Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-05
INDUSTRIAL FARM
MAKES BOYS MEN
WAITS ARE GIVEN A START
IN LIFE
Learn How to TIL the Soil and Raise
Live stock - Girls Are
Taught Womanly
Arts

Do these children look very care
worn? They are ten waits and orphans
chosen at random from the 1O5 charges
at the Golden State Orphanage and In
dustrial Farm for Children, located at
Lytton Springs, Sonoma county. The
farm is under the management of the
Salvation Army, Maj. and Mrs. c. W.
Bourne being in command.
Collected from the slums, juvenile
courts and tails of California, it might
be expected that the youngsters would
not "amount to much," but Maj.
Bourne is ready to refute this state
ment by exhibiting the bank accounts
of fifty of his charges, accounts which
aggregate over $780, Not single case
is on record where the child has run
away from the home after being there
three weeks. The usual method en-
ployed in many industrial schools, that
of keeping the children virtual ,prls-
oners, is abandoned at the Golden State
home The doors are never locked, no
watchers are employed to guard the
charges, and yet they never run away.
s"And why should they?" asked the
major. "They are having the best tlin-
of their lives here"
This seems to be the secret of the
life.
In Ideal Spot
The home is located in an ideal spot.
Formerly health sanitarium, it con-
sists of a great tract of land of $50
acres. In the beautiful Sonoma valley
the major part of the land is admirably
adapted for farming. On the gently
rising hills a hundred head of cattle
roam; and a flock of several thousand
chickens and other poultry live in
luxury in the valleys Twenty fine
mineral springs which formerly made
the place famous because of their cura-
tive powers have proved no less effica-
cious when applied to the little boys
and girls who now drink their waters.
The home proper consists of a large
building and many smaller structures.
There is one main building, ten small
cottages, a schoolhouse and a SWIM
ming tank, and the place will accomnlo
date $50 children. Several separate
cottages are used as hospitals when
illness invades the little community.
The aim of the institution has been
to provide home in every sense of the
word. The work of Mrs. Bourne does
much to accomplish this result. She
studies each child's needs, finding out
the peculiar characteristics of each
newcomer and ministering to the in
knows how to cure the little heartaches
and pains OF childhood, and it is to
her that each little fellow goes for COM
fort and sympathy.
No Child Wholly Bad
There is no child wholly bad," she
declares optimistically. ION the con-
trary they are all glad of an oppor-
tunity to do better and be something.
70 G,,I hot ha aI, 10
good treatment, and amid the health
full surroundings of the farm they soon
lose all desires for the vices picked
up in the city streets. In very short
time they develop wonderfully, both
physically and mentally"
The boys at the home live in cot
tages, the girls upstairs in the main
building. Children from months to II
years of age are admitted. Besides the
ordinary schooling the children get,
they are also trained in some manual
work, so that when they are dismissed
from the home they will be able to
earn good living at some respectable
occupation.
The ten lads shown in the picture are
the poultry contingent. The duumvi-
rate, together with an overseer, do all
the work connected with a flock of al
most 5000 chickens. At present they
have to attend to 1000 laying hens and
5000 incubator chicks. The big work of
this department can be better realized
when it is known that the farm has a
contract with Los Angeles firm to
supply 500 chicks a week.
Have Chicken Dinners
This duty has it's advantages. Be-
sides having their own pets the boys
are frequently given eggs which the
cook boil5 for them. Then, once a
month, the youngsters have a chicken
dinner from their flock.
The dairy boys also enjoy their lot
in life. Ten youngsters, with 14-year-
old Jim Duke at their head, care for
eighty-five head of stock, forty of
which are cows. All the heavy work
connected with modern up-to-date
dairy is done by the youngsters cheer
fully. Every one of the lads has a
bank account. Jim, who was sent to
the home as an incorrigible, has de-
veloped into jolly youngster, prompt
to obey, and bright beyond his years.
He has $40 in the banl- and owns a
COW worth $25.
The advantages of dairy life are
shown the boys frequently when Major
Bourne allows them several gallons of
milk and ice to freeze it. The lads
make ice cream and are contented with
their lot in life.
The produce of the dairy and the
poultry farm provides the home with
eggs, milk, butter and some meat, and
in addition to this, is source of no
little revenue.
Children Earn Money
During the fruit season many of the
children earn money picking fruit
Fifty per cent of all their earnings is
given them to deposit in bank AS
soon as a child has saved dollar he
or she opens a bank account, and thus
the children who have been trained In
the lax morality and shiftlessness OF
the street become steady, economical
men and women.
Every child old enough to take care OF
plot is given farm of his own to till
Dozens of little plots are laid out in
neat squares, and in the intervals be.
tween school hours many of the boys
are acquiring a splendid farming educa-
tion. Major Bourne buys the chill.
dren's products at half the market
price, and their share they promptly
put in the bank.
A large iron building serves as E
laundry. Here not only is the work OF