The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-12-25
Did Not Forget Children ut Re
form School.
Two Large Christmas Trees
We're Revealed.
ALL ARE REMEMBERED
Candy and Gifts ShOwered Up
on the Children.
For an Hour They Are Then
Given Freedom of Play Room.


There are hundreds of children in the
great state Of Kansas who Jared not 50
well. this Christmas Day, as did the 175
boys in the Kansas State Reform school.
This cluster of buildings that lie COM
pactly together in the fields northwest
of North Topeka. was ablaze with light
last night, when the inmates were given
their annual Christmas treat. At noon
today. in the great mess hall under the
chapel, the same IT'S waits of humanity
attacked 40 fat turkeys, provided for
their Christmas fare, and hid them bit
by bit under their gray Jackets.
These little fellows are an interesting
lot Of youngsters. At the tender ages of
10 to Is, as they variously range, the ma
jOrity of them have seen more of the
seamy side of life than many persons
encounter in a lifetime If the brief
life-story of each is known, there is a
big heart-ache drawn from every SYM
pathetic soul So many Of the set drawn
faces are of the degenerate type that The
task of making good boys out of bad
undertaken by the state is an enormous
one Every other seat, almost, holds its
contorted face that is kept still hardly
a moment, showing this and that little
fellow the victim of nervous diseases as
well as other abnormal1ties-
But last night was a. proud and happy
occasion for them For d week or more
the Christmas entertainment has beer
the uppermOSt thought filling in their
routine Of work, study and play. For
several days the Reform school team
has been sent scurrying in and out from
the school to the city, over the hard, fro
zen roads and around Is corners carry
ing in the packages and parcels that
distinguish Christmas tide. These Is cor
ners to turn in the road from Kansas
IN lan Eqf az Slf6 fra ha f17sa
least tOrtuOus route. The driver says he
cal do worse and dizzy the clearest head
that attempts the journey. But the boys
cared not whether there were Is turns in
the road or so. Perhaps never thought
OF it. Under discipline they had little to
say, but the anticipation aroused by
those mysterious packages, who can
In the school chapel last night, the
fruit Of all these preparations We're
made evident. At either corner of the
platform stood a tall Christmas tree.
They gllttered with silver bells and tin
sci, and their branches were loaded with
the gifts of books, pictures, Eeckties,
kerchiefs and all the toys and knick-
knacks that delight the heart OF a boy
Ropes of evergreen and holly stretched
overhead. On the walls in white and
evergreen We're the usual notices, Peace
on earth, good will to men, Merry
Christmas and Happy New Year
First the school band played several
ove-tures while the preliminaries were
beleg arranged and the visitors seated.
Then the boys that had been drilled for
choir singing and the ones who had rec
itations, marched to their places on the
platform and the programme of exer-
class was carried out
As the choir sang the opening Christ
mas carol the front row boys held high
their singing books before their faces
They sang the words by rote and peeped
under the bottom of the Joyous echoes''
at the great wash baskets full of pea
nuts and candy that stood at their feet
one little fellows bump of curiosity
seemed Unsuitable He was plump faced
and large-eyed- His gaze was riveted on
the seaped up goodies at his feet the
greater part Of the evening.
How those boys with declamations
did recite. They intoned their dialogue,
piping shriH falsetto for the female
parts. with head turned to enc side. and
talking gruh and husky with lowering
look when it was the "oId man. that
spoke When the ArkanSaWer Shrieked
Sal. Sal." to his love and drew himself
up into comical gesture. d burst of
hysterical and appreciative giggles re-
Warded his efforts
The last number Of the progrannes
which was marked by its popular and
varied selections throughout was a cake
walk on limited scale Ten little dark
les lined up and sang that tuneful ditty
of the minstrel mans. woes with the
googoo eyes 1t was suspicious how
the boys crowded off into one corner
but when the chorus came around If
circle of the stage in the cake walk step.
The enthusiasm they threw into it and
the merriment were infectious and it
secured a big hit
The distribution of presents followed.
There were candy, nuts, oranges and a
necftie for each boy, provided by the
institution. Then the mysterious pack
ages that had been coming in for days
yielded up their treasures There was
everything that a boy usually gets from
santa Claus except noisy toys and dam
gerous ones One little chap received a
soap DQx as big as himself. containing
at least S15 worth Of gifts. Every young
ster received two or more presents
7 mere We're not SO many pairs of skates
TINS year because ice has been scarce.
perhaps: Every boy in the institution
Is supplied, however, because such treas
ures are handed down from the out
going to the incoming. There was a
patent top for each member of the A
FAMILY or youngest group, and a croko-
mole board and various other boxes Of
games for each Of the four families
for joint and common use.
Laden with their candies and Gifts
there was no bed for the boys for an
hour after the exercises ended They
were taken to their several play rooms
and given free play. Of came their
tered over the warm tiled floor, goTged
their sweetmeats idled with their toys
and took. account Of stock
The choir singing BY the boys was pleas
keen spirit Mr. E Fl. Shumway gives
the little fellows their musical eIrill Tishf
along One of the songs that every in
mate joins in most heartily is Mr. Shllm-
ways arrangeInent Of the popular war
time song a Hot Time IN the Old Town |
Tonight The song is as follows:
We're a band Of jolly fellows and were /
staying here just now
To get an education and to learn TO dig |
We don't propose to monkey when we
know tbs best to be