The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1900-12-14
The Industrial Home for Girls
In Splendid Working Order, Says
the Biennial Report of the
Board Of Directors

The biennial report OF the Board of
Directors of the W. Va. Industrial
Home for Girls, located Mt Salem, w.
Va, is out.
The Telegram has not seen the re-
port, but is glad TO present It's readers
with this review as made by the Park
eSburg Sentinel. 1t gives splendid
description of the building, how the
work is carried On and the good that
Is being done.
Another wing will complete the
present building, now consisting OF "a
centre and one wing, the latter con-
tanning a dining room sufficiently
large to seat fifty girls, a kitchen and
alaundry; on the second floor are bed
rooms and bathrooms. The building
is finished in natural wood, with hard
wood floors. Each girl has her own
small room, eight by ten, witha white
bed, a small dresser and a chair.
There is an excellent locking system
by which every door on each side OF
the corridor can be locked or unlocked
at once, so that In case of fire there is
no danger. At the end of the corridor
lisa fire escape, kept open all night.
Natural gas furnishes heat and light
and there is an excellent well of water.
In the cottage system a smallernum-
Der of officers are required and no
night watch is needed.
The present cottage represents what
the future cottages will be with fifty
or sixty girls In each under the care
Of manager, teacher and housekeeper.
The home is in no sense prison. No
windows are screened except in q few
rooms at the back Of the wing which
are used for incorrigibles and for new
girls inclined to run away. Nomoney
has been expended for reward for
girls who have been in the Home
longer than month. The girls soon
learn to love the Home and are happy.
The work is done in regular routine,
and the girls have regular hours for
play and recreation. They are dressed
In uniforms, Of blue calico dresses,
with gingham aprons for work, and
white aprons for school, their necks
arranged with colored ribbons or white
ties TO suit the individual taste Of the
girl.
Fifty girls have been in the Home;
twenty-one counties are now repre-
sented, and there are sixty applicants
awaiting admission.
The girls are trained in cooking
baking, washing, ironing, housework,
sewing and fancy work, and are taught
the common school branches. While
many Of the girls will make good
workers in homes, there are few whc
will profit bya more liberal education
enabling Them TO become nurses OF
teachers or TO enter many other ave
nues open TO women.
The object OF the home Is To pre-
vent, crime and convert the hayward,
laWless and abandoned elements OF
society intouseful citizens. The prop
er subjects for this home are not only
Youthful thieves, prostitutes, and
other criminals. hut the viciously in
,.lined girls, the stubborn and unrui,
who refuse to obey those having au
thority over them, and those who ART
found In circumstances of manifest
danger OF falling into habits of vice
and immortality.
This particular kind of education
and trainingis accomplished by KIND
treatment and cheerful words of en-
couragement, renewing hope, conf
dence, self reliance and pride in the
girls arousing the better part Of thciI
nature.