The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1911-03-14
A YEARS WORK AT
BERKSHIRE FARM
Industrial Institution for Boys
Interests MOrriStOnianS

Industrial farm. Frederick G.. Burn
ham. of this town, is president of the
board of directors and among the
other members are Robert Carter and
James F. Maury. Mrs. Burnham is
corresponding secretary and included
in the list of associate managers are
Mrs. Franklin B. Dwight, Mrs Fred
eric r. Kellogg, Mrs. Charlton 7.
Lewis, Mrs. James F. Maury, Mrs.
Burnham, Mrs. Benjamin Nicon and
Mrs. Frederick w. Stevens.
The report of Superintendent w.
w. Mayo shows that the year began
with seventy-eight boys and closed
with the same number. The enroll
ment was larger during the year. the
average number present being eighty
one.
During the twelve months there
came to the farm thirty new boys.
These were for the most part rough,
careless lads, regardless of authority,
accustomed to come and go as they
saw fit. Ten of these boys came
from Greater New York, ten from
other parts of New York state, and
ten from other states, (from Massa-
chusetts, six, and from New Jersey,
four.)
orphans, and both parents OF the
others are living. The youngest was
eight, and the oldest fifteen, the aver
age age being thirteen, Twenty-three
of them were surrendered by the par
ents, and seven were sent by the
courts. In nationality all but five
were born in this country and of the
five one was born in each of the fol-
lowing countries: England, Russia,
Italy, Hungary and Nova Scotia.
Thirty boys were discharged dur
ing the year. One of them was dis
charged because the time for which
he was surrendered had expired, six
because of some special reason, such
as sickness at home. Three We're
dropped because it was evident that
they did not belong in this institution
The remaining twenty had earned
their discharge by their conduct. Two
of the number had earned this dis
charge in twenty months. The Oldest
boy discharged was eighteen, the
youngest fourteen, the average age
being sixteen.
For four of the boys places to work
were found The remaining twenty
six went to their homes. Five are
now working on farms, four are at
school. six are in business houses,
five are in manufacturing or machine
shops, two are in printing shops and
the occupation of the others is un-
known.
On the farm good work has been
done. The crops harvested are as
follows:-Eighty tons of hay, eighty
tons of ensilage, seven hundred bush
els of oats, four hundred bushels of
corn, five hundred and fifty. bushels
of potatoes Our garden has been a
great help in supplying the table, and
a pride to us all Visitors have unan-
imously spoken of it as the best gar
den anywhere about. The products
are as ollows:-Cabbage, 600 heads;
turnips, 80 bushels; onions, 80 bush
els; sweet corn, 1900 ears; beets, 80
bushels; carrots, IS bushels; parsnips
80 bushels; tomatoes, As bushels, and
of lettuce, green peas, beans, rhubarb,
radishes, cucumbers, etc, an abund-
ance.
The apple crop is about one hun
dred and thirty barrels and about
fifty barrels of windfalls.
The other industries of the farm
have gone on as usual.
Berkshire Industrial farm is located
in the Taconics-a continuation of the
Berkshire Hills-three miles south of
the well-known settlement of the
Lebanon Shakers and three miles
from the little village of Canaan, New
York, on the main line. Of the Boston
and Albany railroad 1t is about
twelve miles west of Pittsfield, Mass.
The object of the institution is to
provide a place where boys, who can
not be managed at home, and are
steadily drifting toward criminal lives
but who have not become criminals,
may be placed under strict discipline
and Christian instruction with Chris
tian men and women as teachers and
instructors.
The age limits are from six to six
teen. Only boys of bad habits tend
ing to criminality can be accepted.
No, one is debarred on account of his
religious belief. No boy is taken un-
less given entire control of him for at
least four years, but when by his con-
duct he rises to a high grade, he may
be discharged, even though but part
of his time has elapsed. Honorable
discharge is a matter not of days and
months, but of day by day, and week
by week, manly conduct and upright
living. The danger of repression, of
crushing out the buoyancy of the lads
life, by strict discipline, making him
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