Evening star., 1899-07-08
TRAINING FARMERS
Good Work That is Being Done by
the Hart Farm School.
HELPS SCORES OF COLORED BOYS
Teaches Them to Become Honest
and Industrious Citizens.
WHOLESOME SURROUNDINGS
Written for The Evening Star.

Written for The Evening Star.
Near the eastern extremity of estu-
airy of the Potomac separating the govern
ment reservation on which Fort Washing
ton is located from River View lies the
tersive farm of Prof. William H. Fl. Hart
of the law department of Howard Univer-
sity. Stretching back over the Maryland
uplands for more than u mile and a half.
Its topography is diversified by hill and
valley, forest and stream; by fields in Gull
tivatior and by wide pastures whereon
Craze blooded cattle and horses. Once
owned by ar old Maryland family and
titled by slaves, the property is now in the
hands of an energetic and capable repre-
sentative of the negro race. who has
tabIished there on a small scale and in a
modest way. entirely with his own means
far equipment goes, reformatory
institution for black waits from eight to
eighteen years old known as the Hart
Farm School.
There had long been need of an institU-
ton to which colored boys could be sent
to receive training which would rescue
them from the waywardness to which
street urchins are inclined and fit them
for labor IN farm homes, when Prof Hart
in September. 1891. came forward with a
proposition to the board of chiIdren's
guardians TO establish on his MARYLAND
farm Il training school for colored boys a
halfway house between the gutter and
the jail.'' as the professor likes TO call it.
MIR. Herbert W. Lewis. superintendent Of
charities for the District. in paper laid
before the joint select committee of Con-
gress to investigate refCrmatory instftu-
tions had outlined a project for just such
a school Prof. Hart proposed. and his
ideas have since been practically applied
at the Hart farm. Prof. Hart's proposal
was therefore gladly accepted. and after
an inspection of the farm a contract was
made ia November. 1897, with the profes-
sor for the care, training and maintenance
of such boys as should be sent to him by
the board. The contract provides that the
boys shall receive agricultural training, in
Guiding plowins, sowing, reaping. care of
farm machinery, feeding and care of stock,
Instruction in baCksmithing and wheel
wrighting and the rudiments of a literary
education. Two suits of clothes are given
each boy. medical attendance must be fur
nished and funeral expenses paid in the
event of death. For its part the board of
children'S guardians pays Prof. Hart SiS5
per annum for each boy maintained,
sum considerably less than the per capita
cost of keeping a boy at the reform school
of the District Prof Hart finds that his
frcOme from this source does not suffice to
pay the expenses of running the farm and
school and the deficit Is made up out of
his private purse.
Among Wholesome surroundings
Forty-two boys are now at the school
Some Of them have served terms in Jail:
the remainder have been rescued from that
misfortune. They are under strict discipline
but no armed guard stands over them and
there has not been d runaway in months.
Plain and simple the surroundings
and arduOus as Is the work required of them.
these boys prefer their wholesome farm life
10 the temptatlC ms and WickCdneSS of city
streets and alleys. And the environment
which converts these boys from mischiev-
Gus vagrants and embryo thieves. worse.
to willing workers, is nothing other than
that Of the ordinary farm. to which must
De added the good example and training
supplied by their Instructors There is Il
paid staff of ten persons. including the
principal. Robert J. Evans. a graduate of
Hampton Institute. the farm 1VerSeer, A
blacksmith and other farm hands a matron
and several teachers All are of the col
ored race Two hours a day are devoted to
school work, instruction being given ac-
cording to public school requirements from
the nrSt To the eighth grade. The funda-
mental truths Of the Christian religion are
also tauSEt- School over. the boys are
turned loose upon the various departments
OF farm work, or are employed by details
In household occupations, in cooking and
laundry work and in cleaning up.
The boys live in a two-sIory frame build
ing Of an unpretentious character. located
on hGh ground, something over a mile cast
of the Potomac shore. On the first floor
are the school room and dining room in
one. the kitchen. laundry and pantry and
two bed rooms. The whole second floor is
given over 10 the dOrmitory. several of the
larger boys being given separate small
rooms. while all have single iron beds
Everything is kept neat and clean. There
Is bath room on the first floor. with an
ample supply Of wster. and daily scrub
before going to bed Is vigorously insisted
upon a room ON the first floor IS set apart
as hospital. but /; rarely has occupants
West of the main building are the stock
barns. implement shed. tool house and
blacksmith shop small poultry house
Win an incubator, completes the list of