Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-12-30
DDS and the result leads me to highly


DDS and the result leads me to highly
commend the work
AS set off against work. ! think We have
hardly enough of amusement in our
school FOR both the older and younger
people for fun is as essential as work tn
keep the balance good. The children
need one evening in each week after the
FIRST OF November for games in the house
until the weather Is suitable for out-of-
door play after supper in the spring and
the officers should get away from the in
stitution once week to brighten their
own lives that they may 20 back heart
ened 10 their work, which must be hard
at best. Musicians say piano wears
better for frequent tuning. Surely the
human mechanism is not less delicate
The need of a matron in our school is
so apparent TO every one il is not neces-
sary to enlarge upon the subject further
than TO say If Il family is not to be
trained by a man alone as head. how
much more the need here of mother for
this large and varied family-a woman
tons and of large eecutive power.
That the name of the school be changed
10 State Home, or State Training School,
is not a new suggestion, but since 1t mas
not been acted upon it may be repeated
as also the call for woman on the
board of trustees. Maine does not stand
by her State motto here, and every year
sees her falling farther and farther oc-
hind. In Massachusetts women are
members of the state board of lunacy and
charities. the state board of commission
ers of prisons. state board of education
overseers of the poor. probation officer,
and trustees of state reform schools.
They are also members of state boards OF
charities and correction in New Hamp-
shire. Connecticut, New York. Indiana.
Illinois. Wisconsin and Colorado. Abroad
they serve overseers of the poor in
England. Sweden, France and in parts of
Germany and Norway.
also wish to call attention 10 the age
of boys sent to the Reform school. II is
only a detriment to send. under false pre-
fences. the big rough of Is or more. while
| the baby of ) or should be provided with
a home in a private family. and probably
will be whenever the attention of the To-
cal w. c. T. L. is called 10 the case.
| Homes are what men die for. How shall
| the State provide homes that her sons
| The State agent who shall look after
| children placed out from the Reform
| school well as young men discharged
want; believe many boy might be
| saved from ruin if he had a friend to
look to-such friend as he should find
| in such a State agent a warm-hearted,
| sympathetic. loving man. One of the
| Reform school boys lately at my home
had been making visit at the cottage
| ter home than that" Well might he say
so. An .unlearned boy of IS turned into
| the world for himself-a drunken father
and mother in the Insane hospital.
The alternative sentence still confronts
| us. Last year several boys were sent
away to Jail under this law. which seems
it now stands. There must be a remedy
for this evil, and the school will be ma
terially helped when the remedy is found
The more | study this question OF soci-
ology-the reform of boys-the more l
am convinced that real Improvement
must come mainly from the personal in,
fiuence of the head of the institution.
say head advisedly. because he makes 50
largely the rules which govern his supor
dinates and because upon him depends
so much the character of the people he
htrvo a
moral life of the child depends not upon
the furnishings of that home. but upon
the daily life of the father and moinei'
and the extent to which they can inhu-
ence the child given them.
While my report is a review of the cor
! dition of the school in general ana nIt
of special persons engaged in the WORK
here l feel that | may dlgreSS 10 Dea.'
testimony to the faithfulness ana cor,
scientiousness of the work done Ios o,l
boys. The noble motives or our once.s.
their patience and their diligence deserve
high praise. Everybody understands tnat
such positions are not easy 10 MI ior y
/ is not only needful that these men ana
women be themselves above reproacn.
| they must always distinguish between
| the wrong-doer and the wrong-doln anu
| 10 do the most effective work they must
| continually bear themselves in so loving
| a manner toward these unfortunate LII
| dren that the blinded eyes may oe opsms"
/ TO the beauty of truth and uprigntHess'
| and the unframed feet pe iihpeie" " ~
| low after their leaders ~, I,,vrt
| Let US quote again from Mr; 81 ffy re.
| forma tories should be in scientific HANDS:
and lust here / am constrained to plead
| for the training of young men ana W.,
men for the rare Usefulness tha, 49,,
| them in such institutions. II tne usao
ment of physical disease offers attrae-
tons that call thousands upon thousands ,"i
| of young men and women INTO tne nu 'nav
| ing and medical professions. mere may
be offered a field even more fascinating
to the student and SO full Of oppor;tun n;i,
and interesting employment. tnat II VA
;ly exceed the demand And note TINS
especially- "Reformatories planned. ON
| cered and conducted according 70 env
Should he stationed not at the end OF tne
road. but at the junction of every bypa'h
| that leads into it" u.wrs
c.ro,dw,ter Me Dec IS, 1896.