Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1868-07-07
Soldiers Orphans Home at Madison
The Management officers in Charge.

During our stay abroad OF several
DAYS we visited the Home at Madison
provided by the State for the support
of such orphan children of deceased
soldiers as were left quite or measur
ably destitute and homeless.
1t was on a Sunday, and at the
time appointed for the Sabbath
School. Several teachers from each
of the several city churches and some
young men and ladies from the State
University were present as teachers
of the near three hundred children
A few of the citizens were also pres
ent as visitors. The singing was
conducted by u young man whom we
have long known as devoted chris
tian.and gentleman, assisted on the or.
gan by the Music teacher, Miss Abbie
Riddle, the lady whose adventurous
escape from Texas during the war is
not to be forgotten. To insure her
safety through the rebel lines she was
boxed up and forwarded as fret ght
The children were uniformly dressed
that is, the girls in plain calico, and
the boys in grey wool drillin G, but all
were clean and neat, some with shoes,
others barefoot. Here are the sons
and daughters of all ranks from Col>
onel down to humble private, and Of
all nations-the native American In
dian, Amelicanised African, Irish
man, German, Norwegian and Scotch
man, with the Yankee-iust as in
heaven where it is thought by some
there is no distinction as to color or
nationallty-we mean no distinction
among those loyal to the banner and
cross. One little girl was found by
Mrs. Harvey wild at the South,
homeless and without parents. none
to care for her, and brought here to
live at the Orphans Home. We for
got to inquire for her, though on
former occasion we saw and pitied
the dear little one
The children are all under fifteen
years old, none being taken above
that age and all being dismissed upon
arriving at fifteen, conditioned that
food homes can be found for them.
The children are educated at the
Home in the common branches and
also instructed so far as practical in
house work, gardening, &c. But it
is of course impossible to supply
work for SO many which they can do.
1t requires number of overseers
and teachers for their management.
and q great deal Of labor besides
what the.children can do. The State
pays for the running of this institu-
ton. 1t is said that the average cost
of keeping each child is below what
it is in the poorest family. We have
heard it stated at $4,000 for the first
year, but since, something above, as
a new school building had to be erect,
ed. The present officers in charge of
the Orphans Home are as follows:
.Supt Rev. j. N. Cundall. Natron.
Mrs. Cundall, Teachers. High School
Miss NJ. c. Hiles. Asst. and Mu-
sic, Miss Abbie Riddle. Grammar
Dept. Miss Emma Scribner, Interme-
date, Miss Euniee Wellman, Prima-
ry, Miss Lizzie Benson. Housekeep-
er, Miss II. NJ. Keith
The Superintendent said that he had
no one in charge of any department
from the west part Of the State, and
that he wished to employ one or two
intelligent and capable young ladies
industrious and especially compe-
tent in cutting boys clothes, the cuts
ting, fitting and making up departs
ment to be under her or their care
We said we would see and try and
find him one or two such excellent
| first rate girls.
Many have been the pledges to
care for and protect the bereaved
families of Soldiers, especially these
little ones. They are reminders of a
thousand sad events of the war. The
last prayer Of their fathers was, "May
God care for these little ones and
protect them from snarcs." When
these grow up to be men and women,
each will often say, "the war for lib
erty took away my father, and I'll
never submit to tyrant rule"
These, of all children in our State,
are objects of special care they are
our pride and glory, for it was the
blood of their fathers which redeem>
ed our country from the rule of slave
holders. May God so order the af-
fairs and so incline our hearts that
not one of these orphans shall ever
come to want