Latest / History of Minnesota and Tales of the Frontier, Part 1 / 041 - The Minnesota State Training School Minnesota State Reformatory The Minnesota State Prison The Minne

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041 - The Minnesota State Training School Minnesota State Reformatory The Minnesota State Prison The Minne · History of Minnesota and Tales of the Frontier, Part 1

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  Speaker 1: Section forty one of the History of Minnesota and Tales
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  Speaker 1: of the Frontier Part one. This is a LibriVox recording.
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  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
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  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
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  Speaker 1: by Jill Ingall The History of Minnesota and Tales of
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  Speaker 1: the Frontier Part one by Charles E. Flandrau, Section forty one.
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  Speaker 1: The Minnesota State Training School. This institution was formerly the
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  Speaker 1: Minnesota State Reform School and was located in Saint Paul.
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  Speaker 1: In eighteen ninety five, the legislature changed its name to
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  Speaker 1: the Minnesota State Training School for Boys and Girls and
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  Speaker 1: its location has been changed to red Wing in the
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  Speaker 1: County of Goodhue. This institution has to do with criminals,
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  Speaker 1: and the statute provides that whenever an infant over the
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  Speaker 1: age of eight year and under the age of sixteen
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  Speaker 1: years shall have been duly convicted of any crime punishable
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  Speaker 1: with imprisonment except the crime of murder, or shall be
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  Speaker 1: convicted of vagrancy or of incorrigibly vicious conduct, the sentence
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  Speaker 1: shall be to the guardianship of the Board of Managers
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  Speaker 1: of this school. Here they are given a good common
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  Speaker 1: school education, and instructed in the trades of cabinet making,
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  Speaker 1: carpenter work, tailoring, shoemaking, blacksmithing, printing, farming, gardening, et cetera.
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  Speaker 1: The inmates are furloughed under proper conditions, but the state
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  Speaker 1: watch is over them through an agent who provides homes
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  Speaker 1: for the homeless and employment for those who need help.
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  Speaker 1: Minnesota State Reformatory. This institution was established in eighteen eighty
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  Speaker 1: seven and is located at Saint Cloud. It is designed
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  Speaker 1: as an intermediate correctional school between the training school and
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  Speaker 1: the state prison. The object being to provide a place
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  Speaker 1: for young men and boys from sixteen to thirty years
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  Speaker 1: of age, never before convicted of a crime, where they may,
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  Speaker 1: under as favorable circumstances as possible, by discipline and education
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  Speaker 1: best adapted to that end, form such habits and character
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  Speaker 1: as will prevent their continuing in crime, fit them for
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  Speaker 1: self support, and accomplish their reformation. The law provides for
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  Speaker 1: an indeterminate sentence, allowing of pearl when earned by a
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  Speaker 1: continuous good conduct, and final release when reformation is strongly probable.
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  Speaker 1: Honest labor is required every day of each inmate, almost
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  Speaker 1: every occupation and employment is carried on in a practical way,
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  Speaker 1: and each inmate is learning to fill some honest place
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  Speaker 1: and to do useful work. The workings of this performatory
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  Speaker 1: have been very satisfactory and have undoubtedly rescued many young
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  Speaker 1: people from a life of crime. The Minnesota State Prison.
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  Speaker 1: All prisons where criminals are sent to work out sentences
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  Speaker 1: for crimes committed are alike on general principles, and the
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  Speaker 1: Minnesota Prison, situated at Stillwater, differs only in the fact
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  Speaker 1: that it combines in its administration all the modern discoveries
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  Speaker 1: of sociological research, which tend to ameliorate the condition of
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  Speaker 1: the prisoner and fit him for the duties of good citizenship.
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  Speaker 1: When discharged, the plant is extensive and thorough. The labour
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  Speaker 1: of the prisoners is now devoted to three industries, the
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  Speaker 1: manufacture of binding twine, high school scientific apparatus on state account,
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  Speaker 1: and the manufacture of boots and shoes. The discipline and
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  Speaker 1: management of the prison are the best. The most advanced
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  Speaker 1: principles of penalogy are in force. Sentences are reduced by
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  Speaker 1: good conduct, and everything is done to reform as well
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  Speaker 1: as punish the prisoner. A newspaper is published by the convicts,
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  Speaker 1: and a library of five thousand volumes is furnished for
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  Speaker 1: their mental improvement. Nothing known to modern social and penal
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  Speaker 1: science is omitted from the management the Minnesota Historical Society.
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  Speaker 1: This society, as I have said before in speaking of
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  Speaker 1: the work of the first Territorial Legislature, was organized by
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  Speaker 1: that body in eighteen forty nine and has been of
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  Speaker 1: incalculable value to the state. The officers of the society
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  Speaker 1: are a president to vice presidents, a treasurer, and a secretary,
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  Speaker 1: and it is governed by an executive Council of thirty
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  Speaker 1: six members, which embraces Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary, Auditor, Treasurer
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  Speaker 1: of State, and Attorney General as ex officio members. The
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  Speaker 1: State makes an annual appropriation in aid of the Society.
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  Speaker 1: The Executive Council meets once a month for the transaction
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  Speaker 1: of its business. At which meetings, and at a sid
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  Speaker 1: annual meetings, interesting papers and essays are delivered on historical subjects,
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  Speaker 1: which are preserved, and with other matter, are published in
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  Speaker 1: handsomely bound volumes. When sufficient material is accumulated, the Society,
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  Speaker 1: in the manner prescribed in its by laws, may establish
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  Speaker 1: the following separate departments Department of Annals and General History
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  Speaker 1: of Minnesota, Department of Geology of Minnesota, Department of Zoology
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  Speaker 1: of Minnesota, Department of Botany of Minnesota, Department of Meteorology
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  Speaker 1: of Minnesota, Department of Northwestern Geography and Chartology, Department of
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  Speaker 1: American History, Department of Oriental History, Department of European History,
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  Speaker 1: Department of Genealogy and Heraldry, Department of Ethnology and Anthropology.
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  Speaker 1: It has corresponding members all over the world and official
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  Speaker 1: connections with nearly all the historical and learned societies of
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  Speaker 1: Europe and America with which it interchanges publications. It has
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  Speaker 1: a membership of one hundred forty two life and thirty
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  Speaker 1: seven annual members. It may receive donations from any source.
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  Speaker 1: Its property, real and personal, is exempt from taxation of
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  Speaker 1: any kind. It has accumulated a splendid library of about
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  Speaker 1: sixty three thousand volumes of all kinds of historical, genealogical, scientific,
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  Speaker 1: and general knowledge, all of which are open and free
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  Speaker 1: to the public. It also has a gallery of pictures
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  Speaker 1: of historical scenes in Minnesota, and portraits of men and
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  Speaker 1: women who have been prominent in or who have contributed
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  Speaker 1: to the history or growth of the state, together with
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  Speaker 1: an extensive museum of Indian and other curiosities having some
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  Speaker 1: relation to Minnesota. One of its most valuable attractions is
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  Speaker 1: a newspaper department, in which are complete files of all
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  Speaker 1: newspapers which have been in a d are published in
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  Speaker 1: the state, except a very few unimportant ones. The number
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  Speaker 1: of our state papers daily, weekly, and monthly received at
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  Speaker 1: the beginning of the year eighteen ninety nine is four
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  Speaker 1: hundred twenty one. These papers are all bound in substantial
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  Speaker 1: volumes for preservation for the use of future generations. On
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  Speaker 1: September one, eighteen ninety nine, the Society had on the
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  Speaker 1: shelves of its fireproof vault four thousand, two hundred fifty
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  Speaker 1: of these volumes. Its rooms are in the capitol at
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  Speaker 1: Saint Paul and are entirely inadequate for its accommodation, but
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  Speaker 1: ample space has been allowed it in the new capital
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  Speaker 1: now in the course of construction. State institutions miscellaneous in
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  Speaker 1: their character. Besides the general state boards and associations having
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  Speaker 1: special reference to the leading products of the state and
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  Speaker 1: those of a reformatory and educational character, there are many
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  Speaker 1: other regulating businesses of various kinds among the inhabitants, all
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  Speaker 1: of which are important in their special spheres. But to
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  Speaker 1: name them is all I can say about them in
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  Speaker 1: my limited space. Their number and the subjects which they
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  Speaker 1: regulate shows the care with which the state watches over
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  Speaker 1: the welfare of its citizens. I present the following catalog
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  Speaker 1: of the state departments. The Insurance Commission, the Public Examiner,
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  Speaker 1: the Dairy Food Commission, the Bureau of Labor, the Board
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  Speaker 1: of Railroad and Warehouse Commissioners, the Board of Game and
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  Speaker 1: Fish Commissioners, the State Law Library, the State Department of
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  Speaker 1: Oil Inspection, the State Horticultural Society, the State Forestry Association,
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  Speaker 1: the Minnesota Dairymen's Association, the State Butter and Cheesemakers Association,
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  Speaker 1: the State Farmers Institutes, the Red River Valley Drainage Commission,
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  Speaker 1: the State Drainage Commission, the Commission of Statistics, the State
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  Speaker 1: Board of Health and Vital Statistics, the State Board of
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  Speaker 1: Medical Examiners, the State Board of Pharmacy, the State Board
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  Speaker 1: of Dental Examiners, the State Board of Examiners in Law,
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  Speaker 1: the Bureau of Public Printing, the Minnesota Society for the
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  Speaker 1: Prevention of Cruelty, the Geological and Natural History survey, the
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  Speaker 1: State Board of Equalization, Surveyors of Logs and Lumber, the
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  Speaker 1: Board of Pardons, the State Board of Arbitration and Conciliation,
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  Speaker 1: the State Board of Investment, the State Board of Examiners
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  Speaker 1: of barbers, the State Board of Examiners of Practical Plumbing,
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  Speaker 1: the horse Shoer's Board of Examiners, the inspection of steam boilers.
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  Speaker 1: It is difficult to conceive of any other subject over
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  Speaker 1: which the state could assume jurisdiction, and the great number
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  Speaker 1: which are embraced already within its supervision would lead one
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  Speaker 1: who is not in touch with our state administration to
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  Speaker 1: believe that state paternalism dominated the business industries of the people.
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  Speaker 1: But nothing is further from the truth, and no state
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  Speaker 1: in the Union is freer from governmental interference in the
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  Speaker 1: ordinary channels of industry than Minnesota State finances. Since the
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  Speaker 1: settlement of the debt created by the old railroad bonds
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  Speaker 1: that I have heretofore mentioned, the finances of the state
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  Speaker 1: have always been in excellent condition when the receipts of
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  Speaker 1: an individual or a state exceed expenditure. As a situation
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  Speaker 1: is both satisfactory and safe. At the last report, up
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  Speaker 1: to July thirty first, eighteen ninety eight, the receipts of
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  Speaker 1: the state from all sources were five million, four hundred
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  Speaker 1: twenty nine thousand, two hundred forty dollars and thirty two cents,
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  Speaker 1: and the expenditures were five million, two hundred eight thousand,
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  Speaker 1: nine hundred forty two dollars and five cents, leaving a
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  Speaker 1: balance on the right side of the ledger of two
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  Speaker 1: hundred twenty thousand, two hundred ninety eight dollars and twenty
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  Speaker 1: seven cents. To the receipts must be added the balance
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  Speaker 1: in the treasury at the beginning of a year of
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  Speaker 1: two million, fifty four thousand, three hundred fourteen dollars and
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  Speaker 1: twenty six cents, which left in the treasury on July
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  Speaker 1: thirty first, eighteen ninety eight, the large sum of two million,
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  Speaker 1: one hundred eighty four thousand, six hundred twelve dollars and
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  Speaker 1: fifty three cents. The original indebtedness arising from the adjustment
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  Speaker 1: of the state railroad bonds was one million, six hundred
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  Speaker 1: fifty nine thousand dollars other bonds three hundred thousand dollars.
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  Speaker 1: This indebtedness has been reduced by payments to the sum
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  Speaker 1: of one million, four hundred seventy five thousand, six hundred
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  Speaker 1: forty seven dollars and twenty two cents on July thirty first,
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  Speaker 1: eighteen ninety eight, the date of the last report. If
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  Speaker 1: this debt had matured, it could at once be paid
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  Speaker 1: by the funds on hand, leaving the state entirely free
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  Speaker 1: from all indebtedness. The taxbok property of the state by
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  Speaker 1: last assessment in eighteen ninety seven, including real and personal property,
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  Speaker 1: was five hundred seventy million, five hundred ninety eight thousand,
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  Speaker 1: eight hundred thirteen dollars end of Section forty one recording
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  Speaker 1: by Jill Ingall