New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-01
MIXING TRUANT.S YORK.
Farm sn Queens Borough To Be
Established for the Purpose.

IL mas Deen 1eCTeen Ina1 the sentence IOr
xncy In this city hereafter shall be that the per
kstent truauf shah become a farmer. The
city. following the example Of Boston and Chi
cago, and OF moro than one State, is about to
establish a truaut farm. Land TO the extent OF
lot acres lying between Flushing and Jamaica
has been purchased for the purpose, and plans
are being prepared for the buildings. It is to
be conducted the cottage plan That is, the
Soys-it is seldom necessary to commit girls to
ahe schools in New-York City, they are less
recalcitrant-wfn be housed in groups of about
thirty under The direction of a master and a
rnatron- The boys, who number at the present
time about zoo, WIN assist In cu1tiYatng the
land and win have small sections for whose
planting. wedding and soil stirring they win be
responsible. The farm is not to be called e
truant school but parental school It is In
tended to take the place OF neglectful parents
and surround the boys with a wholesome home
atmosphere SO far as It is possible for school
to do The present schools are not so wen
adapted TO this end Inasmuch as some of the
methods Of the Chicago school are to be adopt
ed here, the recent criticism Of a clergyman Of
Chicago, that Il cost the people Of that city rs
much to maintain boy at the school as many
a spends to send his through Harvard
or Ya1e is Of interest At the present time It Is
costing more than $500 year for each boy, not
withstanding the saving due to the assistance
given by the boys In the garden and house
york
chicago and Boston are considered % be
ahead of New-York IN their care Of huants In
this city there SCHOOLS for the temporary
commitment of children Those who likely
10 need more than temporary persuasion that
school Is the best place for small boys are now
committed to institutions like the Catholic Pro-
tectory the chfldrens home IN Westchester
County. The school is used sort OF buga-
No. aEyk,
don't watch out" is the attendance officers first
coercive measure In reca1citrant case What
are considered the best methods in the Boston
and Chicago schools are to be carried out at the
school They the cottage system and
indoor and outdoor manual training. The latter
includes the raising of crops, work of a sort
which win improve the boys physically and
mentally, and at the time reduce the cost
of maintenance.
At Boston the boys who live in cottages as
sist in all the household work including the
duties that many boys at home would think
too feminine for them, such cooking, clean
ing and mending clothes. They also aid In
painting buildings and making repairs on them.
In the summer time they become barefoot boys
with cheeks Of tam and hoe in cabbage patches |
dig earth for drains and wheel it away for use
in grading. They plant and cultivate potatoes
and garden truck When fall comes with
hands that can hardly grasp around the bundle
of stalks, they draw the sickle through the
pulpy supports of the yellow ears of corn. They
cut their way across the fields with the thor
oughness of an army of seventeen-year locusts |
Nothing is left in their trail. The farm work is
done under the direction of expert gardeners. It
is considered part of the instruction, as are
Sloyd and Venetian ironwork, also.
Everything at the parental school farm at
Bowmanville, in the suburbs of Chicago is
some sort of a duty" There are no vaca-
tons in the truant school The boy who lands
there is there because he has had too many va
cations, There is a recreation period however
every day for the object of the school, of course
IS to make Jack bright ambitious boy. At
the Chicago parental school however recreation
is duty. 1t is called play duty" There are
house duty and study duty" and "dormitory
duty" which is sleep; school duty" and mill
tary duty" daily duty special duty and
extra duty" and other duties. The school is
conducted on the military plan. The boys march
whenever their duty calls them from one.
point of the grounds to another. They may DE
bound to some part of the farm to hoe corn.
Away they go at the command of a cadet Off
Ger In files OF ten a dozen, hoes over their
shoulders. Occasionally. even. a boy marches