The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-29
THE KNIGHTSTOWN HOME.
What Woman with All Eye to Business
Found Out There

Mrs. Pittman, the newly appointed trustee OF
the Knightstown Home. gives some incidents of
recent visit there, in the Sentinel of yesterday,
from which the following is quoted
Some two weeks ago Mrs. Pittman went over
TO the Home and from that visit she was return
ing to her home in Bloomington, when the re-
porter met her yesterday. On one occasion dur
ing her visit she went into the room where the
children were taking their supper, being directed
there by one of the employees, who told her that
she would find in the room something that she
ought to see." When she entered the room there
were fortysix little children ranged around the
room each having napkin on its lap. When
Mrs. Pittman entered she noticed that the lady
In charge appeared confused, and, as the sequel
shove, there was just cause for confusion.
Presently servant entered bearing a dishpan
that looked as if it might have been one of the
pair preserved in the ark, and from this
she took slices of bread and placed one
upon the lap Of each child. After
the children had eaten the bread, the
lady said: Now, let those who want any more
hold up their hands Several little hands went
up in half hestating kind of way, and the serv-
and brought the owners each another piece Of
bread. Don't put any butter my bread, y
said ore little innocent as the servant passed out
This request attracted Mrs. Pittman's attention,
and she made an examination of the butter and
found it unfit for use. This was the childrens
garded as certain that their digestive organs
were not overworked before morning But how
Jared the superintendent at his tablet That
night his table contained the following palatable
bill Of fare: Beefsteak, Saratoga potatoes, bis
cult, stewed prunes, maple syrup, peaches and
rich cream, cocoanut cake, and tea and coffee.
If the contrast between these two sunpers fails
to strike anyone as not remarkable, the explana-
ton will doubtless lie in the fact that he was
never child and never went to bed hungry.
a rad hat PC
and Superintendent t2) White on Sunday night,
which shows the genuine grit" of the female
member of the Knightstown board. For several
days during her visit her attention was directed
to a little girl called Josie" who has been sick
for some time, and who is evidently rapidly
sinking with consumption, having had two hem
orrhages recently. On two occasions Mrs. Pitt
man took the little orphan to the superintend-
ents table, and she says that she noticed or
thought she noticed, that the little visitor was
not very cordially received Sunday night she
took little Josie to the table again, and in half
apologetic way said: 'Josie seems to be very
sick. and ! asked her to come to supper with me,
thinking that she might find something that she
remark about the child being as we'll
as any of the others, and Mrs. White said: ''She
is not sick, and could have taken supper with the
other children Hereafter she must take her
meals with them This was too much for Mrs.
Pittman, and taking Josie by the hand she led
her cut of the diningroom. After awhile DR..
White called at her room, and offered her an
apology. She declared that she would not re-
ceive one and while he was talking Mrs. White
and the matron entered. Mrs Pittman received
them coldly, and, in answer to their combined
apologies said: You are mistaken in the pur-
pose for which this house is built 1t Is intend
ed as q home for the children, and are the
servants hired to make home, and not to
make it banqueting hall for the employees "
If GabriePs trump had sounded in the
ears of the company just at that time
they could not have appeared more astonished
The doctrine entirely new; they had never
heard anything like it before That night the
children had for supper cheese and crackers and
ginger cake and this is the diet the sick child
would have had if it had eaten with them. On
the superintendent table was the same kind of
fare that is described above. Speaking Of the in
cident Mrs. Pittman said: 81 have had some
bitter cries, but never cried as 1 did over the
thoughts of poor little Jessie"
On one occasion Mrs. Pittman found four
children suffering from the mumps, and all in
one room with the other children, waiting for
an order to have them taken to the nursery
She very promptly ordered them there herself
saying that the physician would find them earlier
there than in the