View source for State Reform School, 1894 Report

1894
The Montana State Reform School was established by an Act of the
Legislative Assembly of the State of Montana, approved March 1, 1893.

forty (40) acres of land as a site for the institution. This land is one mile
eastward of the city,

Asking/hoping for:
*40 acres
*Telegraphy
*Printing
*a law against helping inmates to escape

==Staff==
*Director: [[A. J. Hylton]]
*Matron, who has general supervision of building, tailoring, cooking, laundry and sick: [[Mrs. A. J. Hylton]]
*Miss [[M. E. Vance]], Housekeeper and in charge of girls
*Miss [[Alma Vance]], Tailoress and assistant in girl's department
*[[Edward R. Maples]], boys teacher
*[[Robert Wilcox]], in charge of teams and farm
*[[Edward Cook]], in charge of laundry
*[[Eph. K. Davis]], in charge of irrigation and carpentry
*[[John E. Kelley]], in charge of general work
*[[Samuel M. Davidson]], in charge of kitchen
*[[J. Walter Howrath]], Night watchman

The institution has no cells, no bars to the windows, no high fenced
enclosure, nothing but the main building in which the inmates are kept,
In one instance tho Director has found it
necessary to use artificial restraint to maintain the presence and control
of an inmate. This inmate whose name need not be mentioned here, it
is believed was far beyond the limit of twenty-one years at the time he
was received in the institution, and it is believed was an adept in many
species of crime at the time he was received. Still his presence in the
institution has been maintained, notwithstanding the attempts made to
assist his escape by persons outside of the institution and living many
miles distant from Miles City.


===Buildings=== 
* main school building of 16-inch brick walls, which is 100x50 feet, of three stories and an attic and cellar. 
::- the ground floor is used for work rooms, dining hall, bath room, wash room and kitchen
::- the second floor for offices and Director's apartments and assembly room
::- the third floor for dormitories and school rooms
::- the spacious attic is used as a storage room and gymnasium
::- the cellar for the furnaces, supply rooms and fuel bins
::- the entire building is heated by five furnaces, with a thorough ventilation system in connection, and is lighted by electricity. An artesian well supplies soft water for kitchen and wash rooms and lavatories.
* brick stable for four horses and hay loft
* frame ice house
* root house
* wagon shed
* privies

The boys have just completed a large root cellar, eighteen by fiftyone
feet with a fourteen foot ell; the walls are of stone and the work has
been highly complimented by good mechanics.
The road leading from the buildings to the public road has been excavated
one foot and filled with gravel, requiring about one thousand
loads; this had to be hauled from Tongue River, a distance of one and
three-fourth miles, but the benefit we are deriving from our good road is
paying for the hard work.

A water right has been purchased for the forty acres of land; water
is purchased yearly at $2.00 per inch from the Miles City Canal & Irrigating
Co., insuring a good crop every year. The Director has made a wonderful change with irrigation of the 35
acres, which were sage brush prairie in March, to a fertile garden spot in
August, bearing a bountiful harvest of grain, vegetables and fruit.
Every employe of the institution is a worker; there is no place for a drone, and the appearance of the buildings and grounds show that many a hard days work has been done since the school opened.

==Expenditures==
{|
|Expense||Cost||Cost in current dollars
|-
|Buildings||$19,027.04||$514,000
|-
|Furniture and fixtures||$4,961.44||$134,000
|-
|Improvements||$1,403.86||$39,000
|-
|Incidental expenses||$550.26||$14,850
|-
|Clothing and furnishing||$1,325.63||$35,775
|-
|Supplies||$2,180.23||$58,860
|-
|Light and fuel||$802.99||$21,600
|-
|Insurance||$270.00||$7,290
|-
|Horses||$440.00||$11,880
|-
|Salaries||$3,909.69||$105,570
|-
|'''Total'''||'''$34,871.14'''||$'''941517'''
|}

===Payment sources===
{|
|Appropriation||$24,977.08
|-
|First National Bank, Miles City||$2,018 34
|-
|Merchants National Bank, Helena||$2,129.52
|-
|Montana National Bank, Helena||$2,112.24
|-
|American National Bank, Helena||$1,596.90
|-
|Helena National Bank, Helena||$2,037.06
|-
|'''Total'''||'''$34,871.14'''
|}

The Trustees found that in erecting a building and furnishing it to
accommodate from sixty to seventy-five inmates it was necessary even
with the exorcise of the most rigid economy to expend nearly or quite all
of the appropriation of $25,000 made for establishing the school. When
the building was finished and ready for occupancy the Trustees found
themselves without funds to maintain and conduct the school and after
conferring with the Governor and other prominent citizens of the State,
and at the solicitation of many of them, the Board of Trustees determined
to open the school and to borrow money for its support until a
future Legislature should make appropriations to provide for its maintenance.
Loans have been made from five banks to the extent of $9,894.06,
as is shown in the tabulated statement herewith,
There is also due to:
* Larson & Smith $700 for building a stable
* Bennett & Peck Heating & Ventilating Co. $1,200 for balance on heating plant. 
These contracts were awarded with the condition that
these amounts should be paid when an appropriation for the same should
be made by the State.
The expense of starting the school has necessarily been heavy. There
were horses, harness, wagons, farm implements, seeds and other articles
to buy, which may be figured not only on the few months the school has
been open, but on months and years to come.

The crop of grain and vegetables raised may be very moderately estimated
at worth $2,250, and much of it has been stored away and will last
far into the next year.

==Residents==
{|
|Status||Boys||Girls
|-
|Number on roll December 1, 1894||27||6
|-
|Number received by commitment||31||6
|-
|Number pardoned by the governor||1||
|-
|Released on age||1||
|-
|Escaped||2||
|}

The boys and girls committed were received during the months as
shown by following schedule:
{|
|Month||Boys||Girls
|-
|April||6||
|-
|May||7||3
|-
|June||4||
|-
|July||2||
|-
|August||6||1
|-
|September||5||1
|-
|October||1||
|-
|November||1||
|}
I wish to call your attention to the detention of boys so long in county
jails before bringing them to the school: many of them are compelled to
associate with old and hardened criminals, thereby learning more crime
in a few days confinement with such men than can be rooted out in
years of religious training.

Their ages were:
{|
|Age||Boys||Girls
|-
|Eight years||1||2
|-
|Ten years||1||1
|-
|Eleven years||3||
|-
|Twelve years||2||1
|-
|Thirteen years||3||
|-
|Fifteen years||2||2
|-
|Sixteen years||4||
|-
|Eighteen years||3||
|-
|Nineteen years||7||
|-
|Twenty years||5||
|-
|Total||31||6
|}

?? I respectfully call your attention to the fact that about one-fourth of
the boys sent here are over twenty-one years of age. I feel sure that we
have at least seven who are from twenty-one to twenty-five years old. ??

==Land use==
At the time Governor .1. E. Rickards proclaimed the school ready for
admittance of inmates the entire forty acres were covered with sage
brush. The first boy was received April 3rd, and with his help and two
officers the land was cleared. 

* Pasture 5 acres
* Garden 5 acres
* Potatoes 7 acres
* Vines (?melons and pumpkins?) 3 acres
* Oats 5 acres
* Fodder corn 8 acres (re-sown with oats)
* Lawns and yard (?and buildings?) 7 acres

Of the seven acres set apart for lawns and yards, about five have been leveled
and seeded in blue grass, which is making a good growth and will be a
beautiful lawn next season; many shade and ornamental trees have been
set out, of which one hundred and fifty are native pines. These are
doing well and add much to hie beauty of the grounds.

In addition to the clearing and cultivation we made our main ditches
and their many laterals for irrigating.

===Farm===
Showing the staple products of the farm:
{|
|Oats||3 3-5 tons
|-
|Corn||3 3-5 tons
|-
|Fodder||30 tons
|}

====List of farming implements====
{|
|Sulky breaking plow||1
|-
|Small turning plow||1
|-
|Road wagons||2
|-
|Disk harrow||1
|-
|Wagon harness||2 sets
|-
|Cutting box||1
|}

====Livestock====
* 5 horses 
* 7 hogs
* 2 cows which our friends are kind enough to let us milk for their feed

===Garden===


====List of garden tools====
{|
|Shovels||24
|-
|Spades||24
|-
|Mattocks||18
|-
|Hoes||24
|-
|Forks||2
|-
|Rakes||24
|-
|Garden drill||1
|}

====Products of the garden====
*Asparagus (roots set out) 500
*Beans (green) — 300 lbs
*Beets 6 tons
*Cabbage 13 tons
*Carrots 7.5 tons
*Corn (roasting ears) 325 doz
*Corn (dried) 200 lbs
*Cucumbers (sliced) 600 lbs
*Cucumbers (pickled) 5 bbls
*Lettuce 15,000 heads
*Leek 90 lbs
*Melons (musk) 1,000
*Melons (water) 3,180
*Onions (green) 400 lbs
*Onions (dry) 9,100 lbs
*Parsnips 2,400 lbs
*Potatoes (Irish)  12.75 tons
*Peas (green) 720 lbs
*Pumpkins 1,150
*Radish 600 lbs
*Rhubarb (266 bunches set out April 16, 1894) l.5 tons
*Rutabaga 1.5 tons
*Squash 985
*Tomatoes 3 tons
*Turnips 6 tons
*Tomatoes (canned) 108 gals
*Tomatoes (preserved) 24 gals
*Tomato cutsup 90 qts
*The plum and apple orchard set out in the spring is encouraging.
*Five thousand strawberry plants were planted this fall, and more
will be next spring.

The currant and gooseberry bushes set out are very thrifty, and
from these we will plant many cuttings next season.

Our melons, grown on sod ground without cultivation and watered
but twice, far excelled the widely known "Georgia melon," both in size
and flavor.

We are leveling the high places, where we found it difficult to irrigate
during the summer, and by seeding time next year hope to have
every foot of ground so water can reach it. Each boy was given the chance to learn the application of water to
the different plants and vegetables, and many learned rapidly and became
quite expert. The products of our garden will keep us supplied with good, fresh
vegetables until we can raise them again next season.

==Health==
The general health of the school has been excellent, the doctor having
been called but twice, and in these cases only for dysentery. For this
we are indeed thankful as we are without a hospital, or even where sick
boys could be kept other than the large dormitory.

==Tailor Shop==
Amount of work done in tailor shop:
Made.
*Aprons 29
*Mittens 26
*Vests 51
*Coats 32
*Pants 51
*Mght shirts 63
*Night dresses 8
*Towels. — 6 doz
*Pillow slips 150
*Sheets 150
*Shirts , 56
*Skirts 9
*Cloaks 4
*Dresses 15
*Drawers 6
*Curtains. 13
*Table cloths 15
*Napkins 60
*Flannel underwear 56
Miss Alma Vance has charge of this department assisted by four girls.
Besides doing the regular making of all the clothing, they do the patching
and darning for the institution. The clothing is of blue jeans cloth,
each boy being provided with a suit for Sunday and others for every day.
Their shirts are of "Hamilton stripe" cheviot. Underclothes are made
for all.

==Laundry==
The laundry work at present is being done by the boys in charge of
Mr. E.Cook, in the room intended for the pantry to the kitclien. We
are sadly in need of a room for this work, also for drying the clotlies in
bad weatlier.

==Food==
The food is plain and wholesome, consisting of vegetables, meats,
molasses, bread, coffee, cake, pudding and pie: melons and fruits in season,
thereby giving variety to the "bill of fare" as often as practicable.
The kitchen is in charge of Mr. S. N. Davidson, who is assisted by
three boys, and the cooking for the entire school is done by them.
The dining room and housework is done by the boys under the supervision
of Miss M. E. Vance.

==Schools==
Our schools are run on tlie "half day" plan, while one-half are in
school the other half are doing tlie necessary work around the institution
and "vice versa." The very small children are in school all day. The
hours are from 7 to 11 a. m. and from 12:30 to 4:30 p. m. and from 6 to 7:30
p. m. The branches taught in the public schools of the State are tauglit
here.
At 1) a. m. and 3 p. m. we have fifteen minutes recess in which the
children obtain rest and exercise. From 11 to 12:30 for dinner and play,
and from 4:30 to (5 p. m. supper and play. It is our intention to make a
large gymnasium in the attic of the building and equip it for a regular
course of gymnastics.

==Religious instruction==
This consists during the week of the Sabbath school lesson; each
morning a portion of the Scripture bearing on the lesson is read and explained.
In the evening, before leaving the school room, all join in reciting
the Lord's prayer and at their beds kneel in silent prayer.
The Sabbath school lesson is taught by myself and Mrs. Hylton from
10:30 to 12 a. m. Sundays. Father Van Der Broeck, of Miles City, lias taken
charge of the Catholic boys, and will instruct them in their catechism.
I am proud to say the conduct of the boys and girls in general has
been good, appearing to appreciate kind and generous treatment, and are
respectful, industrious and obedient.

As a further incentive to good conduct I hope the Trustees will be
given full power to release inmates on "furlough" or "ticket of leave"
after they have served one year or more of good conduct. This will encourage
'them to strive for a furlough and will be a great help in the discipline
of the school. Many of them were discouraged when admitted,
thinking they would have to remain until they became of age. This being
true, some would have to stay ten or twelve years.

==Proposed trades training to add==
#Printing—With an appropriation of five Imndred dollars we
can equip an office with a "hand press," six cases and type for same.
This will enable twelve boys to be taught four and one-half hours each
day in the art of printing.

#Shoe Making—Three hundred dollars will supply us with
benches and tools so we can make our own shoes.

#Telegraphy—One hundred and fifty dollars will enable us to
set up an office in whicli ten boys can be taught.

It must be remembered that the majority of boys received in Reform
Schools come from the cities, and do not like, nor can they be taught to
like horticulture and agriculture and vice versa with the country boy,
therefore it is much better to give them a trade which tliey can follow
after leaving the school, if not, our work is in vain.

==Recommendations==
{|
|'''Director'''||'''Board of Trustees'''
|-
|
#Fencing—The fence on the north and west of the farm is in
need of repair, and I suggest this be taken down and a nice picket fence
be built, using the wire and posts of the old fence for the cross fence.
This can be done for about $2 per rod or four hundred and fifty dollars.

#Cottages—At the present rate of commitments this building
will reach its capacity by June, 1895. This will compel us to build
or reject any committed after that time. With an appropriation of
twenty-five thousand dollars we can erect and furnish two cottages, one
for girls and the other for large boys. In the girls department could be
rooms for the Director and family and lady employes. In the boys'
rooms for officers. This would give us the present building for small
boys, a general dining room, chapel, shoe shop, printing office, tailor shop,
telegraph office and rooms for employees. With the aid of one or two
mechanical instructors all this work can be done by the boys, thus teaching
them trades by which they can earn an honest living after leaving
the school.

Had we brick clay close by the school and were equipped for it we
could make our own bricks, but these, I understand, can be purchased at
about $7.75 per 1,000.

''With heartfelt thanks to you honorable Trustees for your earnest support and appreciation of the work done by myself and wife, and to the many friends of Miles City, Deer Lodge and Anaconda who have so generously contributed papers and magazines to the boys and girls, and with full appreciation of the good done by the W. C. T. U. and ministers of Miles City, also to the faithful employees who have labored earnestly and patiently in the work. I close this, my first, report.''

Very truly,<br>
[[A. J. Hylton]],<br>
Director
||

''The Board is required by the law creating the institution to recommend to your Excellency the needs of the school so far as buildings and improvements are concerned. In this respect the Board makes the following recommendations:''

#The purchase of the forty acres adjoining the institution. ''(From the director:) I suggest the purchase of more land, the forty acres we now own is not enough to produce sufficient feed for the stock and vegetables for the school. With more land we could keep our own cows, thus supplying the inmates with milk, also raise our hay and feed, which we now have to buy. There is a farm joining us on the south, consisting of about eighty acres, which is for sale. This is a very desirable farm and would enable us to more thoroughly teach our boys practical agriculture and horticulture.''
#The erection of two additional buildings as advised by the Director. The Director is of the opinion that these will cost $12,500 each.
#For fencing the land, $450.
#The Trustees are of the opinion that the capacity of the present building will be reached by June 1, 1895, and with this in view, and estimating the needs of the school for two years, the Board believes it will require for the first year two thousand dollars ($2,000) per month; and for the second year twenty-five dollars ($2,500) per month, a total of $5-4,000.
#The payment of the loans from banks already made, and also for the bills audited in December, $12,000 total.
#The payment of claims tor stable $700 and balance of heating plant, $1,200.

''In concluding this report the Trustees desire to express through his Excellency, Governor Richards, their kindly appreciation of the support and assistance which the Board has at all times received from the Governor and the State officials in opening the institution and conducting it up to its present stage of efficiency and progress.''

''Respectfully submitted,''

[[J. W. Strevell]]

[[C. K. Middleton]]

[[H. B. Wiley]]
|}