Evening times-Republican., 1920-10-27
Iowa School For
Boys in No Sense
Penal Institution
BY Associated Press.

Eldora, Oct. 27.-The Iowa Train
ing School for Boys at Ehora Is IN
no sense q penal institution. lts
aims, as expressed by its officials,
are to teach the boys "to abide oy
the laws and to perform their duties
to God and man in a careful. con-
scientious manner. Here they are
taught the banes Of feeding on hu-
man society like so many leeches,
and, thru a sane and practical edu-
cation OF the head. heart and hand
are prepared to lead q life Of USE.
fulness. The state Of Iowa takes in
hand what, until lately, would have
been considered wasteful material
and transforms it into a worthwhile
productive substance"
The training school Is made as
homelike as possible. Seven good
sized cottages provide living quar-
ters for the boys. No meals are
served in the cottages. A large con-
gregate dining room capable Of seat
ing 500 boys is provided in the large
administration building. In this
building also is the dining room for
officers and employees. Adequate
kitchens and bakery are located in
the same building. The cottage sys-
tenn thus provides home for the
boys to live in rather than an insti-
tuition.
The institution consists of group
Of thirty five buildings. situated on a
farm OF $50 acres O mile west Of the
town OF Eldora.
Excellent educational facilities are
provided at this school. All grade
| work, the same as in public schools,
is carried on. Each year work done
by the pupils is entered in compete
ton at both the Hardin county and
state fairs. and premiums on such
work are each year awarded, includ-
ing q number OF first prizes. This
year forty-four boys graduated from
| the eighth grade and received di-
plomas from the board Of control.
and high school admission certifi-
Gates from the county superintendent
admitting them to any high school in
the state.
Each department is in charge Of an
| intelligent, interested and sympa-
thetic man or woman. These are the
| instructors. The cottages are in
charge Of a man and wife, designated
as family managers-the father and
mother of the cottage, who supervise
the conduct of the boys. There are in
Iowa today, it is said. some success
ful lawyers, bankers and other busi-
\ ness men who have been inmates of
this school. and a great many former
inmates are known to be holding re-
sponsible places of How
ever. officials do not claim. that all
who are committed to the training
school make good upon parole or dis
| charge.
Agriculture, Horticulture, gardening,
dairying and stock raising are among
the most important vocations taught
at the school. There are, it is said,
hundreds Of boys on farms thruout
the state now making good because
Of training asquired in these depart
ments.
In well-equipped shops the follow
ing trades are taught, each in charge
OF an experienced artisan: baking,
barbering, blacksmithing, bricklay-
ing, carpentering, cooking, butter
making, electrical engineering, har-
ness making, laundering, painting,
plastering, plumbing, printing, shoe
making, stationary engineering,
steam fitting, stone masonry and ce-
ment work, and tailoring. Boys are
permitted. so far as practicable, to
choose what trade or occupation they
will take up.
Each day is divided into two parts
during the school year, four hours
being devoted to academic work and
four to manual labor. The small boy
as we'll as the large one has some
little tasks carrying certain re-
sponsibility to perform each day; and
just the boys who :lave failed along
such lines at home, manifest an in
terest in their school work-because
of proper handling and encourage
ment proper food, regular hours for
work, play and sleep, clean surroun-
dings and wholesome environment,
officials assert.
Before breakfast each morning
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