Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-11-26
supt. Of State Reformatory
Speaks at Town Meeting

The semi-monthly meeting of the
IoWn Improvement Society was held
FRIDAY afternoon in the parlors of
the public library with Mrs. Emily
Foss and Mrs. Whoa p. Homsted
acting as hostesses. The decorations
were beautiful yellow chrysanthe-
NUNS and the presidents table was
covered with beautiful cloth en-
broldered with yellow The presi-
| dent. Mrs. Florence Waugh Dafforth.
presided and the secretary read a
report of the last meeting and the
letter from Mrs. .Danforth, the Fed
GRAFTON president and a. letter from
G. B. Cornish. 1t was voted that the
club be responsible for the sale of
four of the Federation books, when
the North Winds Blow" and voted
that the club take and ad in the Fed
GRAFTON year book, and that the club
assist the State Board of Charities
and Corrections in making needy
children happy at Christmas time.
The president announced that Sun
day. December End, is to be observed
as Golden Rule Sunday and that
stew dinners are requested to he
served and the money saved to be
! sent to the Near East Relief Fund.
The letter from the State president
was gone over and action taken upon
| the same.
The program opened with a piano
| solo, Whispering Wind" MaZurka
(Wallenhaupt), played by Miss Rose
| LemieuX, who responded to an en-
core. playing for the second number
| Mazurka de Concert emile Pres
sard). Miss Gertrude S. Weston, who
| is member of the Skowhegan school
i board, bave a most interesting talk
telling Of her visit to some of the
| rural schools which she made in
| company with Miss Alice Il. Parker,
the Red Cross school nurse. Miss
Weston mentioned the repairs which
have been made 'and will continue
| to be made upon the rural school
house in accordance with a State
| law and related many interesting in
| cidents of her visit at the school in
] the Parker district, where Miss
Melissa Twitchell, the helping teach
er, is located. The visit included the
| noon hour and at which time the one
hot dish which that way was a fish
chowder was served by two girls and
one small boy and of the nice man
ner in which the lunches were par
cooperation at this school and eX-
cellent work being done by Miss
| TWitchell.
The speaker of the afternoon was
Mrs. Mary w. Libby, the new su-
| perintendent at the State Reform
atory for Women, who has been at
the institution for only three weeks,
succeeding DR.. Cora NJ. Johnson
Mrs. Libby stated in beginning that
she felt that the ladies whom she
| was addressing knew more about the
| institution than she as she had been
| there SO short a time. Mrs. Libby
spoke briefly of the beginning of the
| work at the institution for women
| and she said that her subject was
| Conditions and Prospects, and that
! she could answer to both Excellent"
She took up the work by cottages
and spoke of the Stevens cottage,
the central building which has just
! been added to by another story being
! builded. which will be used in part
| as an industrial room and it is hoped
that the girls will soon be more oc-
| cupied and that they will be able to
| do some work for the children and
| this year they are at Christmas time
to dress dolls for poor children in the
State who will be helped by the State
, Board of Charities.
/ Mrs. Libby told of the accommoda-
{ tons for the girls and that they are
| laugh to do different kinds of work
I and that each evening from to 8
| tiACS h1NC a icCISdtlOH IOuI anu ALSO
on Sunday and that they gather in
the assembly room and sing songs
which they much enjoy. At the pres
ent time there are IS at the institu-
ton. which is small number owing
to the work being done at the in
stitution in way of addition being
built. and there are large number
| out on parole in the State. She dwelt
at some length upon the care of the
babies at the Damon cottage. She
also mentioned the farm and the
work done on the farm and the need
of improvement at the farm building
and yards. -
! In closing Mrs. Libby spoke of the
| history of several of the girls and
told stories which proved that the
| girls have in many cases been more
sinned against than being sinners
themselves and that the institution
is the first place that has ever been
a home to them and that one girl
| recently who is so well content has
requested that she is not paroled out
Mrs. Libby paid a tribute of APP
probation to the women who are
employed by the State at the insti.