Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-10-24
DAVENPORT, IOWA. THURSDAY.


The GDrphanss Homes ne Daven.
port aaA Cedar Falls.
Tho Board Of Trustees Of the Orphans
Home held . regular meeting Al Cedar
Falls on the 10th inst All members Of the
Board were present. From The :ews City
Republican, whose editor 10 enc Of the Trus-
tees, We CLEAN the following facts:
The reports Of the different Homes show.
ID the institution free from debt, but this
result has been obtained BY scrimping st
every point, and by canvasseis, who have
raised Lear $4,000. The he>lth Of the
Homes 10 wonderful. There has been no
severe case Of sickness in either during the
summer or fall, and no death among these
900 children in nearly year. Many repairs
are needed at the Davenport Home, the
buildings there were set on posts and must
be underpinned. New floors must be laid
in many Of them. A supply Of water is
greatly needed. More cottage room and
more school room must be had or children
must be surned away. Industrial employ.
ments should 30 introduced, which will re-
quire shop room. some machinery and
working means. The Board voted to ask
Of the Legislature the means for these pur
poses. The buildings occupied at Cedar
Falls are entirely unit for the purpose, and
must DO abandoned before long. The peo-
pie Of that place have twenty acres Of beau
tiful land ready to donate to the State for .
new set Of buildinga. The Board voted TO
ask 425, 900 with which to erect them, pro-
vidsd the donation Of land 10 doubled. The
people in the north part Of the State have
shown great interest 10 this Home and have
done liberal things for it, and il 10 but fair
that the State should now help them 70 put
itin comfortable quarters.
These matters having been agreed to,
and tho condition Of the Homes having
been found satisfactory BY the Board. the
next step was to dismiss Dr.. Cochran az
Superintendent from the Home at Daven.
port. On this subject the Republican aesio
Gays:
"Ths Boa,d dismissed DR.. Cochran %
Superintendent from the Home at Daven-
port for the sole and only reason that he
had failed to work in harmony With Mrs.
Wittsnmsyer-or in other words, had failed
to submit to her diasation. Not word Of
fault Was found with his conduct Of affairs.
Members who voted 10 remove him, repeat.
sd the remark that he was admirably adsp-
ted to the position Ars. Wittenmsye er
had prepared charges sgainst him Of ex-
travsgsnce in his own family supplies, thus
lmpairing tho funds Of the Institution, and
also Of having failed to aeeount for funds
that same into his hands. These charges
the Board Investigated at special meeting
ia September, and found them utterly
groundlsss- without shadow Of founda-
ton, except in her suspicious imagination.
We should have supposed this would have
satefied the Board Of her temper and spirit.
But she has come to point where she must
leave the institution, vet she could net be
sontent to 90 out alone. She demanded
that the Doctor should be sacrificed to sp-
pease her wrath and the Board yielded 10
her demand. Last spring DR.. Cochran
rendered his resignation, to get out Of
| the quarrel, but tho Board refused
to accept il and persuaded him to With
draw it. It was rot conrenient then fos
them TO spare him, - they bad no one to
take his place Now they have made il
convenient by looking up another man, and
were ready to kick the doctor out. But
whatever wrong he has suffered, or how
ever unwise his removal may be, il he car
ries Mrs. Wittenmycr with him he does
the Home great service. We are ready to
accord her all the credit that 10 sshes due,
and have defended her, We fear, more than
she deserved. But the Home must have q
Superintendent, and never can have one
i Fac k> - -t~slA - -, To foo ahn
will never consent to allow him TO discharge
his appropriate duties without her interfer.
ence and dictation. which no man, nt 10,
the place, will submit to. A Mr.. Pierce
and wife, Of Fairfield. were appointed u
superintendent and Ma,ron who we hope
will do we'll in their places. Doctor Coch
ran has exceeded our ant:cipations in The
position and leaves with the full endorse
ment Of those who remove him as "admir
ably adapted to the place." We do not be
lleve tho State has his superior for tn,
position. We suppose his removal mus
be right and wise and just. IS It Was &C
complished By wise just and Hon. men
Mr.. Wright,of Alamakee, and ourself heirs
the only members that opposed it. Th'
| difficulty with US is to see il So"
| Thus speaks ono Of the Trustees. and
is but fair to presume that he is candid il
his statements. We are glad to notice tha
an effort is being made by some Of our mes
Influential citizens to have Dr.. Cochran re
tanned as Superintendent. Our wish is tha
they may succeed. No man who has .
we'll and satisfactorily done his duty shoul'
BE- removed on mere spitcful whim. Mrs
wittsnmyer 10 possibly very clevs
woman. and she may have done great dsa
Of good, but st the same time she should b
cured Of the notion that she must rule o
rein wherever she finds herself lie rsth
er hard job to manage an institution lik
the Orphans Home whom being constantl'
hen pscked BY one who instead should ex
tend kind cooperation. LIT us hope tha
there will be no mere Of this-that the en-,
has come.
| RATHER "SrRraislxo." - Last evening