Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-17
FEELING THEIR WAY.
The Pittsburg Blind Asylum to be
Started in Rented Quarters.
TEACHERS TO BE HIRED AT ONCE.
Mrs. Schenley Still Depended Upon for
Permanent Site.
THIRTY PUPILS AWAITING ADMISSION

The Pittsburg Blind Asylum ID now m
assured thing. For the past two months or
more II has been generally thought that tho
proposed institution had been done for by
tho action OF Chief Bigelow, Of the Depart
ment Of Public Works, who opposed the site
given for the location Of the school build
Ingg, The matter has been dormant 80 long
that II became o popular belief II had been
put TO Its last sleep. New lie was Infused
into the scheme yesterday, and 1t 10 only q
matter OF six or seven weeks until the insti-
tuition IL started.
A meeting oi the Board OF Directors OF
the institute was held. yesterday afternoon.
In the parlors Of the Y. NJ. @. A. The mem
bers present were A. M. Marshall, George
w. Dilworth, Colonel w. A. Heron, DR..
John G. Brown, d. D.; Benjamin Thaw,
Harold Peirce and Percy II. Smith, MeSsrs.
II. X. Porter and J. M. Schoonmaker being
out Of the city. After the transaction Of
routine business and considerable discus
ron on the outlook OF the scheme, Mr..
Benjamin Shaw moved that the Executive
Committee In conjunction with DR.. j. q.
Brown be empowered to go ahead and
SECURE A BUILDING,
and open the school at once. The members
of the committee were instructed to rent a
good building and employ suitable teachers.
The motion was unanimously adopted. 1t
was stated that temporary building could
be secured and fitted up at little cost, and
the school could be opened September l
with the beginning OF the regular school
vaar Mascro nilxvorth Pnrfnr and RrOwn
will begin at once the work OF securing
suitable building and the employment Of
teachers.
Major A. NJ. Brown was reelected coun-
sci for the ensuing year. A bylaw was
adopted directing the Chairman to appoint
an auditing committee of three members to
audit the accounts of the Treasurer and other
officers for presentation to the corporators and
directors meetings annually. The chairman
appointed Messrs. George w. Dilworth, Will
lam A. Heron and H. K. Porter as the Ex-
ecutive Committee for the ensuing year.
TO FILL A LoNG-FELT WANT.
After the meeting Percy F. Smith, Secretary
of the Board of Directors, said: "The long
cherished want for an institution for the edu-
cation of Pittsburg's blind will now be filled.
We have been waiting to hear from Mrs.
Schenley regarding the gift of ten acres OF
ground for the location of our institute, and
her first offer, we feel certain she VIII
give us a piece of ground. At meeting
of the board on April 10. plan was presented
for the Forbes street site in Mrs. Schenleys
handwriting 1t was marked as being gift
from Mary E. Schenley to the Western Penn
sylvania Institute for the Blind. She SAID she
would or had given us le acres and 70 perches
of ground located on Forbes street at the
entia ance into Schenley Park. At the same meet
ing Colonel Heron read a personal letter to
him. In which Mrs Schenley stated her heart
hn fnr n
ground would be sent her as soon as possible
so she could sign and send 1t back to Pittsburg.
The Secretary was instructed to thank her and
have the resolutions engrossed, whlch was
done. Since then we have had no communica-
tion with her. 1t has been since stated IN the
newspapers that she had Withdrawn her offer;
but we have had no notice OF 1t. Colonel
Heron and other personal friends still adhere
to the belief that Mrs Schenley will give us a
piece of land. If it is not at the park entrance
1t will be somewhere else. have no idea
Is no doubt at all but new deed was sent over
to her. but she did not notify us that she had
changed her mind.
TO BE OPENED SOON.
1--WE want to have the school opened by Sep
tember ], and think it can be done. There
are about 70 or 80 blind children in this city at
present and we will probably get some Of them.
We don't need large house to begin with, but
will get place where everything Is comfort
able and homelike. The action OF the board
meets with the hearty approval Of the State
Board of Charities"
1t is stated upon good authority that the
ground to be given by Mrs. Schenley Will be
part of the large tract right back of the Belle
held Church, on Belefieid avenue. The church
is located on the left-hand side of Fifth avenue
going out and the 10 acres are considerable
distance from the park. This location meets
the approval of Chief Bigelow, who will be
satisfied with the school buildings If kept
away from the park entrance.