The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-08-21

Or, Harriet b, Jones returned yester-
day from Huntington, where she was in
attended with the other members Of the
board Of directors of the State Industrial
Home for Girls, looking over a site that
was offered for the home at Huntington,
The board was in session in Wheeling
Wednesday, and on Thursday left for
Huntington, where the meeting mentions
ed occurred, The ext meeting will oc-
u at C%larksburg, August 81, when II Is
expected to decide upon the location OF
The home,
The board had its first meeting In
Clarksburg last month, organizing by
electing DR.. Jones president, and Mr.
Jerome Haddox, of Lincoln county, Sec
rotary. At the Wheeling meeting, Mr.
Stillman Young, of Upshur county, was
elected treasurer. The other members
are Mrs. N. c. Morrow, Marion county,
Mrs. Robert S. Gardner, Harrison coun-
ty and Mr.. John Cummlns. Ohio county.
Since the last legislature made an appro-
prlatlon for the founding of an Industrial
home for girls, the board has been look
ing over desirable sites. Visits have
been paid 20 those offered in Huntington
and Clarksburg, and in Preston and
Upshur countless The greatest induce
ments come from Clarksburg, In Harrl-
son county. but not flatterlng enough 10
move the hoard as yet. A little more
effort and Harrison county will be Sc
lected.
At the Wheeling meeting Or. Jones and
Mr.. Young, the committee which visited
the girls Industrial schools In Delaware,
Ohio and Adrian, Mich, reported as be-
ing greatly pleased with the workings
and systems OF those institutions, The
cottage system Ia In use at those schools,
instead of having the girls confined in
one building, and this system was adopt
ed by the board. Then the visit was paid
to Huntington Thursday, and while re-
turning n meeting was held on the train,
In which II was decided that n central
location of the school was desirable, and
II Harrison county offered suitable ad-
vantages the school would be located
there, II not, the board will so elsewhere,
DR.. Jones Is an enthusiast over the
school. The Adrian school impressed
her very favorably, and in conversation
with an Intelllgencer reporter yesterday,
she detailed many interesting facts with
the Michigan institution, and of the work
In general. The girls Industrial school
will be to girls what the Pruntytown
school Is for boys, in the sense that 1t will
be a place to which girl offenders be-
tween the ages of seven and eighteen
may be consigned. 1t will not be term
ed a reform" school, for that title car
rles with II a stigma that Is offensive 10
the inmates. Acting upon this line the
state legislature at It's next session. will
change the name of the state reform
school at Pruntytown, to the Boys Indus
trirl School.
What Is proposed" said Dir. Jones
yesterday, lis not a jail or penitentiary.
We want n place for young girls. who
are uncomfortable, and those being at
large Is a menace to society. Girls I'M
der fifteen years Of age will be taken
from houses Of prostitution, or off the
streets If necessary. Girl thieves, or girl
criminals will be sent to the industrial
school, Instead OF to the penitentlary.
our idea Is to have those girls feel that
they have n home, have them taught
what Is right, have them work at appro-
pirate labor, and then when their time
Is out leave, respectable young women.
The need for such an institution has long
existed in West Virginia, Justices OF the
peace dislike sending a young girl to Jail.
and SO does any other person, for n
young girl Is contaminated by Jail sur
roundings. The legislature has passed
laws conforming to the school, and al
ready / have received inquiries relative
to sending girls there,
THE appropriation $4,000. is not much,
still It does to begin with. We would
like to follow the modern plan of having
the girls live in cottages, say thirty or
forty girls in each. The dormItory sys-
TEN will not be used, each girl having her
private room. or course all the girls
committed will not emerge as good as
we'd like, hut in other places statistics
show that owe fifty per cen are turned
out good girls, which. as you see, ls n re-
markable showing. Some OF the Adrian
girls have become attendants at the To-
ledo insane asylum, one Is the church
organist In a large city, and so on. Tho
girls may be taken out OF the school,
upon certain conditions. but the law
gives us charge of them II we wish until
they reach their t%wenty-nrst year"
The West Virginia school, said DR..
Jones, will be one building with n wing,
with the expectation of adding another
wing when appropriated for. The inten-
ton is TO have several buildings. or the
cottage system as soon as the growth of
the school warrants 1t. Thirty acres will
be taken up, and II will be cultivated In
vegetables, fruit. lawns, etc. The heavy
work VIII be done by mon. Just so soon
as n site Is selected bids for the erection
or the buildings will be advertised for.