, 1874-12-13
The ORPHAN GIRLS HOME.

y p0dy WITHOUT SOUL
The ORPHAN GIRLS HOME.
10 tie Editor Of The Chicago Tribune:
SIR: It having been suggested through your
columns that the Orphans Home VAS more Of q
private speculation Of the Superintendent than a
public charitable institution, I would ask you to
give space to the following statement Of it's
career:
In January last commenced teaching the
poor girls who would come to mJ homo, sewing
and other inluatri ai arts, intending to establish
IN industrial school without any public aid, but,
not beirg nblo to get children enough to como to
make work practicabln, the idea was advanced
by me, and on the 25th of March public call
was extended, and responded to by several
ladies'. among whom wero l(rs. Dr. Sbipman,
Mrs. O. G. Gibbs, Miss Dr.. Blinn, and Mrs. Dr..
Ward, for the establishment Of the Home, and
thus at the outset it WAS placed under the
care and guardianship OF the public.
From March Is until juno IS, when the Home
was incorporated. it Was con Quoted without ask-
ing or receiving any public aid, at my own e7-
pense.
Since June 10 the Homo has asked the support
Of the public and received it to the extent OF
s2s7.10 cash, and about s250 in 'kind.'' The
cash actually paid out is e334.99; and all dona-
tions in 81 kind are still In the Home, and are
the property Of tho Home, except articles OF
food, &C., which have been consumed by its ln-
mates. Thus. instead OF there being surplus
there has been paid ont more money than has
been received by the Home from the public.
The Home is in debt for rent aud furniture
which is now in tho Homo about $50. This is .
statement of account up to Nov. l, since which
time there has been received in kind" " about
- 3ad t6aa ma iYsA nd n
&4384. The donations IN 'tkind" have been
consumed in the Home and there has been paid
in addition, on the rent due and running e1-
penseB, S73.41.
nations arc received, and the items for which
money IL pnid out, and from them the above
statements may at my time be verified. Thus,
it will at once be seen that the superintendent,
instead OF running the institution in her own
interest, has been constantly donating her
private means to sustain the Home. The only
boarder ever taken at the Home, except the So
Icitor, who was boardeT as part remuneration, WAS
young }edy, stranger IN the city, who asked the
shelter OF tho institution, rs one OF the young
girls would, and who boarded three weeks with
out any charge, and subsequently paid 93 per
week for board and washing, paying, in all, S35,
which amount WIS handed over to tla institution,
to which it rightly belonged.
In taking her it was only expected she would
stay the first three weeks. and in aiding her the
fulness Of the Home, as the young lady desired
to Eayo money sufficient to take her to her
friends in Denver; but when she seemed to have
abandoned the ide1 Of leaving the city it was
thought Just that she should pay tho small
amount asked by the Homo for her board, as
eho Was getting good wages in fashionable mil
linefy Etore in the cty nnd it WAS to secure this
money for the Homo that her trunk vas de-
tanned, and it was this that doubtless caused her
intense disgust Tor everything that pertalned to
L. 3..l L. t.41
which she always extolIed until asked to pay for
some OF the advantages it gave her. The same
Young lady wes turned from tho AVo1nan's Houae
for not complying with its rules, aud l am not
surprised at her attacking the Home rs she at
tackled the Woman6 Home in the same manner.
In regard to the course pursued with girls at
the Home, have to say THAI they hare been
Kept in the public schools until the re-
cent removal of tha Homo to 623 West Adams
street, which took it out Of their district. They
are also taught sowing aud general housewoIk,
but they hnvo never been obliged to do the
housework OF the Home except as a model OF
instruction, and tho only lugging tho girls have
ever dono Was to 90 to tho markets and get pro-
visions That the proprietors had previously asked
then, to call for. There has been in tho Home
since June over sixty g1rls- These have mostly
been provided with homes, and to these girls,
scattered over tho city, and to those now IN th1s
Home. would refer for certificates OF cha1ac-
ter, il it ia needed to eatisfy the public.
The institution which has accomplished this
work, and that, too, without even the moral sup
mort Of its own officers can hardly be termed
:. MYTH" as was suggested by both the articles
in THE TRIBUNE.
Willis the Board havo resigned doubtless
through tho influence OF outside rumors and
not from knowledge OF the workings OF the
Home, it has been my endeayor to have the
Board take an active interest in tho management
OF the Home and, from the time it Was decided
that the Home should be Of public nature,