The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1920-12-02


ken bp the holiday last week when
a special Thanksgiving dinner was
served and in the afternoon an en-
tertainment was given by Miss Doro-
thy VI Elliot, Mrs. Mary S. r Burns
and Miss Ruth Greenwood from town.
In the evening the inmates gave an
entertainment which included drills
and exercises, a fancy dance, execut-
ed by eight women being pleasing
feature of the program. Popcorn,
candy and apples were served DR..
johnson, the Superintendent. who was
in Augusta Tuesday to attend the
monthly meeting OF the Buyers As
sociation stated to the Reporter that
women are all the time arriving. mo-
Tiers and babies coming frequently
to the institution Dr. Johnson in
her annual report which has been
filed with the Governor and Council.
says that of the $4,000 appropr ated
by the last Legislature FOR new build
ings. the sum Of $291237l has been
expended in the erection and equip
r4ent of two wooden cottages during
the past year.
Each OF these will accommodate IA
inmates besides the matrons' Says
DR.. Johnson "One will be used for
diseased women and the other for
mothers and their babies. They will
be known as the Nlliken Cottage
and the Damon Cottage. in honor Of
Gov. Milliken and Mrs. Frances Da-
mon, who as a former trustee gave
much OF her time and strength for
| the advancement of the institution.
This classification and segregation
of the different types Of women is
great Improvement for all concerned
| and somewhat relieves the congestion
at the receiving building but not
| sufficiently with the constant de-
mands for further commitments from
all parts OF the State. A third cot
tnge will be built which we hope will
eventually by an honor cottage"
where women, who have earned the
privilege by good work and behavior
may live for a while before going
out on parole If shoud be an in
centiye to them for greater effort and
better department. We plan to make
it very much OF a home for them. al
lowing them many privileges, even TO
working outside the institution and
earning money for themselves. We
viii thus have an opportunity to in
struet them along lines of economies.
huyinc. selecting proper clothes for
themselves an d making them inde-
pendent and self-suppo If possI-
bic Il will also give us better
chance to find out before they are
placed away from us who are going to
be parole failures.
While We feel that close restriction
is often necessary in many Of The cas-
IS that come TO us. We find that the
dependence and restrictions of the
Reformatary and the freedom Of pa
role aresaparated by too much ot
gulf and hope that the honor cot
! tage" viii serve as bridge between
the two. This cottage will probably
| have To be used next year. however.
as office quarters, for the farm build
ings. where we live now, should be
moved 10 make room for an admins
tration building.
During eight months OF the year
We have regular school work and all
| inmates are obliged to study. Some
few of them attended high school
prior to coming here but the majority
are in the lower grades and frequent
| ly it is hard TO awaken any interest
| in them for a better education.
"They are all taught laundry work.
| housework and plain sewing. Some
of them do beautiful fancy work. Dur
ing the past winter they gave an ex-
hibition of their needlework laun-
| l. ttFht oh Ia
have been a credit to any society or
! institutions We are desirious of eN-
tending industrial training along these
and other lines of work and hope
that the next Legislature will be vii
| ling TO grant an appropriation for a
regular industrial teacher and suit
able equipment.
Aside rom specific disease the
amount of sickness has not been large
during the past year. There has been
one case of liberation Of The stomach.
one of typhoid fever ana five OF tonsi-
litis. Two have been examined hF
DR. Hardy for incipenl tuberculosis.
He ordered one to have extra nour=
ishment and to live out ot doors and
the other he sent to the Fairfield
! SanatOrlnln.
MISS HOLNAN'S REPORT
Miss Theda NJ Holman. parole Of
ficer at the Reformatory for Women
at Skowhegan, in her annual report
which has been filed with the Cover
nor and Council, says that since Inc
institution was started II women
have been paroled and at the present
time so are under the supervision oi
the Reformatory, Some Of them
have been allowed to return to thei1
own homes. others are in domestic ser
vice. SOME are in mills and some are
married and are now making homes
of their own.
In the cases of the married womer
allowed to go back to their OWL
homes, many have made good says
Miss Holman in her report.
THE home ties, the children anc
love for them. with the responsibility
she feeles for their future have all hac