The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-25
INDIANA CHILDREN'S HOMES.
How the Pauper Children of the State Are
Cared for in Homes Provided for Them.


| more humane. as we'll as moro economical, TO
educate these children to be honest self-support
ing citizens, than to educate and maintain them
as paupers or as criminals 1t was Gods thought,
interpreted by good men and good women, that
produced our Soldiers Orphans Home, and
through the same medium, extending on and
| down, established homes for pauper children.
When the history of brighter days for these hap
less little ones is read inwoven with it will APP
pear the chldrens advocate and friend, Miss
Susan Fussel. The first home for pauper chill
dren In this State was organized in 1879 at
| Rushville, in Rush county. The Commissioners
gave to Miss Jennie Huddleson, at her earest re-
| quest, all children in the county asylum. She
agreed, for 20 cents per day--the estimated cost
| to the county-to feed, clothe and send to the
| public school, all who were of proper age. The
| following year the Commissioners of Henry
county gave their children TO Miss Fussel, locat
| ing the home at Spceland. The success of
! these homes was beyond expectation. and the
| change wrought in morals and in manners was
| surprising. The theory had practical test dur
| ing eighteen months Convinced that county
homes were the best provision that could be
made for homeless children, where they
would be secure from injurious influences
number of prominent citizens of Rush Henry
| and Marion counties united in urging the Legis-
| lature to pass bill authorizing County Commits
| sioners to establish such homes. The bill was
prepared and presented by Mr. George Merritt,
and 10 entitled San act to provide more effectu-
ally for the care, support and education of pau.
per children. repeating all laws in conflict there
with, and declaring an emergency" Under this
| act the Board Of Commissioners of each county
| in the State, having pauper children of sound
mind and between the ages of two and sixteen
years, are authorized and directed to appoint as
matron woman of good moral char
having experience in the care and
training of children. and to place IN her care all
children that may be- at that time in, or who
may be after that time received into such county
asylum. 1t shall be the duty of the marron to
provide the children committed to her care with
sufficient food and clothing, and to give them
proper home training and education. She must
send to the public school all children while under
her care, are of the proper age to be admitted,
and at proper times, when not in school nor en-
gagged in study, to employ them in some active
labor to the end that they may become useful
industrious and self-supporting citizens. Ma
irons to receive not less than twenty-h
nor more than 80 cents per DAY for
each child committed to her care A good
house, grounds for garden and a cow may be pro-
vided by the Commissioners. If the number of
such children in the county exceeds twenty and
| if in the judgment of the Board of Commission
ers it should be thought to be to the advantage of
such children, other homes may be established
With the consent Of the Commissioners perma-
nent homes may be procured within the county
A person proposing to take child must be
known to be of good moral character and one
who is able to provide for 1t. He must enter an
agreement to do to and for the child until of
| legal age all that is required OF the mat
ron. On failure the child reverts to the
home visitors committee to serve without
compensation may be appointed 1t is their
duty to visit the home often. and reporc to the
Commissioners any failure or neglect on the part
| of the matron. School books, medical attention
medicines and in cases of death burial are pro-
vided by the county. Such, in substance is the
| law as passed in 1881 Under its provision th,r.
faan fNF tab fwnr
| lums are in successful operation. 1t has been
my privilege to visit several of these homes, and
| to correspond with others Organized on the
same general plan. they differ only as homes diff
fer. The matrons as mothers carrying out their
own ideas of home government and home in
struction. A thorough knowledge of housework
will be thought by some to be an indispensable
part of every girls education. and especial atten-
ton will be given to washing and ironing and to
cooking in its various branches In such cases
it is necessary to employ seamstress to do the
bulk of the sewing Sometimes cook is hired
and the sewing is done in the home All ex-
penses, except such as are provided for by law
borne by the matron. The careful mother
who considers an afternoon nap essential to the
health and comfort of the little ones, will find
her counterpart in the homes. During recent
visit we saw all the younger members
of family of fortyfour on pallets
fast asleep. Their midday meal was
over. and according to custom, they were taxing
nap The baby, awakening, started to his
knew instinctiveiy to whom he should GO, and
knew that the cure for bruised head was in the
foster mothers kiss. A little girl who had few
weeks before been rescued from tramps, and
who was, as the matron expressed it, starving
for some one to love her. was bright and happy
in her new found sympathy. The presence of
bouquets of freshly-gathered flowers for the ma
tron and her guests solved the mystery of fur
tie things tell truly of childish faith
of the yearnings of the young heart
and its overflow in little acts
of love. With, perhaps. one exception, the
grounds and buildings occupied as homes are
owned by their respective counties. Rush county
has purchased ground, and purposes building |
this year. The number of children in this home |
twenty eight They attend the public school, |
and have kindergarten for the little ones. |
Henry county has seven acres of ground por |
ton of which is cultivated by the boys under the
supervision of the matrou. The dwelling is of
brick. plain and substantial Children attend
public school. and have kindergarten There are |
thrty-two children here. Franklin county home
organized in 1882. with eleven inmates
The present number, twenty nine, eighteen of |
whom attend the public school; no kindergarten.
Hamilton county has thirtytwo children; Glib |
son county has hfteen all attend public school. |
Montgomery county has twenty children. The
home is very much crowded; room for kinder |
garten children who are old enough to go to pub |
lie school. Decatur county has forty four chill |
dren; older ones attend public school and kin |
dergarten for younger children. This home is |
beautifully located. There are five acres of |
ground under cultivation, rented on shares !
Fruit is abundant Delaware county home was |
organized in 1888 1t has ten acres of ground. |
plenty of fruit and a good garden; schools are |
not accessible on account of distance, |
and private teachers are employed.
There twenty-five children in this
home. Vanderburg county home; at Evansville |
was formerly supported by donations from city
and county. Under the new law it became a
county home The house is large and con-
venient with good grounds just outside the
city limits. This home has two matrons and
seventy five children. All of suitable age at
tend the public schools The Northern Indiana
Orphans Home receives the children from ST.
Joseph county. Children from Marion County
Asylum now admitted to the Indianapolis
Orphan Asylum, the Commissioners paying %
cents per daY for each child sent by them. The