The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-01-08
STATE DEAF AND DUMB
Biennial Report of the Institution
at Olathe.
OW IT HAS BEEN RUN

During the Past Year-A Good Show |
ing Made, Apparently.
The biennial report of the State Deaf |
and Dumb institution at Olathe, has been |
presented to the governor.
There is a great cry for water at
Olathe. The trustees in their report say
the water to supply the school must be
brought at great cost from the Kaw
river. distance of fourteen miles, or the
institution moved to some place where it |
can have an ample supply of water.
The legislature is called on to solve |
the water problem.
In his report Superintendent Stewart
says:
There were six pupils in the gradu-
ating class for the year ending June 30,
1894: Margaret Naughton, Burlington,
Coffee county; Edward Hansman, Paola,
Miami county; Katharine Medium, Aus
tin, Neosho county; Bruce Hewitt. Hol-
ton, Jackson county; Grace Mulligan,
bingham, Atchison county; Anthony
Jennings, Fellsburg, Edwards county.
some of the graduates is a shoemaker.
two are printers, one is a dressmaker,
and two are housekeepers. The shoe
maker made the shoes which he wore
commencement day, and should be
prouder of that product of his skill than
find a much better market for shoes
than for essays.
THE attendance for the last biennial
period has been very gratifying. During
the year 1892 the enrolment reached
262, the highest number in the history of
the institution. The record of attend
ance is shown in detail below:
Total enrolment from beginning of institu-
New pupils admitted mi during iS92-'ss ~. AZ AZ
New pupils admitted during 1s93-'94. IS
Total enrolled to June 80. 1894. 732
Total enrolment for the year ending
June 80. 1898: Males, 1876; females, 1876;
total 1852 Average attendance, PA.
Total enrolment for the year ending
June so. 1894: Males, 115; females, 1879;
total, 237. Average attendance, 800
81 am grateful that there have been no
deaths among our pupils during the two
years. In addition to the sickness CON-
mon to such institutions, we had last
spring a siege of measles and mumps;
probably go cases of the former and 20 OF
the latter, with no serious results. Only
one severe accident occurred during the
two years. Roland Huff, a 13-year old
boy, started nutting one Saturday after
noon in October, 1893, having been dis
tiEctly refused permission to do so. AS q
result of his disobedience. he was over
taken and terribly bruised and mangled
| by Santa Fe train. Through the care
and skill of Doctor HammilI and asso-
ciate physicians, the boys life was saved;
| and, while his body will always be dis
figured, his mind seems unimpaired his
health good. and he will resume his
studies next term. The health of officers,
teachers and employees has also been
good. no serious illness having befallen
any of them. This is remarkable
/ record vha0 wa raoalI the fa hat mar
ly 300 people live IN the institution dur
ing nine months of the year. A daily
hospital report has been kept, which may
be consulted by any who are interested
in the details of that record.
"In our Institution, one-third of the
time is spent in the trades We have
carpentry, cabinet making, turning, cary
ing and scroll saving; we have printing.
! harness making, shoemaking and bak-
ing, and it is proposed to add the trade of
barbering. Our boys also get training in
gardening, in the care of lawns. plants,
and flowers The girls have sew
ing and printing, in addition
to painting, drawing, fancy work,
and the usual duties common to home
life, such as dishwashing, care OF rooms,
and limited amount of washing and
ironing.
IAN industrial kitchen is badly needed
where the older girls may learn to do all
kinds of cooking. Such training cannot
/ be successfully given in the work kitch-
/ en-, which prepares food for nearly 80
! people three times day, nor in the bak-
! cry, where the instruction is along the
| line of professional baking. The indus
trial kitchen should be independent
of both these and should seek
to fit our girls for the duties of
home life. 1t need not be an ex-
pensive affair, and its products could all
/ be used in the institution Few deaf
| girls are taught housekeeping at home:
| ten to twelve years of their early lives
are spent here; nothing can be more
! practical, more essential, to lit them for
! Intelligent womanhood; and | hope the
legislature will grant us a small appro-
priation with which to begin this work.
additional machinery is badly needed
in the cabinet shop, printing office, and
shoe shop. This cannot be purchased
with the care and maintenance fund,
| hence we must ask the legislature for
money for that purpose. Fifteen hun
dred dollars could be expended to excel
lent advantage in this way.
THE institution farm, "a miles south
east of Olathe, has not been source of
! much revenue for several years past
being farmed quite indifferently. The
old tenant was dispossessed with some
! difficulty, and the result is, that this
years returns from the farm will equal
if not excel. those of the past five years.
But the farm should be used exclusively
for dairy purposes. Superintendent
Walker time and again called the atten-
ton of the legislature TO this fact We
expended nearly $4,000 last year for but
ter, milk, eggs, poultry and vegetables,
all of which have been produced on this
farm at much less cost. Our milk bill
alone was nearly s., 400.
''During the past year some of the
smaller state institutions have bought
cows with the money usually expended
for milk. furnishing more and better
milk than formerly. without additional
cost This we cannot do until provision
is made for the care of the stock. There