The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-02-06
STATE SCnuuL FOR BOYS
Lads Learn Good Trades There. Aoou'
lao now in the Institution.

Lads Learn Good Trades There. ABOUT
| 14o now in the Institution.
| E. P. Woodbury. of the State School
for Boys was in Bangor recently on
business connected with the lnstltu-
ton and talked interestingly to Com
merclal man concerning the work being
| done at the school for the boys or tne
State. Mr.. Woodbury. is attached to
the State School for Boys in the capac-
| ity of visiting officer. In this capacity
| he visits the homes of boys who are
about to be- discharged from the school
for the purpose OF ascertaining what
sort of homes the boys have and wheth-
| boys to have them 60 back to their
home surroundings.
II am sorry" said Mr.. Woodbury.,
"that there is a prevalent impression
| throughout the State to the effect that
| the State School for Boys has a harm
| full influence on the boys who are sent
there. The impression makes itself
| manifest in remarks heard when some
| boy is brought up in local court for
some petty theft or misdemeanor and
| is sent to the house of correction, per-
| haps somebody remarking: 1T would
| be shame TO send that boy to the re-
form school because it would mark him
for life
..That impression of the school is
prevalent, know, and it is too bad that
| it is so, for it is far from being a right
| impresslon The officials of the school
will be glad indeed when people learn
how wrong this impression is and how
much good really is done the boys who
90 to tile school. When you think of a
reform school boy you've got to con-
slider first the surroundings this boy
was brought up i'll. In any of the parts
of the cities where the residents are
poor the boys will be found to be lack
ing in moral makeup. Petty thlevlng
or such misdemeanors don't impress
him with the spirit OF wrong-dOlng.
"Now the State School for Boys aims
to give the boys who are sent there the
moral, mental, physical aud spiritual
training they need to fit them to go
out into the world and take their places
among honest and industrious men.
The school has about 200 acres OF land,
much of which is farmed. There are 35
| head of cattle, which furnish milk and
cream and butter. There are the other
things that one would expect to find
on large farm and the boys are taught
to do the work connected with the
management of every part of the farm,
so that when they are discharged the
larger boys are excellent farm hands.
''The boys do practically all the work
about the institution. During the fore
| noon they take care of the buildings,
| cattle. dormitories, etc. In the after
noon they attend Rotations and study
| in the school rooms in the dormltorles
and again after supper they study for
an hour or two There is no manual
| training department at the institution
but it would be grand, good thing for
the bows if there was. The boys get
considerable instruction i'll carpenter
| Ing of course from the carpenter at the
institution, who has the boys for APP
prentices and assistants.
The boys, however, make all their
| own clothes and some OF them are very
good taiIors. The boys also make all
the shoes worn at the school. In tailor
ing and shoemaking they of course nave
, instruction and when they leave the
school some of the boys are fitted to
| take up shoemaking or tailoring and
, make living at 1t.
"There are about 140 boys at the
school now, but of course the numoef
there is constantly changing. The
DOSS COuit DIV oil dSSo AA'iAi ~ ~ -
wears to 16 or H. We don't take in any
bows over IS, though. At that age a
boy usually goes to Jail or the house OF
correction. The boys are committed
for the rest of their minority, that is
until they are 81, but very few stay
| that long. With most OF them the eX-
tent of their stay at the school is two
| or three wears. If in that time they
| have made A good record they are dis
| charged.
1T is very seldom that boy runs
! away from the school, There is moth
ing to prevent his leaving any more
| than there is to prevent his leaving any
schoolyard in Bangor. There are no
/ fences around the school and no guards
| OF course the officers of the school keep
a watch on the boys but it is not close
watch. Still it is very seldom the BOY
runs away. Most of the boys know the
school is doing them good and as they
are well fed and we'll treated there they
| are willing to stay. Only short time
ago one of the boys went out at n1ght
to empty some ash cans. He was gone
little longer than l thought he should
have been and | went out to see where
he was and found the ash cans Dut no
| boy. Two of the larger boys begged me
| to let them 60 catch the runaway but L
was afraid it would be three boys H.
stead of one but finally let them go.
In Is minutes they were back with the
runaway.
"The school is doing much good for
the boys who are there and L Wish the
people would understand better what
the school is doing for the boys and not
think they are branded by stay there.