The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-09-14
A Southern Presbyterian Orphanage.
BY REV. wM. z. JACOBS, D. D.

at the Thornwell Orphanage, Clinton, S.
O., to solve the problem of denomina-
tional education Of the deserving and
needy orphans Of the Church. The ex-
perience of workers here may be inter
eeting to others and leads to the penniDg
of this article.
The Thornwell Orphanage is located
in the village of Clinton, South Carolina,
at the junction of three railways. The
town is quite small, only 1900 in
habitants, but is distinguished as q moral
and orderly place, With emf reed prohi-
bition and with all facilities of pest
office, express, bank, business houses and
so forth, needed for the temporal conven'
ience of such an establishment.
Here, also, is a Presbyterian Church,
whose pastor and officers originated and
have successfully directed the affairs of
the orphanage, though now they have
asked the three Synods of Georgia,
South Carolina and Florida to accept the
protectorate of it, and this these Synods
have done.
The foundation doc!rineo of the insti-
tuition from its incipiency were these:
It's doors should open to receive or.
phans only, and these must be truthful,
honest, teachable, and without such
physical taint as to destroy their ability
to study, but there was no limit as to 10
cality or denomination. There are now
in the institutions orphans from Massa-
chusetts to Texas.
These orphans should come as to other
schools, for their own good only, and
hence no legal surrender was required
from relatives or guardians, and no re-
sponsibility assumed for their future, On
leaving the orphanage. They must
needs be poor orphans, as none were to
be received who could possibly be pro-
vided for in any other school.
They were received to be educated
thoroughly. Their education was the
motif of the institution. This education
has three-fold direction. Great care is
taken of them spiritually. They are
taught the Word, the catechisms of the
Church, the history and doctrines of
Christ; they are taken regularly to all
the church services Of The local church,
including the Sabbath school and prayer.
meeting, and have daily chapel services
of their own. Their intellectual deyel-
opment is carefully watched. Instruc.
tion begins with the alphabet, and is
maintained through eight grades, repre-
senting as many years, until the pupils
are ready for further advancement. All
f,irls who are proficient enter the semi.
nary course, aud there are occupied four
years, graduating with diploma that
entities them to position as 6rst-grade
teachers in this State. For the brighter
boys seeking an education, there are
scholarships in the Presbyterian College
located in Clinton. So that no deserving
and studious orphan entering the Thorn
we'll Orphanage need fail Of collegiate
education.
The manual or technical training of
pupils is also subject of satisfactory ex-
pertinent. Here the secret of successful
manual labor was found TO be in making
the comfort and success of the establish
ment depend upon the work of its in.
mates. For instance, the girls are not
simply taught to cuok, wash or iron, they
do ell of such things as are done, for no
servants are allowed If these things are
not we'll done, The whole establishment
Will suffer. The, /, Ire they must be well
done. 1t is the same way'in the farm,
the garden, the dairy, the fuel depart
ment, the printing Office, the sewing
room. Every orphan is required to take
four-hour's stretch every morning in
manual training, and the same every
afternoon in intellectual culture.
The orphanage is now.in its seventeenth
year. It began with half q dollar and
eight orphans. But it has found friends
to help it. Its hundred orphans are
divided into families, they are families,
each with its own family life. The Gin
stitution lookn is abolished. The chill.
dren are not Glass" they are simply
children, bright, happy, studious, indus
trious children.
How were all these ten granite and FIVE
wooden buildings erected? Mainly by
little gifts, though not only. A noble
Christian lady in Chicago (whose name
is q household word), built two of the
cottages; the tower clock strikes in loving
remembrance of 8 little California girl
the library building is the memorial gift
of an unknown Virginia friend. The
Technical school, now in process of con.
structiou, is to be built of memorial doors
and windows, and bricks and tiles and
ROOMS. The workers are building as the
days 60 by, looking to God to give the
means, and go were the most of these
houses built, and so arc these orphans
maintained and clothed and educated.
No financial agent is sent out in the
field. The President makes personal ap'
peal to nobody. Visitors coming to the
institution see no contribution boxes
handed, aud are not allowed to have the
propriety of gilt suggested to them.
The cause speaks for itself, through the
press only.-N. Y Erprcss
4 Summer Without Nights.
To the summer visitor in Sweden there