during the hurried inspection
OF the institution, the visitors were i'm
pressed with the fact that Superintend-
ent Banks is a most efficient, energetic
and painstaking official. While there is
no relaxation of discipline anywhere
about the school, he treats the youths
under his charge with kindness and
consideration, and they all seem to hold
! him in the utmost respect.
| There is now talk of making the
| Preston School a sort of special re-
| formatory, to which the more deserv-
| ing boys and girls of other institutions
| may be promoted 1t is now certainly
| DONG great things for boys who, from
| one cause and another, had become
wayward, and they are going out into
| the world with habits and acquire
ments that should make good citizens
| of them.
In this connection it may be stated
that Governor Budd will recommend the
| passage of a bill by the Legislature
transferring the inmates of the Whit
| tier Reform School to the Home for
Feeble Minded Children at Glen Ellen
Sonoma County, and transferring the
| inmates in the latter to the school at
Whittier. The girls now in Whittier he
will ask to have transferred to the
Preston School of Industry at lone. By
this means the Governor expects to
bring about a much needed reform.
In recent interview on this subject,
| the Governor said:
| 1t is only short distance from Glen
Ellen to Preston, and my idea is to put
the better class of boys in Preston and
| keep the others at Glen Ellen. A boy
by creditable conduct can be trans
ferred to Preston with but little ex-
| pense, and boy who shows bad ten
denotes can be sent to Glen Ellen. We
can institute system of interchanges
q w - he