The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-12-11
THE WORKINGS OF A REFORM SCHOOL
DR.. Alexander Tells What He Learned Of the
Louisville ReformatOry-He Urges North
Carolina to Follow Kentucky's Wise Ex-

Hlldb Will COLlC up OOAOAO
Legislature for discussion and action
is that of the establishment of a Re-
form School for criminals of a ten
der age. There is scarcely a think
ing man in the State but will say at
once but little is to be hoped for in
the way of reformation when a boy
of ten or fifteen years is confined in
a common prison with hardened
criminals.
wish to call attention to the Re-
formatory School of the City of
Louisville, KY, as it fills my idea of
a reform school-that is, it furnishes
all the punishment that is due their
crimes or offences, and at the same
time gives them an education, both
mental and physical, if not superior
to that provided by the State, at
least equal to it.
At the Confederate reunion in
Louisville last June, 1 was forum
ately invited to spend my time at the
Reform School of that city, or at
least to make that my home while in
attendance on the reunion. On
Wednesday evening I was shown
over the grounds and through the
different buildings of this justly
celebrated refOrmatOry. 1t will re
quire a separate description to give
the reader IA clear impression of the
school and how it is carried on. In
1861 the various buildings, shops,
grounds. &c, we're in readiness the
superintendent, teachers, guards
and all necessary attaches wer en-
ployed ready to begin work when
the United States fOrces-with-
out asking permissiOn-tOok pos
session of the entire plant for
hospital purposes for the Northern
Army. Consequently all idea of Il
reformatOry was abandoned till the
autumn of 1865. when Mr.. Caldwell
was reelected Superintendent. This
was a very happy selection, for in
the last thirt7-fve years they have
had no reason to make It change; in
fact, all the officers are we'll qualified
for their positions.
The youthful criminalsare all pun
ished by the courts, and have Il def
mite sentence, according to the ma
ture of the crime and the age of the
criminal. Both cOlOrs and sexes are
confined here, but are kept entirely
separate, but all under one govern
ment. Work is furnished for each
class, according to age, sex, and gen
eral aptitude. A number of small
children, who have no parents, OF
are to themselves without anyone to
take care of them, T accorded room
for humanity sake.
When [ entered the grounds of the
school, 1 was met by d young lady,
who proved to be a daughter of the
superintendent she kindly invited
US to go through all the different de
partments, for the 400 inmates. One
large contained several car
loads of chairs, that had been sent
there to be bottomed with cane, for
which the chair factory paid the Re
form School 5 cents each. This fur
nished work for the smaller children
to do, which they handled very
deity. In another was a shop for
all kinds of woodwork, such as max
ing bureaus, bedsteads, ~wash-stands,
&c. A steam engine furnishes all
the power needed !; a variety of pull
legs are swung overhead, so as to be
out of the way, connected with belts
as may" be desired. A blacksmith
shop where all light kinds of works
done, is made for teaching how to
do all kind of work in iron. A beau
tiful line of sculpture is here done in
wood work, preliminary to having
it done in marble. Etching on large
plates of glass, SKA feet-the first
work of the kind I ever saw it is
done with acids in a way that is diff
fcult to describe, consequently l
shall not attempt it. Every kind of
work is done here in wood, iron,
copper, tin, &C. Type setting and
painting, and a fine school with the
most improved seats and desks, and
charts and globes and whatever is
necessary to make an up-to-date
school. There is in the tract of land
belonging to the Reform School 80
acres a large garden of vegetables,
probably twenty acres; which is cul-
tivuted by the inmates.