The age-herald., 1898-08-14

often asked whether men and women have any use for liberal education that does not fit them for the practical needs of life and for the struggle which. every day grows keener and iii0re personal.
 The club women of this slate, Of whom there are some eight hundred, have taken upon themselves the loving hurculean task of getting an appropriation from the state sufficient to establish reformatory an industrial school an institution that will be directly connected with the vital inter- est of the state, its object being to prevent crime by drying up its source and to con- vert the wayward, lawless and abandoned element of society into useful citizens. The fundamental idea of suchc an institu- tfon being the prevention of crime instead of its punishment.
 With this object in view, Mrs. R. D. Johnston, who distinguished herself by her speech in the interest of this work before the federation of clubs, which met in Sel- ma last April, and who is chairman of the committee of club women who will submit bill to the next legislature asking for the appropriation to start this school, and myself visited the Tennessee industrial school near Nashville, school that is the pride of Tennessee. demonstrating the wis dom of its legislature and their humanity as well.
 The school was first known as the Ran dall Cole School" Col. D. w. Cole, one of
 
 citizens gave several years ago valuable tract of land with improvements as a neuclus to start an industrial school. Colo nel Cole has not ceased to be its friend. besides other gifts he has this year given $10.000 to build an auditorium. The work on the building is being done by the boys in the school. It will be completed in De- tober.
 Mrs. Cole, who is also known for her kindness and many charities, and who was named the Queen of Roses" by a corres- pondent in Harper's in writing up the Cole home with its garden of roses, is fre- quent visitor to the school, often throwing open her hot houses to the inspection and instruction of the boys who work in the hot houses at the school.
 The state, waking up to its responsibility, gave an appropriation and had the school rechartered, The Tennessee Industrial School. The state has increased its ap- propriation at each meeting of the legis- lature until it is able to comfortably house, clothe and feed between seven and eight hundred pupils. The pupils work one-half of the day and go to school the other half. Skilled teachers are employed and the girl or boy leaving the institution goes out into the world well trained in the industries, arts or sciences with good education that fits them for the practical needs of life and making useful citizens.
 The school is about two and one-half miles from the city of Nashville, out on the Lebanon turn pike. Turning off of the pike you drive through two rows of young trees up to a large three-story brick build ing with wings extending back on each side, partly surrounding a large court that is used a drill ground for the boys. In the center of the court is a grand stand for the band which numbers twenty-five stringed instruments. The building Is in the midst of a great clump of trees. Flow CTS of every hue fill vases and urns with trailing vines and planted in beds on the lawn.
 There are separate buildings for the smaller boys, large girls and smaller girls. At some distance from the main building is the negro building they having a distinct and separate department yet under the same management and superintendent.
 While the school is Tennessees reforma- tory, it is in no sense a prison. A home- like air of industry prevails, for they are trained in religious and moral as 21lG physical and mental sdeceiopment
 We were shS"n every courtesy by the superiptefident MT. w. c. Kilvington, and -h!,ss estimable wife, taking us through the buildings, school rooms and work shops, surprising us beyond our expectation in the grandness of a conception and its execu- ton. On visiting the school rooms Mrs. Johnston was called upon and in her own happy style gave instructive and encour- aging talks to the pupils to win frequent applause
 Much information was given her In re- gard to the first legislation of the school and of its struggles during its incipiency.
 MT. Kilvington has national reputation as a man of superior intellect and an edu- cator of ability. Last May at the conven- ton of charities and corrections held in New York, he read paper on the subject What Method of Education Will Best h. duce Right Habits of Thinking on the Part of the Pupils in Our Schools"
 A great deal of the success of The Ten nesse Industrial Schools due to the wis dom of it's board of directors in having the right man in the right place.
 If the new woman in the state of Ala bama in her efforts should reclaim one boy or girl, checking them in their wayward and downward course, having their lives turned into channels of usefulness, and securing for themselves independent homes and positions, she will have done we'll
 ALMA RITTENBERRY.