The Republican journal., 1903-03-19
A BOYS HOME.
An Industrial school in California of which
a Brooks Man is the Head.


a Brooks Man is the Head.
The formal transfer of the boys from
t he home at Artesia to the Mckinley
Industrial Home at Avery, a small place
on the Traction company's San Pedro
line, took place Feb. 23d. The actual
removal took place some time ago-on
J January 5, to be precise-but the event
was celebrated yesterday with appropri-
ate ceremonies.
There are now completed the admin
istration building, the superintendent
building and the Santa Barbara build
ing, though for the present each of these
buildings is being put to other uses than
will be the case when the home is COM
pleted. For the time being these build
ings are given up to general uses, and
for dormitories and school rooms. In
the machine shop, too, there are fifteen
carpenters benches with tools com
plete, and this important and useful
adjunct to the home will be opened on
March st
The idea of training adopted is to
make of every boy a good workman
and patriotic citizen, and with that
end in view, as far as practicable, re-
sponsibility is thrown upon the boys
themselves. Within limits they govern
themselves.
At present there are in the home from
tiftv to sixty boys the number varying
from week to week as some new ones
arrive and Others leave to 60 to sltua-
tious-and these are divided into COM
panies of seven. To each company
there is a captain duly elected, and
these company officers act as jurors in
the cases that are brought up for trial
before the home court every second
evening. There are two policemen who
see to it that the rules drawn up by the
bows are obeyed. failing which arrests
are made, and the offenders are arralgn-
ed before the local court for trial. In
one of the corridors are posted up the
laws and regulations drawn up by
the boys of their own vOlition, and
some of these sound very sensible, and
at the same time rather funny. Among
>other of the rules are the following:
All tools and implements must be return
ed to their proper places by the one VINO
last used them.
No boy shall tease any other BOY IN MS
work or play.
No boy shall use profane or vulgar Ian
guase or call names.
No boy shall take anything that does not
belong to him.
No boy shall be allowed to harm blrds, or
be cruel to any animals.
No boy shall injure or deface any OF the
buildings.
Under the heading of Penalties
are the following:
Any boy who will not work when he is
well Shall not ear until his work is done.
ANY boy who steals anything must be put
in Jail at least one hour, and if he steals
again he must be put in jail two hours, and
if he steals three times he must be put in
ini1 and if bp steals times
than this we shall do something awful with
him.
If two boys get to fighting they must
make up to each other IN court and then go
to Jail one hour.
If a boy uses vulgar or profane language
he must have his mouth washed with soap
and water and put in jail one hour.
To each boy has been apportioned
plot of ground 25X200 feet for his own
individual use as a garden, and with
tools supplied and advice given there is
being developed a spirit OF friendly rlv-
airy as to who will produce the best
crops. OF course all of this is merely a
means to an end-that every boy shall
be good agriculturlst. For two hours
each day the boys work with their own
gardens and they tend regular acreage
of the home besides. At present there
are forty acres set out to gram, and
other forty acres are to he set out to
fruits of various kinds.
The boys of the home represent nine
different nationalities and four Ian
guages are spoken-French, Spanish,
German and English. Yesterday as the
cars followed one another in quick sue
cessiOn in depOSting the numerous Wis
itorS. the little fellows lined up and
made neat and manly appearance
with I)r. Gregory the president; Rev.
+. : Forbes, superintendent. and mem
beers OF the advisory board, being also
present The Treble-Clef club had
Volunteered their services and gave a
short musical program that was much
enjoyed. Rev w. II. Day offered
prayer and then Dr.. Hugh X. Walker
made the dedicatory address, i'll which
he lauded the memory OF George Wash
ington. as we'll as the later leaders OF
this country whose memory would ever
share with that of Washington the
honor of building up along righteous
lines the nation he had so much to do
with calling into existence. Among
these he placed pre-eminently the name
of Mckinley, after whom the home was
named, and DIR. Walker seized the OPP
portunity to eulogiZe the name OF the
last of the martyred presidents. Rev. E.
a. Healy made the dedicatory prayer
\ flag, donated by the Stanton Relief
Corps, was raised by Mrs. \. S. c.
Forbes and the benediction by DR.. Gre
CORY closed the ceremonies.
During the exercises an appeal was
made to the friends present for contri-
buttons towards lifting the S140O yet re-
naming as a mortgage upon the land.
The response was quick, J. Botsford
putting his name down for 5000 and Val
entine PeytOn for 500, lady friend
donating the same amount. Then in
smaller sums the contribution list was
swelled until at the close of the exer-
cises the handsome total of s1035 had
been reached. 1t is hoped and believed
that some friends will within the week
come forward and make up the small
difference that remains, and enable the
Mckinley Memorial Industrial Home
to begin active extension work unim-
peded with any Indebtedness upon the
eighty acres that it occupies. Los
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