The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-01-18
Sunday Visit to Topeka State
Industrial School.
Senator Howe Makes q Chapel
Speech to Youngsters.
WORK OF SUPT. CHARLES
Boy Scout Organization Is One
of His New Ideas.
Interesting Features of Life
Within RefOrmatOry Walls.

Being an editor. a lawmaker and a
near benedict are not the only accom-
plishments Of Senator ]. w. Howe OF
Abilene-not by a wide shot. The SEN
the lads Of his own home county have
known for several years through his
activities in boy club work. and as the
inmates Of the Topeka Boys Industrial
school learned Sunday afternoon.
At the regular chapel exercises Sun
day afternoon, Senator Howe made a
most interesting talk to the 265 charges
Of DR.. H. w. Charles, and the only OBJ
lection the boys found with him was
that he didn't talk long enough.
To those who are not familiar with
the work that is being done at the
Boys Industrial school. a trip through
it would be a source of entertainment
as well as enlightenment.
Dr. Charles now has 265 Kansas boys
under his charge and he is doing a
great work towards making them into
good men and good citizens.
These boys range in ages from IL to
II years. They are the boys who have
had bad start in life and have COM
mitted crimes Of q more or less serious
nature that have caused the probate
Judges Of the various counties OF the
state to send them to the school in the
hope that they. or most OF them at any
rate, can be shown the error of their
ways and given a training that will
make them useful and manly men.
Their Training.
Regular school work. up to the eighth
grade, is taught, and every boy who
enters the school is made to learn some
kind of a useful trade in which he can
make living in after years.
In so far as is possible. each boy is
allowed to choose the work that he
likes best or that he is the best suited
to, and everything from farming and
Communicating tn Shoemakinar ia Taught
in thorough and competent manner.
Also the boys are taught military tao
tics, wear uniforms just like students
in military academies do. and every
thing possible is done to make them
forget that they have been adjudged
undesirable citizens.
Petty thievery, destruction Of prop
erty, unruly conduct and moral de-
generacy are among the crimes for
which most Of these boys are sent to
the school. The average time a boy
remains in the school is % months,
although some do not stay more than
1 8 and a few stay much longer. They
are required to earn a certain num-
Der Of merits before they are given a
parole, and after they are paroled they
can be returned to the school II their
conduct warrants.
All Kinds Of Boys.
All kinds of boys may be seen in
TIC SCuOOI duO y STUDY OF tnelr races
and physical characteristics is inter-
esting. Some have as good faces az
will be found on the best boys any
where. Others show plainly that they
have bumped up against the rough
side of the world and have become the
victims of evil influences.
Also. many Of them show their alb
normaHties in various ways For in
stance. here is a story that Mrs.
Charles told of one boy who had a
mania for stealing:
Several articles had been missed and
several of the inmates were suspected
OF having taken them. However. one
boy-an unsupported one-made such
earnest protestations Of innocence that
he was eventually questioned and
made an open confession.
whenever a day passes that I