Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-06-16
A HOME FOR GIRLS.
DR.. Liebig Tells of the Industrial
School at MitchelIviIIe.

l
question is often asked, What shall
we do with the girls?" referring to
| those who have no parental control
or refuse 10 submit to IL; who are
petty thieves or embryo street walk
| ers. When an industrial school for
| girls. at Mitehclville, is mentioned, the
| questioner as n rule throws UP the
hands in holy horror, preferring to let
| them go on in their downward career,
| to putting them where they can be con-
| trolled. For the Industrial school is
| not q prison. but home where all the
comforts of daily life are enjoyed, but
| where they must obey, and when they
| are questioned cannot answer back as
many of them do to their parents,
| whats it to you?" There Is no fence
| around the ground, no bars upon any
| windows, no police officers. no cham
| Der of horrors as existed there under
a former administration, but the girls
are put upon their honor and know
their disobedience means punishment.
A present there are 200 inmates,
| thirty of whom are colored. These are
| divided into four families of fifty, each
family occupying building by itself.
In this building are the sleeping
apartments, parlor, sitting rooms.Wo
rooms, dining rooms and kitch-
ell. One family is composed OF the
older girls. These have separate
| sleeping rooms with commode, dresser
| and other conveniences. The smaller
| girls sleep in dormitories, but each has
| her separate bed. Each parlor has it's
| piano and easy chairs and each sit
| ting room is furnished with tables
| enough to accommodate the family.
| Upon the back Of each chair, arranged
| about the tables, is a small wool shawl,
| to protect the girls shoulders II she
should be chilly and these are always
kept there. Here is where the girls
spend their evenings, until bedtime, or.
| sit at other times when they are not
| detailed for other duty or are In
school. Here they can talk, do fancy
work, play games or read, the same as
in their own homes. The rising bell
is rung at $3.50 a. M, at which time
every girl must arise unless she Is
sick, and then the day begins.
Each family is marched to it's
| own dining room, where a substantial
| meal is served, part of the family
acting as walters and a part doing the
work in the kitchen as detailed Each
| girl is supplied with napkin, and ta-
| BILE manners are taught. Quiet CONVEX
| saton is allowed at each meal. After
breakfast, the girls, with the excep-
| ton of the smaller ones, who. are in
| family by themselves and have their
morning service in their own building,
are marched to the chapel and school
| building, where detail services are
| held The services are opened with
| singing, then a psalm is repeated, then
| singing of the Lords prayer, Superin-
| tendent Fitzgerald at the organ. The
girls are then detailed for work In the
| laundry, kitchen, dining room, garden.
| lawn dormitory, ETC., and as they. are
| called, arise, right about face, and are
marched by an attendant to their
work. Those who are not detailed are
expected to attend school and every
girl is expected to give three hours to
school every week day in the year, eX-
cept holidays. Beside the general work
of the graded school, if they SO desire,
they can receive instruction in music,
typeWriting and stenography. Each
girl must serve her apprenticeship IN
each working department, which in
cludes making her own clothes The
new arrivals are all put into the sew
ing class first, before being detailed
elsewhere. The orchestra OF fifty
girls, twenty five Of WhCAl
are violinists, to which / listened on
the day of my visit would put to
shame many an orchestra which has
appeared upon the he stage. Booker
T. Washingtons private secretary is
graduate from this institution, and is
taking an academic course at Tusko-
gee. Two more girls are about ready
to leave, and situations are awaiting
them as stenographers After dinner
each day the girls are privileged to
meet the superintendent out in his
private office and ask for favors or
make complaints as the case may be.
On this day twelve girls were on hand.
One asked the privilege of giving her
family treat for dinner on the COM
ing Sunday. Her request was for
oysters (to be. paid for out of her own
money! as they had fruit the Sunday
before, and nuts and candy on decora-
ton day, but as oysters were out of
season, at the suggestion of the super
intendent strawberries and ice cream
were substituted. Another girl want
ed a piece of music. Another wanted
permission to send to her mother
nice letter, which had been written her
by superintendent Fitzgerald a few