Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1916-08-18
INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL,
Facts Concerning the Running Of
the Institution.

olhle papers TeBhIulnB tne HlHesh VI
the Vermont Industrial School to receive
homeless children and the superintend-
ent has, on several occasions, been
asked to write some facts concerning
the school for some of the papers,
About seven years age the manage
ment, under the control of the Penal
Board, started program of remodel
ing buildings then on the plant and
building additions throughout, This
program was pushed nearly to compile
ton when the fire Of 1914 made it nee
essary to start over again and also
made it possible to lay the foundation
for modern institution, The last
fiscal year. July 1915 to July 1916, is the
first year during these seven in which
the school could be said to have func-
toned normally. This being so, it
seems to be the part Of wisdom now,
through your columns, to give the pub
lie the facts,
The new buildings, while not elabo-
rate, are adequate and comfortable.
The children's homes are light and
airy; equipped with comfortable dormi-
tories, dining rooms, congregate base
ments and reading rooms with adequate
Libraries and games. The reading room
is an innovation in institution life and is
not found in many of the modern insti-
tutons,
The population has increased from a
daily attendance for 1907 and 1905 of
1856 to a daily attendance the first six
months of 1916 of 270. The institution
buildings have increased from three to
ten beside power house and pump house.
A central heating and lighting plant has
been added which supplies heat for all
the buildings and light is produced on
the place for buildings and streets.
Fifteen thousands gallons OF water is
pumped daily and steam is kept con-
stantly on the fire pump. Power and
steam are provided for laundry, sewing
room, etc. Coal, water and light in
1907 and 1905 for three buildings totaled
about $4,000. Coal, water, light and
power for 1915 and 1916 for eleven
buildings aggregatlng nearly 100000
cubic feet of space cost about $4,000.
A modern hospital has been estab-
lished second to none for its size; a
chapel and gymnasium have been added
which have claimed the approval of all
who have seen and used them; new
campus which will meet all require
ments for many years is being con-
structed at the present time by the boys
and officers providing football, base ball
and track facilities, as we'll as an out
door play ground for the small children.
A graded school system has been in
augurated and an educational atmos-
phere developed which is just about to
blossom into promise for the future.
This year two of the girls from the
institution will be taking training as
nurses in two of the State hospitals
one of the girls goes back to the second
year at Mortified Seminary, North
field, Mass; two of the boys enter
Mount Hermon at the same place; one
boy has just finished four years appren-
ticeship course in the Central Vermont
Railway shops and starts a course in
the Wentworth Technical School, Bos-
ton; one girl enters Middlebury College;
between fifteen and twenty will be in
attendance at the Vergennes City High
school doing second, third and fourth
year work, while over twenty will be
doing freshman high school work at the
institution school. The eighth grade
class which prepares for the high school
work will also be large.
An honor system has been established
which has developed the spirit of indi-
vidual honor to the point where five of
the six cottages during the last year
have been unlocked except the room
where the food was kept. In the boys
cottages the night watchman goes
through the dormitories four or five
times each night but between these
trips, with their clothes and shoes by
their bed side, these boys are at liberty
to get up and leave the building at any
time restrained only by their sense of
honor The girls cottages are as open
as those of the boys. During ten weeks
of the year 1916 the sixth cottage was
run wide open although it is not in
tended that that should be so. When
two boys presumed to leave that cot
tage it was closed again, but of the five
cottages just spoken of containing from
10 to 240 children at different times
during the year, only two belied their
claim to honor by leaving the dormitory
during the night.
The spirit of cooperation is present
to the extent that. during the year of
construction succeeding the fire when
new buildings were being built, the boys