Litchfield enquirer., 1870-07-07
VISIT TO THE SCHOOL FOR IAkBE.
 GILES. ~-~ E0s1@l
SCENES, UNFINISHED AND TzouazTs sUoansEzD.

| ~S-~ @~~ frTT TC lr4N1~' ~I~-s~ SCENES INTENSIFIED AND THOUGHTS sU0aEsEED. Wednesday, the 22d inst, in company with six of the legislative committee on humane institutions, and few invited guests, we took the 9A5 .. m. train for Lakeville, where the School for Imbeciles is located. Changing cars at Bridgeport for the Housatonic road, we settled our selves in quiet position for Q three hours ride. The Housatonic valley is rugged. wild and under feeble cultivation, yet seemingly fertile. The scenery along the route was certainly very beautiful. The wooded hills and green valleys would charm an artist. We were met at the the superintendent of the school. The party were comfortably slowed away in his handsome stage, and, although the road through the village of Lime Rock (the home of the Hou. Wm. Fl. Barnum,) and around the Falls mountains, was very dusty, the ride was pleasant one. Din ner was served at the institution upon our arrival. After dinner the grounds about the house were visited, and an excursion party formed for 8 drive about the lakes and to the. iron mines of Salisbury. A more charming and instructive excursion could not be imagined. The sun was setting. casting its yellow gleams on the fair bosom of Wononscopomoc, blue haze was set ting on the tops of Mount Everitt and William Cullen Bryant's favorite, Mount Monument, and the scenery was looking ct us with its fascinating, picturesque love- Illness. ..7-- =. s..
 The iron mines were an interesting study, and we gained delightful informa- tion regarding them from Gov. Holly, who acted as our guide. It was near these mines of Salisbury that the first can. non of our country was cast by Ethan Allen. H. For about an hour after our return, we watched the imbeciles at their physiologi- cal exercises. They were kind and courte- ous toward one another. They danced, and performed the dunn bell exercises with considerable grace. The evening brought @ large number of guests, and the pariors were pleasant with conversation and beau ty.
 For two hours, the next day, the con- mlttee listened with surprise and pleasure to the reading and recitation of the schoI- ars. We expected to find hopeless, de- formed idiots; instead, we found imbeciles to be sure, but remarkably intelligent ones.
 
 that IS, they write, read, cipher and sing: yet there are a few at the institution who seemed to us beyond help. Dr. Knight told us he expected to make something of them even. The school at present mum bers thirty-fve children, twenty of whom are supported by appropriations from the State. They employ at present but one la- dy teacher. There are four lady atten- dants and one gentleman. #"a !, Ten o'clock found tho committee sn roae for home. The trip to Bridgs- port was made by stage and fsiI Arriving at that place, by special in- V1tation of the citizens of Bridgeport. the whole party sat down to @ superb dinner at the Atlantic House, and rode around and about Bridgeport stopping at the steel moulding factory, and Wheeler & Wilson's sewing machine factory. They returned to New Haven at six o'clock. .t...-r. THE HOME FOR MBEcInEs .. is finely situated on the banks of lake Wo. nonscopomoc. The house is not 0 very large one, accommodating only thirty-flve scholars. The gardens cover fifteen acres. most of which is under fine cultivation. The state appropriates $3, 900 annually for the support of twenty children. In our state of Connecticut there are nine hun- dred imbeciles. Of these nine hundred three hundred are capable of instruction. Our State supports an institution for the insane at Middletown. Why is it not pos sible for this school to become State in- stitution? Surely no greater need can be conceived for the sympathy and support of the state than this. Dr. Knight asks of the state an appropriation for the build. ing of a wing upon the present house, that he may accommodate the large number asking for admission. Having seen the noble philanthropy displayed by friends of the institution, and the grand benefits de- rived from educating these poor unfortu- mates, we hope liberal provision will be made for tue support of all those that need the blessing of such home.
 The present is the twelfth year of the school. It came up to i ts present stand ing from very moderate beginning. During the third year the State granted aid for the support of fifteen children. The legislature afterwards made the grant sui ticient for the support of twenty Of all the pupils, 26 per cent have been trained for comparatively useful members of soci- ety. The state ought to take hold of this matter-it is certainly worthy-and place 1t on the same basis of the Insane Asylum at Middletown.-Jownal and Courier. ,.