The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1911-05-22

year old boys of average intelligence
in the State of Mississippi who could
neither read nor write, and their state
ments were received with doubt, but
close supervision revealed the fact
that it was too true. In the two
months all of this class had read we'll
into the second reader, mastered the
four rules in arithmetic, including the
tables, and all save one wrote clearly
and legibly.
Methods of Discipline.
What methods of dicipline were
used?" is a question often asked, and
it always surprises the inquirer to
learn that none were needed. Boys,
wouldn't you like to write a business
letter this afternoon" was the usual
form of directions. One of the young
er boys did say once: Nom, I don't
believe l do" but when this was met
with But I'd like you to-" he was
ready and willing with "All right, II
you say So"
True, they did know that behind
the teacher stood all the punitive
measures of the penitentiary, If she
chose to call them into action, but
they also knew that they had her un-
qualified permission to do as they
pleased during school hours, and that
minor offenses would not be reported
and yet the offenses did not occur
To one familiar with boy nature the
analysis of their motives is not often
hard to make and fear of the authori
ties could never have brought forth
such strong and manly endeavors
such touching evidences of apprecia
ton or accomplished such results.
"They seemed to be as responsive t.
moral training as to intellectual
;, though this is harder to estimate
Gambling, swearing and EXCESSIVE
= sigarette smoking are three of thu
). evils that were conspicuous. Strong
=, efforts were made by the boys them
, selves to overcome these, and those II
:, a position to know, say that the i'm
!, provement was remarkable. From
). the beginning, lessons in morals wer
\ given precedence over all others an,
the fact was impressed upon them tina
:. education should mean the making O
= character.
=. "The treatment accorded the boy
by those in authority over them is jus
and kindly, though of necessity stric
y discipline must be maintained, an
y hard work must be done.
~ A Hard Problem.
The hardest problem, the one tha
- during that summer seemed almos
= impossible of solution, was the que
ton of association. 1t is rather SUI
" prising to those who have never give
=. the matter thought to learn that ther
are class distinctions in the penitel
= tiary just as on the outside, but til
lines are rather more distinctly draw
: Men of gentle birth and breeding al
there, men, who in moment
Q frenzy, have committed deeds fro
- which their very souls recoil
horror now; others, who, while tee
nically guilty, are victims of circur
stances rather than of their own ev
intentions. Needless to say, thel
two classes form a very small part
the prison population. Then there
the illiterate, but well meaning fello'
whose crime was chiefly the result
/, ignorance, or, perhaps, of a fall
standard. And so on. down the lii
until we come to the demon in hum;
form, whose every thought reeks wi
the vileness, the bare presence
: whom is pollution, whose chief delig
. is to pour tales of crime into the ca
OF the unsophisticated, and who
u idea of bliss seems to be the conta
ination of youths. These are t
ones with whom every inch of grou
had to be contested, these are t
ones whose efforts were directed
the tearing down at night of the teat
ing done in the day; these are t
ones who ridiculed the boys and tri
to make them believe that behind t
work being done for them lay sol
sinister motive. AS the forces
evil are always eventually overcol
4 by good, steady progress was ma,
but what might have been acco
plished had the boys been separat
from bad influences!
mo plan that could be devised
ii carrying on the work was left untri
--- but to no avail. To leave these DO
.. most Of whom, had dona oil IN tb