Illinois Youth Center-St. Charles

              so excellently control this large number of wayward young girls. 'Those in the Home are arranged in separate families, as nearly as practicable, of about twenty-seven each, thus giving the matrons and housekeepers far better opportunities to discover and cultivate the individual necessities of each girl. 
All the officers and assistants are women except the engineer and fireman, the farmer and his hired man. Mrs. Ophelia L. Amigh is the Superintendent and, in the Home and at Geneva, she is held in the very highest esteem. The deepest actuating sentiment of this lady and her excellent assistants is indicated in theirexpressed gratitude to the last Legislature for eliminating the term, "juvenile female of- 
. fenders," and substituting the more kindly name, "State Training School for Girls." For, as they remove every garment from each girl upon her entrance and clothe her in new, clean and neat apparel, so at once they seek to remove every stain, habit and memory of her former life, and to awaken better aspirations and higher ideals, and to kindly place, guide and strengthen her in the way of a future life of intelligent usefulness, purity and happiness. • Surely, in the list of beneficial institutions, there is not one more worthy the active en- couragement and support of all the people, than the "State Training School for Girls." 
ANS BOYS' HOME. 
Continuing the enlightened policy of saving the young from conditions tending toward lawlessness and criminality, the people and the State Legislature are providing a similar Home for Dependent and Delinquent Boys at St. Charles. Philanthropic and patriotic citizens of that city, and more largely of Chicago, having voluntarily raised a fund of over $100,000, purchased 901 acres of the finest farm lands in the county, which they have presented to the State as a site tor the Home. These lands, lying in the three southwest sections of St. Charles, the southeast section of Campton and southwest section of Geneva, are tin-surpassed for fertility and beauty of location. In May, 1901, the Legislature appropriated $25,000 for building purposes, $5,000 for books. tools and apparatus, and $5,000 for maintenance of inmates. In May, 1903, a further appropriation of $300,000 was made for building purposes and equipment, and $25,000 for ordinary expenses for the year ending June 30,1904, with a like amount for 1904-5. The act states that the intent is to give all delinquent boys "a good common school education, and the learning and practice of such trades and employments. including agriculture and horticulture, as shall fit them for the ordinary employments of life." Delinquent boys who may be committed to the Home are define .0 as any boy under sixteen years of age who violates any law of this State, or any city or village ordinance: and none can be committed beyond their majority. The act provides that not more than forty boys shall be housed in one building, together with the manager, or teacher, and family. Two of the six cottages that are now (1903) being constructed, are so near completion that workmen are putting in the heating apparatus, and the other four will soon be under roof. 
The cottages that have been furnished show what kind of quarters the boys will have at this institution. Each building is about 60x100 feet, two stories and basement high. On the right of the hall are the quarters of the house-father and house-mother; consisting of office, sitting room, and one chamber. bath and toilet room. On the left of the hall is a large sitting room for the boys a nd immediately in the rear, in what is known as the extension, is a large living room, and at the extreme end of the extension are the pantry, kitchen and sinks. The rooms overhead are finished in mill construction work, the material being Georgia pine; the walls are of adamant plaster and the casings of red oak. On the second floor are two large dormitories lighted by nine large windows to each room—the whole set affording a magnificent view in three directions. 
These rooms will be fitted with iron bedsteads, forty to each dormitory, each boy to have a bed to himself. Between the two dormitories is what is known as the locker room. In this room, to which access is had from each sleeping room, forty lockers are ranged around the walls. A boy on retiring for the night will place his clothes in one of the lockers. After all are in bed the night watchman will close and lock each of the lockers, so that any youngster who may be taken with a desire to sneak off in the night will have to get out into the world clad in nothing but his night robe, should lie even succeed in getting outside the building. The tipper floor of the extension is