The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-10-23
THEY ARE DOING
A NOBLE WORK.
Laurel Industrial School for Re-
forming Boys.
WANT TO START A FACTORY.
The Board ofManagers arc Anxious to
Lease Their Vacant Building and
Furnish the Boys to Work IN
Manufacturing Enterprise
TO START A FACTORY.


Directors of the Virginia Prison assOcia-
ton have been anxious TO make arrange
ments with reliable business men 70 ,Open
I'D factory OF some kind IN inc 4dlse
three-story brick building a. me LauIel
Reformatory near Laurel station. IL IS
the purpose OF the managers 10 nave es-
tablished there mandatory ItqulllHb
light work, which will be suitable lot the
boys at the institution, ana WIN tiils IN
view arrangements Will be made win the
proprietOrs OF the Industry Tor the mana
gers Of the association 20 furnlsh laOOr
in the shape OF the inmates Ihey MAKE
excellent operatives. ana nave -40A0'oAoie
given entire satisfaction.
The building which has been nsec as
factory Is q brick structure "'ii."biy
adapted to this purpose. III IS wen ioedl-
ed and well built. 1t IS forty ieet yy
about ninety feet. and IS three stories. II
was huUt Tor mis- purpose. and 1t IS
thought that It can be utiliZco 70 sleal
advantage by some enterqrisng ilrIn as n
factory. The managers OF the institution
are prepared TO make liberal terma Tor lhe
establishment OF such an erte - Use.
DOING A GREAT WORK.
The. reformatory fs doing 4 great work.
II Is controlled by the Prison -NsSCclduOn
Of Virginia, and has for us objects the
saving OF the white boys VINO are loun9
committing petty offences. ard who would
be sent to jail or % the penitenIIry, but
for the existence OF such 8n Institution.
IL was established In 1890. under the aus
pieces Of the Prison Association. II INST
had only few inmates AMI fimy fOun-
dalton. Since then the school has grown
to be a large ana fouTisning ms Tuition.
There are about 12J boys. All are being
well cared for. Mr. John W. Crinean,
who was recently elected superintendent
10 succeed Mr.. W c. Sampson, who re-
signed on account OF his health, hss he
come very much interested ID the vel
fare Of the boys. lie was formerly
member of the Board and has always had
the prosperity Of the institution at heart.
His wife is the matron.
The boys are constantly undergoing an
influence which res-rdins tt'm from
crime. They work several hours day,
and attend regular classes ID school.
They are given four hours cay for
recreation. There IS an air Of thrift sid
enterprise about the institution and The
general conditions are most gratifying
and encouraging 10 those VINO are inter
ested in its welfare.
4 STATE AFFAIR.
The rcformatory is loca-ed only few
hundred yards from Laurel, about eight
miles from Richmond. on the Iic hmond
tredericks burg and Potomac i3ilcad. u
Is open 10 not simply the bows found gull
ty Of offences or petty crimes around this
city. but any judge or magistrate IN the
State can send 10 the school @ny ldd VINO,
In his judgment, should be- transferred 10
such a place instead Of being committed
10 Jail or sent 10 the peniten lazy.
In IL are boys from nearly all ~ the
princinsl cities Of the Commonwealth. ar
from q number Of the towns and coun-
tiej The boys are taught in the schcol-
room not only whit their feNf-hOJts nave
to say about spelling, reading, writing
Arithmetic. gee grapny. etc. uui lh"y al e.
instructed I'm morals and in self ltsi Ter.
F.vtl-vfrfne is lone 10 take he inmate
away from his old ideas and associations.
The object is 10 give the mind OH the
heart a new start in life. and to bring mp
q
conduct and individual responsibility.
This institution IS as yet not governed
bv the state. although the General As
sembly has rendered II some very timely
assistance. 1t has been found that such
ENTERPRISES get along better when cOn-
trOlled by a few responsible individuals.
who have the interests OF the Institution
deeply imbedded in their hearts.
The State OF Virginia I'm 1880 gave the
sum of $4,000 20 the Laurel 2eformatory
for the purpose OF erecting shoIs ana
putting in a printing press. etc. II also
pays the Institution - cents DAY for
the board OF each boy consigned there.
and allows each one SO per year Tor
Is WELL MANAGED
The institution is managed by cNrerl-
enced men. In an economical pitctlcal'
and successful manner. II has already
cared for about 20 boys, ana .n, .s.
number more than eighty hsve oren pui
out I'm positions, some provi8ionally ana
I others dnallv. According 10 the present
rules of the school Il requt Cs about ui
4 teen months for boy 10 GeL ms as
charge papers. The system enploNci ia
f one of BADGES. IF a boy earns badge
which IS emblemaic Of very high marx.
in studies, labOls. and benaNior-eaci %
month for fourteen months-he is emit
tied TO his release. u mas been oDaer.e,u
that the young fellows labor very dll-
gently for these badges. too.
According 10 the laws governing inc
institution, the authorities at the re,
+ formatOry have charge OF the boys uhll
they reach the aes of II years, Dut WAeh-
ever youth earns mis- way out he IS Oh II
charged Of the total number now out, 3
. per cent have done well. and reflect cred-
il upon the school and the institution
s'''0' ' IT'S ORIGIN.
The reformatory was lrst established
lDon a very small piece of land in Henri
co county. about four miles below KEN
mond which had been given 10 the 0sso-
citation along with another tract, Nrlch
ccnld moi he used Sufficient repairs were
nut uDon the little house which sAt ON the
lirst-lamed tract 10 make 10 ha1itaii s
and there the reform it1ry was sttl
4 The necessary furniture ana equipments
were provided. the services or a coinpe-
tent Superintendent and naron see ultu
an address 10 the people Of Virginia WIS
issued and on september ~ ~" WIN
many mlsgiyings, The eNpeflihruL Nas
entered nlNns VII -NNff t-tf'
6rst hoy was committed. lie was SEM
from the Corporation Court or lhe tl,s
/ OF Lynchburs. During we NJ ~ s5H
months twelve more lads wore iettli gu
During the summer, $50, me |aaveid'' ~ y
made the purchase or ninety t.lt9 S1
land near Laurel Station, ana there tne
institution mas grown TO IT'S present Po9'-
lion I'm influence and Importance 80
Much Of the success achleEeu !" Nia,a
work is due to the untiring zeal ana qSNo,
ton of Major Robert stiles hrsl plesieu ~
~ The prison Association and one 81 we
most faithful workers in behalf OF the re-
Others who worked hard for the Sue
cess OF the institution are Mr.. Ahoie"
christian Mr.. James Caskie, the ldle
T,homas POTTS. Major r. T. j.. Myers.
THE OFFICERS. ,
The nre=ent officers OF the Associatlon
are. President vacant by reason of the
dooth ~ Mr. Thomas Potts Flrst wee
president. Major Robert SUES: rcconu
Vtce-President, Roosevelt Page seer ,lIIF
and treasurer. w. h. Williams glorIn-
fendent of the Reformatory 'chh W.
Ro9rd Of Directors-Malor i; +. ID. MY
ors T.. r Addison. j mes r Gordon
Viroinins Newton. John y. iTdAch; John
9 1Iarvood George g. Jeff 5)n, hoina
poindextcr stuart woodward. trilZ =,
torSinr G. Y. Meredith. B. H. MunIoiu
TSmes G. Lamb. Marx Gunst, James OdS'
lie and the four officers.
JUSTICE John.