A VISIT TO THE CAVERSHAM INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL.

Press, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5592, 21 August 1883, Page 3

A VISIT TO THE CAVERSHAM INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL.

[by oub special ebpoetkb.] The Industrial School for Otago is situate at Caversham, some two miles from Dunedin, and in the midst of what, to a dweller upon the flat and uninteresting plains of Canterbury, is exceedingly picturesque scenery. Passing down Princes street south, and through the suburb of Caversham, the visitor commences then to ascend the bfll, upon a portion of which the school is built. From this a splendid view is obtained. Below is the flat, thickly studded with houses. In the distance to the left Dunedin proper is seen, whilst to the right is the expanse of surf Irnown as Ocean Beach, flashing and sparkUng in the clear frosty sunshine. The buildings of the school certainly do not impress one favorably, being composed mainly of wood, and exceedingly ricketty. Li the centre of a quadrangle, the one side of which is bounded by the master's house and dormitories, &c, is the only brick building connected with the institution, erected, we are told, under Mr Macandrew's provincial regime. There is no amount of architectural display about this place. A plain, square brick building*, containing fairly sized dormitories and the master's office. This is in itself a perfect cabinet of curiosities. Here recorded in large books is the history of each waif and stray in the institution, and most lamentable some of these are. They are a perfect calendar of crime, and it is hard to imagine that J the sleek, rosy, weß fed and weß clad boys I and girls we see before us have ever gone through such a career of depravity, starvation, and vice. A word here as to the master, Mr Tichenor, and the matron, Mrs Tichenor. Both appear admirably adapted for the very onerous and responsible duties of the position. Between them and the children subsists a strong bond, as was evidenced during the visit now under record. A former inmate who has left some seven years, being en a visit to Dunedin, came out to see her old friends, and the warm and hearty greetings exchanged between the master and the whilom resident spoke volumes as to the kindly treatment by the former. Mr Tichenor has a parental responsibility of no mean order, as he stands in loco parentis to ' about two hundred, t -He calls attention to the. Savings Bank-books belonging to the children, of which there is a perfect sheaf. Several of these who have left the in--stiTOtion and gone into service have quite a little nest egg. Many have as much as thirty or forty pounds, and the majority overlive. • The dormitories are clean, airy, and nicely fitted. Colored pictures of all kinds hang around whilst—in those appro priated to the girls—the incipient maternal instinct is manifested by the array of doßs carefully suspended over the. head of each bed; There are aB kinds of dolls, but dolls which have seen good service. There are no diamondaires amongst them, but plain, homely, serviceable dolls, dressed in the cheapest of stuffs, but still dolls, and as such to be nursed and made much of. The beds are cosy and clean, each being covered with a bright, red counterpane, making a perfect glow of color iin the otherwise somewhat prosaiclooking room. The boys are located in the wooden structures before alluded_ to, and the same neatness and cleanliness ia noticeable here. In these buildings are the refectories and kitchens, the latter opening on to the former by means of sliding hatches, so as to enable the meals to be served quickly. The tables run across the room, the girls being at one end and the boyß at the other. At the time of the visit now being described the dinner hour had just arrived. The children, who were playing and romping about in the grounds, assembled by Bound of bugle, and marched in without the least semblance of disorder to the refectory. Two are told off to each table, one at the top and the other at the bottom to serve. So soon as all were assembled, and a short hymnal grace sung,, the demoßtion begins. Everything is nicely cooked by girls belonging to the institution, who are thus learning practicafly one of the most important items of female education. The bugle call once more rings out as we complete our inspection, and the boys composing the brass band stand to attention; and march up to the schoolroom, a long wooden building, divided into two portions, one for the boys and the other for the. girlß. The band has only been in existence some sixteen weeks, yet the boys play with much precision and evident knowledge -of music. Mr Tichenor himseU? takes the big drum, and one of our party handles the sticks of the side drum as to the manner born. A sacred piece and a quick march are played very creditably indeed, although the performers are not in some cases as high as the instruments they play.. Mr Tichenor, junr., who acts as schoolmaster, j also teaches the children music in conjunc- \ tion with the head assistant, who leads the brass band on the cornet. The little feflows having been thanked and complimented, at .which their eyes sparkle again, dismiss, and the next portion of our visit— a most agreeable one—takes place.. This is the singing of several of Moody and Sax-key's hymns by the children, both boys and girls. A quartette and chorus comes ■ first. The former comprises three girls and a boy, aB of whom have fine voices. 'Mr Tichenor, senr., leads on the harmonium, and the room fairly rings again with perhaps the most affecting of music, children's voices. We bid f arewefl to our Bttie friends, and then Mr Tichenor giveß us a few particulars as to their mode of Hfe. The children rise at 6.30 a.m. by the bugle calL The girls take charge of the household departments, the boys go into the garden, where aB the vegetables used in the n—titutionare grown, see to the horses, cows, Ac. At 7.30 breakfast is ready. The children parade in the quadrangle and march in to their places. A short interval for play, and at 8.30 school commences and continues tfll noon. Dinner over, school re-oommeiißes, and is over at three o'clock. The girla then sit down to the makmgof clothes for the boys and themselves, and mending those already in use. In the latter art they appear to be very expert, as we notice numerous little boys so patched as to resemble Joseph's coat. The boys have another turn at the gardeni.ahd when dusk setein thei smaller ones go to bed, the elder reading books from tiie Bbrary, preparing.lessons for the next day, and so on. On Saturday there, is no school. As they aprow up to an age to out into the world

fc, they are apprenticed -to, various .trades, r- The girls who have been under Mrs Tiche-. tl nor'scare are noted for their housewifely skill, and there is always a keen conipetia tion for those who are of an age to go to f service. The same appßes to the boys, ' numbers of whom are doing weß, and j when within reach they always find their L . way to the institution on S nday. Several a of them were present when our visit was paid, and all spoke highly of the way in *- which they were treated whilst under Mr s Tichenor. As we talk Mr Tichenor leads us c up a hill to the garden, from which a beau- |' tiful view of Green Island and the ocean is £ obtained, a sight which we Plain dweflers enjoy to the fuß. With regret we take t leave of our hospitable entertainer, for a . pleasanter or more interesting afternoon r we have not spent before. It is certainly > marvellous with aB the difficulties of scat- * tered buildings and old ones at that how > Mr Tichenor discharges his onerous duties. ' The only improvement which it strikes^—« visitor ought to be made, and that at once,* J is the erection upon the brick building . already referred to of a series of brick or ■ stone dormitories, Ac., schoolroems, Ac, , so that the whole institution wiß as it were > be concentrated in one spot, instead of as at present straggling over a large area of ground. As it is now the work of supervision, which must be constant and vigilant, is rendered three times as difficult as it would be were aB the departments together. With any whose hearts were less in their work than Mr and Mrs Tichenor, or who did not possess their qualifications, the result could not be otherwise than unsatisfactory. It is to be hoped that ere long the consummation devoutly to be wished of an entirely new block of buildings at* Caversham wifl be accomplished. 1