Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-10-02
TRAINING SCHOOL BOYS
HAD FINE EXHIBIT AT FAIR
Supt Hale Shows Just What the Boys
Are Doing-Make Their Own Clothes
and Shoes.

"Thcy Just got in the wrong crowd,
that's all. They are the average boys,
but got in wrong"
In this way, superintendent viii ).
Hill sums up the general average of
boys in the Oregon Training School,
Of which he has about ll5 under his
charge at present. Feeling that the
average boy is not really bad human
specimen, but just needs directing, the
superintendent treats them as If they
were the average boy, but in need Of
little personal supervision to keep
them on the right track
According to Mr.. Hale, he is not in
charge of reform school. Nothing
of the kind His is training school,
where the boys are kept busy work
ing, working on the farm, In the shop
or at the bench.
The average man in observing the dis
play Of the state training school in the
new pavilion at the state fair grounds,
would hardly think tnat the boys who
were working at the bench on shoes,
making clothes and another working at
sewing machine, could have been TAX
en- out Of what the average person
considers reform school, But Mr..
Hale says IL never was, or is, or ever
will be what is commonly considered q
reform school. Notafng Of the kind.
II is n training school that maintains
discipline equal TO that Of any public
school, with the advantage that the
disobey. That word isn't in their die
tiOnary.
At the fair grounds exhibit the boys
are making shoes, civlElng and print.
ing cards. Within O short time after
entering the school, each boy is set to
work. All the shoes worn and all the
clothes are made by the boys. One boy
who had been in the training school
but two months had made n fairly pro-
sentable pair Of shoes at least adapted
for work in the fields.
Each day during the fair Mr.. Hale
brought different boys to the exhibit
to show what they had been doing and
could do, The exhibit showed that
the boy, who had got in bad on account
Of evil companions, was now busy with
a practical occupation. The tailoring
department includes all the clothes
worn by the boys, shirts, underwear
and even gloves And when boy
shows by his conduct that he is entitled
to parole, he is sent home in new
suit Of clothes that has been made in
the school.
On display were not only shoes
clothing, shirts and underwear worn by
the boys, but even canned fruits and
canned garden products -Four tons Of
string beans were dried by the boys
this summer, besides farm products OF
all kinds put up for the winter.
"The display this year at the faiT
grounds, has brought TO the tax payers
aud general public, the actual work
taught at the school," said Mr.. Hale
"Many are surprised at the quality Of
the work done, even people living In
Salem. II is even thought by many
that the boys are confined and punish
ed, and are surprised 10 find a com
pany Of boys who are happy in theii
work, and developing character
These boys will be good average citi
zens. In fact, the average time spen
by any OF the boys IN the school, i
but one year, and before they are pa
rolled, they earn IL by their good be
havior and general disposition to d.
what Is right. Most Of the boys are al
right. They just got In the wronl
, crowd"