The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-12-10
A Visit to the Thornwell Orphanage.

\The orphanage is located ct Clinton,
q pleasart and rapidly growing town in
Laurens County, S. c., through which
three RAILROADS pass The most impor-
tant of the &rec roads leaves our own
State at Mouros and will be completed
to Atlanta, Ca, before the opening of
the new year. 1t iAa we'll constructed
road, evidently intended for rapid tran
sit and heavy transportatiop,
The orphanage was founded in lS75'
by the Presbyterian Church of Clinton
led forward in the enterprise by that
wise and indefatigable worker, Rev. w.
P. Jacobs, D. D., then the young pastot
of the church, and who is still pastor
of the church and president of the or
pbanage, too. The buildings, eight in
number, stand in a beautiful grove of
medium sized trees and on plain almost
level, just inclination enough to make
drainage easy. The ground is covered
with native grasses, and intersected with
clean sandy walks. The buildings diff
fer one from another in architecture and
materials of construction, but all are of
the most substantial kind. Some are
built of granite, one of quartz, and others
of concrete. The last makes an ex-
ceediDgly strong wall being composed of
stones of every conceivable shape held
together by liberal supply of lime NOR
tar. Where the materials are conven-
lent this makes a cheap kind of building.
The new domitory building of the Pres.
byterian College of South Carolina, now
in process of erection, is of this material.
This college, manned by energetic and
enterprising young men, occupies grounds
near the orphanage.
The buildings of the orphanage are not
crowded together, but separated by in
tervals of various lengths, in some cases
1 would suppose by hundred yards or
more. Everything is arranged with ref.
erence to health and convenience. There
is no crowding anywhere, or of anything.
The chapel and school rooms occupy one
building. The kitchen, provision room.
dairy and laundry third, and the print
ting Office a fourth. The four remaining
buildings are occupied by the children,
matron having charge of each cot
tage.
The children are divided according to
sex and sge. Boys over IL years old
occupying one cottage, and those under
that age another the girls observing a
like arrangement. All meet in the
dining hall, the chapel and school rooms,
but the inmates of different cottages do
not play together, or visit each other
without permission. Each cottage has
its own parlor, sitting room, guest cham
ber, study room, bath room, &C., in other
er words is arranged not only for the
comfort and convenience Of its regular
inmates, but also of friends visiting the
institution.
The dining hall deserves special men.
ton, being the most admirable one L
ever saw anywhere. A system of three
tiers of transoms on three sides, and run.
ming their whole length, gives light and
ventilation. When the transoms are
thrown in horizontal position. viii ch
can be done in a moment, there is moth
ing to obstruct breeze from any of
these points of the compass. On the
fourth side are rooms for receiving the
cooked food from the kitchen Oh the
floor below, and washing the dishes and
shelving them. So perfect was the ar
raugement of the room, and 80 neat and
orderly the management of it, that there
is no use for fly brush ofany kind, for
there are no flies there. Before seeing
it do not think I could have believed
that there could be dining room in
this latitude in daily use by more than
hundred peraops, entirely free from the
annoyance of the flies in the month of
June.
Tie laundry is a two story concrete
building, in which the lower floor is oc.
cupied by rooms for drying the clothes
in damp weather and for ironing. The
washing is done on the second floor.
The water is supplied by tank still
more elevated, which is filled by pump
operated by wind mill. By asystem Of
pipes water is supplied from two pumps
to all the buildings needing it. The
ninth building-two stories-for library
and reading room, is in process of erec-
tion-the material, granite and coucrete
Materials are collecting, too, for an ad-
ditional cottage, to be built by Georgia
funds, and to be occupied by orphan
children.
But the most admirable part OF the
institution is the living part. One hun
dred fatherless children are fed, clothed
carefully taught and prayerfully guided
there. The moral tone Of the institution
and social standing of the inmates art
the highest. These are secured by pru-
dence in the reception of the children
and great wisdom and the untiring car
in training them after their reception
No child is there who is not of legiti
mate parenlage, whose mother did no
; lead reputable life and whose fathe
is not known to be dead. Mr.. Jacob
tells me that the same is true of both
Surgeons and Muller's orphanages q
he learned himself from the lips of tn
illustrious serv.-nts of God and benefac
tors of their race. If an unworthy chill
gains admittauce, aud proves irrespon-
sive to good training and injurious to hi
t companions, he is quietly retired. Dl
Jacobs moves among the children as
3 nru1ant aud 6ffectionate father. TEt