Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-04-02
CONNECTICUT GEORGE
JUNIOR REPUBLIC
Community Which Is Doing Much for
Boys-Leroy Dean of Norwich Ia Dis
trict Attorney There.

Up in the northwestern corner Of the
state there exists a community for
boys that very few people in Connect
cut are aware of, the Connecticut
This is the only one of it's kind in
New England and one Of about eight
in the whole country.
The Junior Republic is not re-
formatory as many are likely to be-
lieve, although it does take wayward
youths and many from the juvenile
courts. 1t is a self governing commu-
nifty copied after the model of the
United States government. The boys
there make all of their laws and en-
force them; very rarely is the super
1ntendent obliged to interfere.
The aim Of the Republic is to make
good citizens. AS America has been
called the melting pot for all nations,
so the Junior Republic is a. melting
pot for the different types of youths
in the state; the orphan. the rich
mans son who has become unruly,
the street waif, the Juvenile court Of
fender. From this mixed assortment
is turned out the good citizen, one
who becomes a credit to the state or
town in which he takes his residence.
The day at the Republic is an ideal
one. Every citizen must attend school
four hours and do hard manual labor
on the farm four hours. The COM
munity Is situated three miles north
OF Litchf1eld and is surrounded by
heavy woodland SO that outside in
duences- are barred. The school is
divided into two divisions, the high
school in the morning and the gram
mar classes in the afternoon The
usual school courses are offered
On Tuesday evenings court is held
where the different offenses are tried
for the past week. Judge Hugo AS
terby, a. nineteen-year-old youth of
icS iTT1e
lad, Leroy Dean. is district attorney.
The different sentences are melted out
to offenders varying from a day in
jail Or twenty-five cent fine for fail
ure to take a bath to six months i'm
prisonment or ten dollars fine. the
ter perhaps being punishment for for
gerry, running away, or grand. lar
ceny. To be a prisoner at the Re
public is great disgrace as well as
a hardship. All under arrest are for
hidden to converse with their fellow
citizens: must do all the Iowly work
about the large farm, are fed a. pre-
scribed prisoner diet and must retire
every evening at o'clock, to say
nothing of being under constant sur
vigilance of the chief Of police.
All citizens are paid for everything
they do in aluminium currency in form
of dollar, fifty cent, twenty five cent.
ten cent five cent and one cent pieces.
From the weeks wages must be de-
Quoted board ranging from $3.50 to
$4.25. ALI clothing must be paid for
that the citizens wear and paid for in
hard cash" at the. Republic store,
Then If a citizen wishes to spend a
little u. 8. currency at the Litchfield
stores he may exchange his aluminium
coins for American money, two cents
for one cent. for any amount ne may
have
Other than being the district or
states attorney, Leroy Dean is the
cashier at the Republic bank and is
prominent in all activities at the Re
public. He was a. halfback on the foot
ball team which plays the leading
prep. school teams of the state, Sec
ond baseman on the baseball team,
and guard on the basketball team,
While at the Republic Dean has been
president twice, vice president once
and chief Of police twice.
He is studying landscape garden
ing with intention of taking 1t up as
a life work.