Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1906-12-21
PRESTON SCHOOL
OF INDUSTRY AT lone
(By Arthur j. Pillsbury).

/
OF Industry, at lone, in Amado
county, have been many and dis
couraging, but it has survived ther
all and seems to be on the threshold
OF useful career-if only the bIigb
of political spoilation can be KEEP
from whitening its prospects. Tha
blight has haunted it like a Nemesi
from Its outset until the beginning o
the Pardee administration, and whit
can read the signs of the comint
times? Certainly not |. The fac
that, during its twelve years o.
existence as school, Preston has hac
five superintendent is conclusive
either of inability of the directorate
to choose the right man for the place,
OF Discrimination to retain the right
man when found. Without continuity
OF management in such school there
can be nothing worth while, or at
least nothing approaching that
measure of success which the people
of California have right to expect
for their money.
The Farm As IL Is.
The farm at Preston School COM
prises $40 acres. desire to place
emphasis upon the word "acres.'' OF
land there is possible hundred acres
which may by courtesy be called
tlllable. The soil locks up in summer
like so much concrete, and runs down
the hill in the wet season like so
much soft mush or slush. The low
lands are soggy and must be tile
drained, as we'll as irrigated, in order
to be made productive. The soil also
has to be fertllized and needs to have
mulch and sand mixed into it to
make it respond to tIllage IN any
thing like an encouraging way. In
short the farm selected for a reform
school has to be made over, born
again, regenerated and reclaimed
unless barrenness is to reign supreme.
10 meet the needs of the school 1t has
been found necessary to rent seventy
acres of adjacent land lat the expense
of draining and retaining that also
as consideration for a short term
lease), in order to produce what the
school needs to consume. 1t is pro-
posed to buy 200 adjacent acres, in
Guiding the seventy acres now being
rented land mainly because of it, in
order that the farm may be made
equal to requirements for agricultural
products for a possible population
of 300 persons. In other words, and
il round numbers, it will require
three acres of Preston School land
to supply each boy with meat and
milk, fruit, eggs and vegetables. and
it will require intensive tilIage to
accomplish that.
The Investment.
The state has an investment at
Preston School of not far from 1925, :
600 including the land, whose original
cost was s1O,800; buildings about
1926, 900; wuter system and water
rights, 500, 900; and an equipment not
easy of estimation. The buildings
are imposing and seemingly we'll con-
The main building is at
least one story tall, having four
stories and basement, with wings OF
three stories and basement. The
cottages have two stories and base
ment. All are of brick.
The main water and power supply
comes from Suffer creek through
thirteen miles of open ditch, which
needs to be made of concrete; thence
through 5000 feet of shell steel pipe,
more than half of which needs to
be replaced with new. This water
right, if utilized, protected and de-
Tended, supplies enough water to
irIigate 100 acres of land and power
enough to run a good deal more
machinery than is now in operation.
The pressure is 30 pounds to the
square inch.
This source of power is the one
redeeming feature of the location. 1t
keeps three good Pelton water wheels
in operation, beside several smaller
ones, and if Preston shall some day
become a real mechanical training
school this source of water power wilt
prove of lpestimable value, and it is
extremely useful even now. 1t fur
nishes power for electric lights, for a
planning mill and for various
mechanical contrivances about the
institution. While handicrafts should
predominant in such school certain
amount of machinery is advisable
and profitable. 1t wakens many a
brain that nothing else will bulge.
The domestic water supply is piped
from a spring and is scanty.
Cost of Maintenance.
The State Legislatures have not
dealt as generously, in point of main
tenance, with Preston School as with
Whittier, and it is only by keeping
two or three official places vacant
that expenses can be met. This is
not good for the school or conducive
to the contentment of the instructive
force. The monthly payroll amounts
to s2201. 66, and it costs rs cents per
day to maintain each boy in the
school, or a per capita of S247 per