The herald., 1897-08-22
A MODEL FOR WHITTIER
KEEPS IDLE CHILDREN OUT OF
MISCHIEF
Twenty-One Trades Are Taught in
New York's Model Institution.
Military Discipline

me more tndD any OLHer pulldulu OPiS
institution which I have thus far seen in
the east. 1t receives boys and girls un-
der 16 years of age from all parts of the
Empire state, except the counties of
King and New York. These youths,
both girls and boys, are committed for
petit larceny, vagrancy, burglary, as
sault, disorderly conduct, intoxicatlon,
incorrigibility, cruelty, begging, etc.
They find here in Rochester not prison
but a school. So recently as within the
present decade this state industrial |
school was JAIL its ruling idea was the |
still prevalent thought that upon crim1- |
nal children the state must take re-
venge; the guiding spirit in all features
of its work was one of retribution rather
than reform. But few years ago the
small unventilated cells with their nine
inch windows and their grated doors be-
gan to be replaced by pleasant dormitor-
les Corporal punishment, with the fire.
uuent cruelties and the hardening char |
acter to which it leads, was entirely abol-
tshed in 1898. Beginning in the same
year classification of the students ac-
cording to age and character was care
fully made with the result of separating
little children from contamination by
more hardened offenders. Military or
ganization and discipline were adopted
as the fundamental method of handling
the 800 inmates, and at the same time
exercising, disciplining and training
both their bodies and their minds. Les
sons in the common school branches
were made practical and interesting,
while great wealth of shops, machines
and tools open to every boy and girl
within the institution a practical, COM
Inta ir,i IN,
tion among the twenty-one trades in
which this industrial school affords in
struction. Combined with all these
meritorious features comes the employ
ment in recent years of parole officers
who visit and supervise, and, upon occa-
sions, bring back to the institution those
students" whom it returns on parole
into their homes or sends into new homes
approved by the directors of the school,
Through these parole officers and a sys-
tenn of quarterly reports the school keeps
in touch with it's graduates till they be-
come of age-until which time the abso
lutte guardianship of all children Commit
ted to it rests in the New York State In
6ustrial school.
All day Monday spent inspecting the
school in company with William K.
Stewart, president of the New York state
board of charities, and Mr.. Edgar l..
Murin. Eight hundred and forty-seven
boys and girls-little and large-the EN-
pire state undertakes to reform into use
full citizens through the agency of this
industrial school, Since the establish
ment of the parole system has enabled
the New York school to inform itself as
to the history of it's graduates, 81 per
cent of the latter have led honest lives
and done well in life's battle. Twenty
per cent slipped away from the knowl-
edge Of the institution, but so many of
this 20 per cent return as visitors or
come in unexpected or unofficial ways
to the knowledge of the school officers
that the latter are confident that 10 of
the 20 per cent live honorably. And of
all those admitted to parole after term
Of institutional schooling, which aver
ages only two and one-half years and
. can never exceed three years, only 20
per cent relapse into unsatisfactory con-
duct. This does not mean," added Prof.
Briggs, whose figures am quoting. that
they all become jailbirds."
Judge Thomas Raines is the most ef-
fective friend Of the institution; the bull
wark who has secured to the New York
state industrial school that remarka Bile
immunity from unfriendly political in
reference which has alone made possi
BILE the improvements of the last ten
years. The judge told me that the key
note of the institution, the influence to
which it's notable success as a reform
atory is mainly due, Is the system of mil
itary training and discipline. To my
mind, however, it is not this, though the
school could hardly be conducted with
cut its military organization. The fun
damental feature of the reformatory,
as I see it, is its admirable industrial
schools.
AT the Rochester school there are
now forty-two boys in the carpenter
shop, and here I found them not only
following the graded charts which
teach them progressively the use of all
carpenters tools and the mastery OF all
the various constructions which a car
penter is called to undertake, but the
youngsters were also building desks and
doors for the institution. Fourteen boys
in the foundry sixteen in the machine
shop and thirty who were employed as
blacksmiths were putting UP strong and
beautiful fire escapes on the main build
ing, constructing large electric motor
and making an ornamental gate which
other boys in the drawing classes had
designed. In the tailor shop there were
ffty-five boys who both meant bust
ness" and did it. Forty boys make and
repair shoes for the school; thirty work
in the we'll equipped printing house.
where great deal Of printing, ruling
and binding is done for this and other
New York state institutions. Laundry
work is being mastered at present by
thirty-five lads, while fifty-four are both
Instructed and made of practical benefit
through their labors in the school gar
den. In these nine trades, as well as
eight others which have not space to
mention, grand total of 476 boys are
at present working over four hours
every day. The pleasure. interest and
spontaneity which they universally ex-
hibit in their work are beautiful to see.
There is in these great trade depart
ments not the slightest suggestion of a
prison; there is no guard anywhere ex-
cept the expert instructors who direct
the boys work. The young workers ap-
ply themselves as well here as in an
ordinary paid shop, while their product
would compare favorably, think, with
that of the average commercial estab-