The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1918-02-15
industrial schoo! for Girls Praised

AS far different from the state in
dustrial school for boys at Mariana
as a church is from d gambling house,
the state industrial school for girls
just outside of Ocala was opened the
first OF this week ana the first delin-
quenr girl To BE- committed to the in
stitution since moving into its new
quarters vas taken there Wednesday
by Mrs. Anna E. Bass. probation off
Ger for Hillsborough county. Mrs.
Bass returned yesterday morning
with great praise for the institution.
the work it is doing and for Mrs.
Florence Range. the matron. and Miss
Davis, who leads the girls in the
school work, which in most cases has
been neglected.
Happy children, all of them, was the
message Mrs. Bass brought back to
Tampa. Busy, contented and learn
ing to make themselves useful wOm-
Ell, so that they will be able 10 take
up their work III the world when the
day arrives when they may be set
apart to provide for themselves. Most
OF the little girls in the home are vic
tins of unfortunate circumstances.
Deprived of the right kind of home,
and the right kind of parents, they
have been little derelicts since child
hood, with no one to care whittier
they went or how School in many
cases has been neglected, and the
new school at 0cala will make up for
time lost in the years gone by-will
bring about a new vision Of the fu-
ture, and in place OF derelicts eventu-
ally cast upon the state. there will be
we'll trained women. ready to do their
part in the community's work
The school opened in March. 1917,
III q temporary building in Ocala, and
since that time q modern three-stOry
brick structure with accommodations
for fifty girls has been constructed
about two miles from OGaia on d fine
brick road, shaded with magnificent
oaks in a setting which IN itself IS an
! inspiration to the little ones driving
TO the door THERE'S every conceiva-
| BILE kind OF modern equipment. baths.
light and airy dormit0ries. a big
kitchen and dining room and real
steam heat for the colder days and
nights.
There is no suggestion of prison
life The ideal is to make the school
a home for girls who have no home,
a place in which they take pride and
will want to point to when they are
dismissed. Mrs. Bass describes the
school as a place suite worthy the
appreciation of out-of-state visitors as
we'll as residentst of Florida, aud an
institution deserving Of the support
OF every community in the state She
was more than pleased with the
things she found on her brief visit and
when it becomes necessary to send
other girls from Tampa to Ocaia,
they will leave here with the feeling
that they will be well cared for aud
turned out better, brighter and more
useful women than they might have
been had they been neglected and az
lowed to go as they would.
The girls have their school work
to do in the morning, Go their cook
ing and washing and sewing and have
started kitchen garden which they
will cultivate themselves in addition
to the wonderful 140-acre farm which
is in charge OF man whose duty it
is to raise the best things to eat for
the children. A great old pecan grove
surrounds the building and, although
the girls have been there less than
a week. they have gathered fifty bush
els of the nuts to store away for an
other time.-Tampa Tribune
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