TABLE 12.

Shows the work performed by the Boys in the various Shops; also in the House and on the Farm.

In addition to the above items of farm products, there were gathered for the use of the Superintendent's and boys' tables, during the summer, strawberries, peas, squashes, radishes, tomatoes and turnips.

25,961

982

604

8

10

The foregoing tables, in connection with the accompanying report of the teacher, will give the statistics of the school during the year.

The resignation of our Superintendent, Rev. D. B. Nichols, and the non appointment of his successor, have placed the management of the school for the past few months in my hands.

With no little feeling of hesitancy did I attempt to assume the responsible position, knowing full well, from the experience of several years as an Assistant, the many difficulties and trials incident to the work in which we are engaged; but as it became my duty, by virtue of my office, to fill the position made vacant, for a time at least, I ventured to exercise the superintending care, hoping, with the assistance of the gentlemen connected with me, to be able to meet, in some degree, the hopes and desires you so fondly cherish for the unfortunate boys brought under your care.

Gentlemen, the year has passed. The statistics are made up, yet they fail to convey a correct idea of the operations of the School. Figures exhibit the business transactions only, and not the reformatory work. The labor of directing the youthful minds and hearts of a class of one hundred and fifty boys, who have been left to follow the evil inclinations of a depraved nature, and whose social habits have been of the lowest order, is a work that cannot be reduced to tabular form. The returning of one and another of these boys to their homes and society, with minds cultivated, hearts subdued, and motives pure, is the only true exhibit that can be made of the results of the continued efforts being put forth under the direction of your honorable body.

The boys have been employed during most of the year, in the shops and about the house. The recent destruction of our chair shops by fire, has left about one hundred of our boys without regular employment; but we are in hopes to see them at work again under the direction of our former contractcrs, Messrs. Woodhouse & Butler. And here let me say, that it

affords me great pleasure to bear testimony to the very pleasant association with these gentlemen, and the spirit of liber ality exercised toward the boys in their employ. All of the work of the house, during the latter part of the year, has been performed by the boys, under the direction of proper persons. The division of labor will be seen in table ten.

The government of the School for the past few months has been the carrying out of the principles set forth in the report of last year-that of a well regulated family. Our requirements are few, but imperative.

Failing to see any good resulting from the classification of the boys, according to character, in the dining hall, I have taken the liberty to discontinue the practice, and have arranged them into companies of fourteen each, according to size; the smallest boys in company one, next larger in company two, and so on up to the very largest; one boy in each company acting as chief, whose special duty it is to look after the order and neatness of his company, and report absentees. These chiefs are selected from the most honorable class. The deportment of the boys really excels our expectations; for while we have many instances of restlessness and depression of spirits, yet the general promptness and cheerful acquiescence in our rules of order, elicits our full approval.

During the first part of the year we had many escapes, which caused us much trouble and expense. One boy is still at large, as will be seen by table 8. But since my charge, not a single boy has attempted to escape, although the same liberties are given, owing principally, to the firm stand taken by the Board.

Of the scholastic attainments of the boys during the year, I need say but little; for the accompanying report of Charles Johnson, our principal teacher, fully exhibits the condition of the school.

Owing to the financial embarrassment of the School, and the rigid economy practiced during the latter part of the year, the school has been seriously interrupted, and the advancement of the boys greatly impeded, by the frequent calls upon the

teacher for boys to perform the necessary work of the house. and farm, and to prosecute the work of improvement commenced in the yard and on the premises outside. Most of the labor has been accomplished by the boys during the school hours, morning and evening, as they were employed by Messrs. Woodhouse & Butler, in the manufacture of chairs, between the hours of nine A. M. and four P. M. Yet for all this interference, through the assiduous efforts of the teacher and his various assistants, the boys have made commendable progress in their studies. Since the destruction of our work shops, we have had an extra session of school each day of two hours.

The exercises of the Sabbath have been changed. Instead of preaching in the morning, as was the practice of our late Superintendent, the boys have been assembled in the schoolroom for reading an singing. These exercises have yielded great pleasure and profit.

The public services have been conducted in the chapel in the afternoon by our principal teacher, Rev. Chas. Johnson, assisted by the assistant teacher, H. B. Crosby, and several friends from this city, to whom we would express our thanks for the valuable assistance rendered on these occasions. The boys have seemed to appreciate the truths presented, and we cannot but hope that a lasting benefit has been derived from the earnest appeals to which they have so attentively listened.

We are in hopes to organize our Sabbath School again soon, which was discontinued about one year ago.

During the winter, spring, and early part of summer, there was a good deal of sickness in the school, resulting in the death of three of our boys.

The first was an Irish boy, by the name of James Crowley, who died February 20th, of Diabetes. He had been afflicted with this disease for nearly two years prior to his death. James was nearly nineteen years old when he died. He had relations residing near Chelsea, and a brother with us. He had been in the Institution about four years, and was in the

class of Honor. His remains were followed to the grave by all of the boys that were able to go.

The second was John C. Garrow, an American boy, eighteen years of age, who died February 24th, of Lung Fever. John was very unexpectedly taken from us. His parents, who resided at South Bend, Indiana, were notified of his illness, but did not receive the intelligence in season to be present at his burial.

The third death during the year, occurred June 5th. John Kimball, an orphan boy, died of the same disease as the second, in his sixteenth year. He had been in the School only about four months, when he was taken seriously ill, and after a brief period of six days breathed his life out, in hope of a bright resurrection.

Many of the boys have been afflicted with chills and fever, as will be seen by referring to the report of the Physician, accompanying this, in which a full statement of the health of the School during the year, and the particulars of the deaths, are given. We have taken great pains to search out and remove the causes of so much sickness, and we are happy to say that for the past two months there has been rarely a day but that all of the boys and officers were at their regular meals. For this result we feel deeply indebted to the kind and prompt attention of our physician, J. B. Hull, and the motherly care of our matron, Mrs. Hibbard.

In conclusion, permit me to express my thanks to the Board of Control, for their kind assistance and sympathy to me, in meeting the peculiar duties which they have seen fit to place upon me; and especially would I return my thanks to Jas. I. Mead, Esq., of this city, who being nearer than any other member of the Board, has kindly attended to my frequent calls for counsel, and during our financial embarrassment, has often advanced, of his own private means, to meet our pressing wants.

I would also express my sincere gratitude to the gentlemen, and all who are associated with me, for their continued efforts