The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-06-20
SOLDIERS ORPHANS.
Anniversary Exercises at the Knights
town Soldiers Orphans
Home.
Full Report of the Exercises Of the Day,
with q History of the Institution.


versary of the Indiana soldiers orphans
home was celebrated at the institution near
Knightstown by appropriate school exercises
and festivities to- day.
This institution was formally opened on
the 18th of June, 1863 as a patriotic enter
prise on the part of the state. that the re-
wards due to valor and sacrifice to country
NAV descend to the generations of the noble
dead. Two years previous to this the state
had purchased the site of the Soldiers
Home" and established thereon an asylum
for invalid and manned soldiers, in the
rooms formerly occupied as a health estab-
lishment or "cure" at the Knightstown
Springs, but soon afterward, when new and
commodious building was erected near by.
the soldiers were moved into it, and the old
quarters assigned to Miss Lucinda B. Jen-
kens (now Mrs. L. b. ]. Wishard) and
group of nine soldiers orphans.
Not long afterward it became apparent
that the great work of this benefaction
should be the care of the orphans rather
than of the fathers, as the latter were offered
ample relief by the general government at
Dayton, Ohio. On the 25th of December,
1871, the old buildings Ito which the SOL
diers bad been returned, and the children
removed to the new,) were consumed by
fire, when the few remaining soldiers were
removed to Dayton and the whole benefac
ton directed to the maintenance of an or
phanage for the children of soldiers. DIR. M.
NJ Wishard, under whose SUPPLEMENTARY
the soldiers home was established in In
dianapolis in August, 1865, and re-estab-
hshed at this point in April, 1866, received
this institution under his charge in 1868 and
it continued in his control, with Miss Jenk-
ins Mrs. Wishard, his wife) as matron, to
the time of his death, February last.
Since then the former chaplain of the in
stitute, Rev. r. F. Bennington, has been
acting superintendent with Mrs. Wishard
still in her old position. And under this
management, with no change in the subor-
dinate positions, there has been no halt in
the progress and prosperity of the concern
by the melancholy events of last February.
The substantial control of the institution
is in the hands of board of three managers,
one of whom is elected by the legislature at
each session, the present of whom are DIR.
VIM. Hanneman, of Indianapolis; Mr.. G..
W. Sanford, of Crown Point, and Mr.. Ellison
Williams, of Knightstown. 1t is fortunate
that in the changes of politics, this board
has never had second rate man, or one
who has brought party interests into its de-
Hberations or any other thought than whole
hearted devotion to the best management of
great state work of Christian bene6cence.
How much better would it be if the same
could be said of the boards of control of our
other public benevolent institutions, and
that when the officer enters upon such duty,
although the trust may be conferred by
party favor, he would rise from the poll
tician into the Christian gentleman.
Under this management the forward pro-
gress of this work has been steady and unin-
terrupted from the small beginning OF nine
children to it's present proportions and ut
most capacity-250 children-nearly 300 in
mates all told.
The school year commences on the first of
September each year and closes with the
anniversary. During the last year the in
struction has been under management as
follows, viz: High school, Miss Sadie Bon
f0y, of Connersville; intermediate, Miss
Esther Starr, of Richmond, and Miss Dill
Foxworthy, of Knighistown; primary, Miss
Emma Gray, of the Home" These schools
: will compare we'll with any in the country
for proficiency and progress, study and drill
and good order. Many of the larger boys
under the direction of the superintendent
work upon the farm during the crop season,
as do the. larger girls in the dining and sew
ing rooms
Since this was opened there have been re-
ceiyed almost 600 children, ranging in age
from one and one-half to fourteen years.
They have been gathered altogether from
the homes of the poor, and very many from
the abodes of vice and the uncovered streets
of our cities, who but for this refuge from
the storm would, very many of them, have
grown up in utter neglect and shameless sin.
Here they are well clad and well instructed,
and in every possible way their wants are
provided for. In general, they are easily
managed, cheerful and happy as the broth
ers and sisters of any Christian home, and
their grateful hearts give good return for the
kindness received. There can not be con-
.ceived corps of more faithful and laboriOus
workers than the self sacrificing care takers
of these children. from the directors to old
Excuse, the cook. and the several depart
ments give evidence that the work is
done, not for money, but for the love of the
work.
II
mother of every child here as if they we're OF
her own blood and with a scarcely less degree
does the feeling of parental kinship extend
to all.
The results of the work, in looking back
over the nine years of labor, are quite salts
factory as we are informed by Mrs. Wishard.
While il is true that some who have gone
out forget the counsel and training of the
Home" most of them bid fair to be useful
men and women and none forget the faith
fuIness of those who watched over them
here.
On this, the ninth anniversary, quite a
number of the friends of the institution
from the surrounding country and from
Knightstown convened in the chapel at ii 80
a. m. His excellency, Governor Williams.
with the state officers were expected to be
present, but by wreck on the Panhandle
track the train was two hours late. But
at the most interesting stage of the annual
proceedings which was during the discus
sion of ice cream and strawberries. the good
governor came in. BY his own story, 1t ap-
peared that he was doing when the train
} reached Knightstown, and did not come to
his senses until he reached Ogden. when,
perhaps, the conduct found him without a
ticket. At any rate be was put off there,
and found his way hack in caboose, but in
ample time to do full justice to the cream
and berries. Everybody was glad TO see him,
and only sorry that he was late.
The chapel exercises consisted of songs,
dialogues declamafions. Rotations. etc, by
the children, in which they had been in.