OMAHA ILLUSTRATED
Making Bad Boys
Into Good Boys
In no branch of sociology perhaps bag
such great progress been mado In compara
tively recent yeurs uh In that of tbo treat
ment of vicious classes. Ttio old Ideas, which
liroviillcil universally until within recent
years, were that In treating criminal) thero
wore but two things to ho kept in view
putting those who did not reform where they
would not bo a inennco to society and to
tiiako punishments ho Hovoro ns to restrain
crlmo purely through fear of such punish
ment. Theso ideas wcro worked out on
both old and young alike. Modern thought
him mado penal Institutions of all kinds In n
largo measure educational and reformatory
rather than mero places of punishment for
theso who vlolato tho laws.
This has particularly been tho case In tho
treatment of tho young. It Is recognized
that vlcu and crlmo are largely due to either
two caiiHcB heredity or environment. For
tho heredity criminal thorq Is not ho much
hope. Proper education atid direction may
Improvo him, but cannot entirely deprive
him of tho Instincts with which ho wan born.
To tho extent ho has been improved educa
tion benoilts society. With tho young thoro
Ih a largo percentage; who havo no natural
had IriHtlncts, but nro led Into crlmo or get
beyond tho control of parents through as
sociations or other Influences which sur-
for tho last tfireo years. Wayward glr's,
too, wcro committed hero when tho school
first opened, and up to tho tlmo tho Oonova
Institution wnH ready to recelvo Inmates
180 girls had been received, all of whom
woro Immediately transferred to tho Girls'
Hcform qchool at Geneva.
Tho legislature of 1887 changed tho title
of tho school from that of "Stato Reform
school" to "Stato Industrial school," tho
tltlo It now bears,
In gathering together tho waywnrd and
unfortunate youth for reformation, educa
tion and Industrial training tho stato as
sumes a grave responsibility virtually tho
parontago of tho child and Is responsible
for hla moral, religious and Intellectual do
volopmont. Tho olHcors havo a great re
sponsibility resting upon them which can
not bo shirked and bo successful. They
must bo patient and watchful and soo that
tho righteous training of no child Is
neglected. It Is their duty to prepare
them to go out from tho portals of tho
school with nn education that will fit them
for tho ordinary duties of llfo and with n
moral training that will sustain them In any
ndvornltlcH that may besot them. Tho
record of tho paroled boyB from this Institu
tion shows that this work Is faithfully dono.
No institution in tho wholo United States
KEARNEY INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL TUB KITCHEN Photo by Laura M. Postel.
round them. Vur thiso, uudor modem
iiietliudt) of conducting reformatories, there
Is hopu of making goid citizens.
When tho law lays lid hands upon this
claim in Nebraska and removed thorn to the
luuusirlul school ut Kearney they uro of
ei')iio under u huge meiiHiiro of restraint.
'1 ho)uro not tho musters of themselves that
oY
tills natrium Is not, however, to Impress
uPlii tho Inmate Unit ho Is a criminal who
is bolug punished fur his crime, Both body
and jnliul are educated untl ho la shown by
practical examples that Industry Is both
piotltablu and a tiourco of good to himself,
lie Is led to seo when ho receives his
discharge that It Is for hla own good that
he should conform to tho laws and usages of
organized society. Instead of tho hardened
being who resents every restraint of organ
ized txicloty, which would have been tho
product of tho old methods ut administering
th'n class of Institutions, many, If not the
larger part, nro In a friimo of mind to bo
comu fairly good citizens. For those who
nro Innately bad and tutnlly depraved in their
Instincts murul degenerate of course thoro
Is ho hope; their bauds will always bo
against socloty and oocloty In turn protects
lUolf by thu operation of tho criminal law.
Till' l II .l't!t'NNlt'.
In dealing with those chinaes greut tact
and good common eenso nro at all timet)
reiiulred. No two human natures are alike
and they cannot bo treated allku success
fully even In tho ordinary walks of llfo. To
an even greater extent Is this true with
these young minds, which aro either dis
torted by nature or perverted by surround
ings. Tho boys who nro Bent thoro are of
court! tho class which has broken loeso
from all restraint. When llrst tho restrain
ing hand of tho law falls upon them tho
natural Instinct Is to rebel. In purely penal
Institutions this spirit Ih simply crushed out
by demonstrating tho futility of It nnd tho
paltw which follcw It. Such a course works
no reform In tho subject nnd tho feeling of
resentment ngnlnst society smoulders, only
to break out whon tho law's restraint Is re
moved. Proper treatment, especially upon
tho loceptlvo mind of the young, works a
change n tho boy nnd ho comes out n better
Instead of a worso member of tho com
munity. Tho legislature of 1S73 made an appropria
tion to establish tho Stato Reform school nt
Kenrnoy, and tho first boy was committed in
July, 1S81, nnd received by 0. W. Collins,
tho Hist superintendent. Sluco that tlmo
1,380 boys have been committed to tho
school. Eleven hundred nnd slxty-flvo of
theso boys havo been paroled, taken out by
legal process and otherwise- loft tho bcIiooI,
thus tho total number of Inmates nt OiIb
tlmo is 120, which shows a steady docreaso
KEARNEY INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT KEARNEY REFORM SCHOOL EX - SUPERINTENDENT
CAMPBELL READING TUB BEE Photo by Laura M. HOXIE AND STENOGRAPHER Photo by Laura M.
Postel. Postel.
guarded with greatest care. A boy who whom assort they can make a suit of clothes demerits, according to tho chargo upon
lias a natural dcslro for any particular without assistance, and this fact Is vouched which they aro committed. For each day
trado Is given nn opportunity to dovolop his for by tho man In charge. They make tho their behavior hero Is perfect they receive u
natural ability, and In this way better re- clothing worn by all of tho Inmates and credit of ten merits, which cancel ten de-
sults nro accomplished than could bo brought tho neatness of their appearance at all times merits, and when their record la clear they
about othorwlso. In tho printing depart- speaks much for tho success of this dorartmont. aro subject to parolo If In tho Judgment of
mont Is a well equipped printing ofneo whero In tho carponters' department the hum of tho tho superintendent they havo u suitable homo
ovory department of tho printing trado is saw nnd beat of tho hammer are music to to go to. In other words, if tho foiwt lu-
taught by a trained mechanic. Hero a those Industrially Inclined. Here a clnss torest of tho boy will be subserved by
class of twolvo boys Is Instructed four and of boys Is Instructed In the mysteries of tho paroling him tho sanio is done. If tho boy
ono-hnlf hours ench day. Hero the School carpenters' trade. In tho engineers' depart- has no home tho school finds a homo for him
Journal Is published, n nent little sheet, ment eight boye work. Electrical engineer- and all boy3 committed hero are under the
Issued Boml-monthly, which keeps tho school lng, steam fitting, plumbing, blacksmlthlng enro of tho stato until they aro of age.
In touch with tho outsldo world and other nnd general machinist work Is tnught In this When paroled, If tho boy's behavior Is good,
Institutions or elmllnr nature. Tho little department. Hero tho boys enthusiastically ho remains out, but If at any tlmo ho again
follows "stick typo" with as much earnest- rcclto what success other boys from this do- gets Into troublo he la brought back for
nosa and zeal as professionals. A largo nuni- partment had met and what good positions further training.
' ui (i"u jihiuuio iiavu kuiio uui irom iiioy now noiu, nnu assert in an earnestness
tlllft ripmirtmnnt l.tlil nrn llnw lmlilltirr nnnA ttint flint. 'i'MI nun n nrrnH, . . it..
nml rrnnnnn i n nnalt nn In ,llffnro,.t .,r..I,r,l !, .!, ,.t .. 4. t,i luu acaol " UlVlUeU inio lour fcraues,
g - - ... u.wai.b UHV.tQ W II Mt hu MUt tlUIll lilU DUlliiUli
localities In tho state. And this may bo Tho barn boys, farm boys, kitchen boys,
snui or an tno departments. tnblo waltors and in fact every boy In tho
llotv it Day In Siu-nt.
Tho school Is divided into four
each grade In a separate building and In
charge of a family manager and his wife,
In tho shoo shop there Is a class of eight institution setms fully Imbued with the Idea )hoormer bl"S, tho u'ach,er 'r tho,bys
pur-
boys. Hero all tho shoes worn by tho In- of preparing himself for some useful
mates aro mado and tho work Is dono in n poso when ho loaves here.
mast crodltnble manner. In tho tailor shop Pi-Ixcm nt (lie KxiionIUoii.
Is a class of fourteen busy boys, several of At the Transmlsslsslppt and International
shows a better record for tho paroled boys
than does tho Kearnoy Industrial school.
Come from All CIiinmvh.
Tho boys como from all classes. Many
nro sent bocnuso they havo no homes nnd
ninny becnuso their parents fall to properly
enro for them, others becnuso they dre
Incorrigible nnd havo been guilty of somo
mlschlovousncss and petty ofTenso, and
again thoso who havo committed crimes
ngnlnst socloty. Horo tho boys nro divided
Into grndes where thoy nro under tho care
ful watch of trained ofucors at all times.
They nro surrounded by an atmosphcro that
Is absolutely puro. Evory lnlluenco Is used
to dlstrnct their minds from thoughts that
nro not good, such ns Innocent games,
symunstio exorcises, tho roadlng of good
nnd wholesome llternturo, school work and
work in tho trndes department, ob will ns
lecturoa, concerts nnd tho regulnr rollglous
services. Tho good being accomplished
horo for tho futuro society of tho stato li
Incalculable. Through tho lnlluenco of this
school many hundreds of boys havo been
roclnltnod from n prospective life t)f shnmo
and crlmo and put upon n plane of honest
mnnhood, and tho lnlluenco of tho school
upon tho boys paroled will bo moro deeply
appreciated by Bocloty from year to year.
Tho advancement of tho boys nlong tho
lino of Industrial training la watched and
KEARNEY
Postel.
that grade. Tho boys aro In school four and
ouu-half 'hours each day, where all tho com
juoti school branchcu are taught Just tho
samo as in tho public schools. Tho same
length of tlmo Is spent In tho different trado
departments each day, whero each boy Is
taught a trado. Tho average length of time
they remain in tho school is two yearB, In
tho course of which, tlmo they master tho
rudiments of somo good trado and acquire
knowledge In an educational lino that will
greatly assist them In life. No boy can leave
hero without a lull and comprehensive con
ception of what Is right and what Is wrong.
Tho students rise at C a. m. and rctlro at
8 p. ni. Their leisure tlmo Is spent in harm
less recreation either In their grades or on
tho play grounds. Tho first thing a boy
learns horo Is regularity of habits, tho thing
most essential to gocd health of mind and
body. Ho la encouraged to road gjod, current
literature, play Indoor games and treat his
sfiporlors aud fellow boys with courtesy and
respect. Ho gradually learns discipline of
mental and physical powers. Ho learns to
marshal and focus his energies to a dcflnlto
purpose. Ho feelo a kindly ibut persistent
pressure constraining him to become a gocd
citizen. Tbo reason and wisdom of rlgnt
action aro constantly urged upon his generally
porvorted understanding of theso matters
Tho school Is very healthfully located
Tho physical wolfaro of tho Inmates Is care
fully looked nftor by a salaried physician
Tho gonoral good health of tho Inmates Is
romarkable.
Thoro Is a strong sentiment among the
pooplo thnt tho school is a prison for
hardened young criminals and moral de
generates, which Is entirely erroneous. Thoy
Exposition at Omaha the school placed an tTn U I ? tra.'nlng SChDo1
exhibit and was awarded a gold medal for nZ nZ J unfortunate home in
pen drawing, educational work, sowing. """" . , 1 V 1 th,,r yoUtllful
tailoring aud shoo making, also a dlpToma Z gn " p ed channels. Society
for first rank in the collective educational a eeriU8 (lUt to Vhese Jouth3- whcn
exhibits of tbo exposition. This excellent neyft,ro sont ou'm tho school on parole,
showing and tho high standard among tho I"8103'1 f "Bnrdlnjr them ns outcasts to bo
very best educational Institutions of tho 8Uunn1 as lePers. churches and social or
country spenks for the results nchloved at RanlZ!Ulons ahaulA extend tho hand of frlend
tho Kearney institution. snIp nn1 nl(1 tnom ln oveT W to go for-
Tho moral and religious training of tho wa!"d townr1 tho goal of good citizenship,
boys recolves special attention and is under IU Not ono boy ln a hundred is committed to
tho direction of a resident chaplain. Sunday scho01 w,1 'loc6 not rccolvo bettor treat
school services nro conducted in tho chapel mJnt and tra,nlnK than ho ever received
in tho forenoon and preaching services In the ,beforo- Not one Inmnto in ten but what Is
afternoon. Tho chaplain visits tho boys In V. ler off un(,op tho Kunrdlanship of th.) stato
tho grades and shops and ministers to them , , averago boy is idly running tho
in tbo manner ho thinks best ndnpted to
their needs.
Tho dlscipltno of tho school is splendid.
It Is tho policy of tho superintendent to
bring It as near parental as possible strict
and watchful, not oxactlng firm, but not
harsh and with as much freedom ns tho
INDUSTRIAL SCHOOI-LAUNDRY DEPARTMENT Photo by Laura M.
KEARNEY
Postel.
INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL OFFI CURS DINING ROOM Photo by Laura M.
HireciB or our C C nnd townn nr
species of country boy who Is being slaved at
hard work without tho advantages of school
nnd culture.
Keeping His Word
Chlcacrn Print- ?, i... i i
circumstances wll permit. It Is tho aim mnnn trint n t. . . 1 anowior
na ,o buna , , . lV,i!ZFn " " 0"Jst0"''
Boy's are committed hero from any court 'huW ta" U"8 SPr,nB-"
of record and for any offenso that In tho "Wr-ii thn - i l
opinion of tho Judge Justifies committing thoold' ZnZ w d tVaVU
thorn. Upon being delivered at tho school raroblt tho other evening and hwo a llSt
thoy nro charged with 4,000, C.000 or 6,000 mnro." evening and havo n night-