The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1910-02-03
". c. 7. u.
LETTER FROM SUPT. OF PENAL
AND REFORMATORY WORK.

Thanksgiving Week near Bantry, ND.
what came of that nice boy in your
classes in 1882"
"Serving a sentence goal?" What
for?" "a fight in a gamblin den; de-
tending a woman's name"
Another boy from the same class has
served a federal sentence of 100 days
for free and easy language sent
through the mails.
A third boy is an outlaw, having run
away from consequences. So is a
fourth boy.
o yes, we know where these two are,
and their friends hear from them oc-
casionally. The rest? Yes, there were
sixty-nine in the class of whom thirty
seven we're boys. Two lie in drunk
ards graves.
Eight per cent of wasted citizenship;
hearbreaks to loving friends: and
costly to the community.
The reason? Did they come from
poor homes? No, not one, SO far as the
world can Judge. And others in the
same families are of a good average.
But all four ran around a little coun-
try town all the hours after school.
shared in all the life of the street, the
store, the livery barn, the pool room,
unchecked. And nobody cared enough
to provide these boys with healthful
diversion of a good kind for their
spare hours.
No, they were not bad boys origin
ally; but evil. unchecked, gradually
overcame the good.
Now, oh my sister white ribboners!
let me plead and pray with you, that
you devote more and more of your
energies to preventive work.
Don't expect too much of the school.
teacher, who may consider himself
hired to teach readin', 'ritin', and 'rith.
metic' and that his duty and response.
bility end at 4 O'Clock. But uphold his
hands, and he may do more. So, be,
tween you, our boys may fill theil
spare hours with things worth while.
AS for the 8 per cent that passe!
through goal and penitentiary, they
are your boys and mine, only over
taken in a fault.
What kind of place is the goal? Yo,
don't know? Well, as l walk past thu
city goal in several of our towns, it il
a common thing for a woman to say tt
me: SIT is vile", and occasional news
paper reports bear out the statement
Clean, originally, but not kept clean
for those who come and go, and to,
often in a vile condition. But | an
sure clean conditions would help GU
boys to a sober, sane manhood. Will
you look and then ask the authorize
for better things?
Is there a matron there? The pres
nee of a woman will be a wonderfu
help. "Can't afford it," Oh yes, W
can, much better than we can afor
to lose one boy out OF each family, an
all of them out of some families.
-
And when they come out, where sha
they go? and what shall they do?
Does anybody meet them? The stat
gives a man $500 and a suit of clothe
and turns him loose.
There lies on my conscience a yer
heavy load of being too busy wit
other things to keep track of a youn
man, sent up from u county, thong
not having any settled home Their
whose good time shortened his sci
tence, but On getting out, he only hun
around a big hotel where the cond
tons were non too good, and the
disappeared. I only heard of it ate
wards. But I ought to have known
his release. No wonder he was di
couraged, and louted the county of
Ger, who saw him, spoke to him al
reported to me. Now he is probab
wallowing once more in the mire, fro
which he had been pulled out.
Let me tell you all, sister white ri
boners, that we have, at present, {
excellent chaplain at the penitential
in Bismarck who succeeds in makil
friends with the men, and he will gla
ly help you and them.