The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1913-10-09
WHERE MAYNARD
BOYS ARE SAVED

OVIV Mill Vnv6 H.
Ramsey County has a Place of Detention
for Maynard Boys That is Conducted
on Rational Lines for Welfare Of the
Boys. Govern Themselves.
In these days of conservation Of
national resources, it behooves us to
conserve the greatest resource
America has, her boys and girls.
America is nation of young peo-
pie. They throng our streets and
fill our school houses, and in too
many cases they get into bad habits,
fall into the clutches of the law, and
instead of being an asset, they be-
come burden to the state. How
to prevent delinquent youth, both
boys and girls, from remaining a
permanent burden on the commune
ty, is one Of the problems of the age,
and in accordance with the humane
sentiment of our Christian civiliza-
ton, reformers have decreed that
erring boys and girls shall be given
a chance to become useful citizens
by sending them to quiet, homelike
detention homes, where they may
work out their own salvation under
the watchful eye Of sympathetic ma
irons. This is far better than send
ing them to Jail or to state prison,
as is revealed by the almost univer-
sal success.of the correction homes,
where they are surrounded by the
best influences and the most loving
care.
This home for boys was formerly
the summer home of Ambrose Tighe,
the St. Paul attorney. 1t was con-
structed of logs taken from the sur
rounding land. The tract which
was secured with the home by the
Ramsey county commissioners con-
talns nearly sixty-nine acres. The
home looks across fine hills. There
is an artificial lake in a charming
valley to the left and off at the right
front is a well-kept flower garden
which has not been so precisely ar
ranged as to rob it of it's semblance
of naturalness.
The grounds are beautiful. They
present a weird tangle of native
wildness and careful attention by
hand of man. The home itself from
without Is attractive. The lower
portion exposes log wall but above
the first floor there is a siding of
shingles. Within is most comfort
able honey" atmosphere. This is
just what Mrs. Fox intends it shall
always have.
The first floor contains the court
room, where every night the boys
assemble at about 8 P. M, read the
rules of the farm and hold court.
They elect their own Judge and Off
GERS and these latter are expected to
report all attractions of tie rules
during the day. The boy Judge
then passes sentence on the law
breakers. There are ten rules and
breaking of each carries a penalty
Of SO many demerit marks and
enough of these will send the offend
er to court in town and may mean
his going to the reformatory at Red
| Wing.
1t is intended the boy shall leave
the home much better equipped for
life. He is given freedom of the
grounds, but if he runs away too Of
ten he will be sent to Red Wing.
Little trouble of this kind has been
encountered, however. This fall
regular school under Miss Bessie
Newton, formerly a kindergarten
teacher in the st. Paul public
schools, will be opened.
Sixteen acres are kept under Gull
tivation and the boys are taught
practical farming of all kinds.
What was formerly a garage is be-
ing remodeled into a workshop and
manual training will be added to the
curriculum. The best boys may
hire out to neighbors and make ex-
ira money picking berries or doing
farm work. The grounds at the
home contain an orchard of a hun
dred fruit trees, most of which are
bearing.
The boys are also kept busy clear
ing more land. One big space will