El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-09-15
SCHOOL To SAVE
MAYNARD GIRLS
Mrs. J. Eagan, New Proba-
ton Officer, Says COmpul-
sorry Education Solution.

Compulsory education is the saliva
ton of the delinquent child. 1t is the
saving grace for the delinquent girl,
who is cIassed as recruit for the re
stricted district" 1t is a crime of the
state not to adopt measures whereby
children might be kept in school
These are the views of Mrs. J. Eag-
an, being the first probation officer
FL Paso county ever had. For 10 years
she has been engaged in rescue work,
beginning this work at Denver, Colo.
Mrs. Eagan comes here from Los An
geles, Calf, where her work has been
confined to the dealing with delinquent
children of both sexes After her ar
rival here she was appointed probation
officer by the commissioners court.
After the years I spent in the res
cue work" said Mrs. Eagan, Il am
convinced that the time to save girls
is before they have <allen- If that
were done there would be less need
for jails or reform schools.
Should Start Before Their Fall.
After a girl has spent some time in
the reservation" it is hard to reform
her. 1 have known of several cases
where reformed women of this kind
have assisted in the work of reform
ing others. but the time to do the work
is when they are children, before they
have fallen The heart OF a child is
pure, and with the proper influences
and training they can be reared IN the
right way"
Mrs. Eagan lays the entire blame for
the fallen woman on men She bases
this, she says, on the many cases that
she has seen. 4 do not condemn the
girls,'' Mrs. Eagan declared 1T is the
men. I know men in this town who
ought to be behind the bars, and If |
We're given the opportunity I would
put them there"
During the short time that Mrs. Eag-
an has been working as probation Of
ficer, she says that she has discovered
three negro girls, aged II, u and ID
years, and two American girls, sis
tiers, aged IA years, who are deriving
proceeds from the sale of their bo-
dies. The negro girls maintain their
home near Fourth and Broadway, on
teh outskirts of the reservation and
live there with their mother. Mrs
Eagan says that when she called on
the woman, she was told that she was
Quitting in" The fact that the negro
girls were leading life OF shame, MIS-
Eagan said. was not denied.
The negro girls and the American
girls, Mrs. Eagan says, promised to at
tend school if one were provided, and
this is the matter that Mrs. Eagan has
put up with the school board Su-
perintendent R J. Tighe, who has been
appealed to, it is said, is enthusiastic
over the proposition of erecting what
will be called the "ungraded school,
to which the delinquent children are to
be sent. Present plans consist of two
room school house with a large room
duOeQ IOE the MANUAL lAdAlAnS uCPd4 -
ment-
Temporary Home Planned for Boys
A plea has been made to the county
commissioners for the erection or rent
ing of a place where quarters might
be provided for delinquent children
picked up from the streets. This is
to serve as a temporary home until
the cases of the occupants have been
investigated. If it is found that their
real homes are not proper places, or
their parents not the proper persons to
have the care of the children, other
homes will be provided
At present Mrs Eagar s family of
delinquentS consists of five, three girls
and a boy. Enrique Bustamantes, aged
16 years, the boy, was tried Friday in
the juvenile court on a charge of carry
ing concealed weapons. He was taken
charge of by Mrs. Eagan and she Sc
cured work for him Two of the girls
are now sewing on frocks to be worn
to the school which may be provided
for them. One of the girls is already
receiving instruction. The grade card
she brought to Mrs. Eagan Saturday
morning showed that she had made
grade of 90 percent in all her studies
All children taken in charge have to
report every Saturday morning. Those
for whom work has been secured must
bring a note from their employer.
Mrs Eagan maintains that there are
numbers of children in Ell Paso who
could be sa saved If a place was only
provided for them There is no reform
school for girls in the state and Mrs.
Eagan is using every effort to have
juvenile home built here