The Indianapolis journal., 1896-09-06
THE NEGLECTED WAITS
WORK OF BOARD OF CHILDREN,s
GUARDIANS HOME.
Little Nellie Black, Whose Grand
father Found Her. Sends Her
Friends Orange blossoms.

A recent visit to the Board of Children's
Guardians Home for Children developed
some interesting facts. The work of the
institution is carried on under very sys-
tematic arrangements. The first work of
the kind was simply done as venture
The home was at various places in the city;
but finally, three years ago, it was estab-
ished at the extreme eastern end of the
Virginia avenue and Prospect-street car
line. Rev. Mr.. Hyde, Mr.. Frank Flanner,
Mr. Charles Coffin, Mrs. Anna Reaume,
Mrs. Henry Severin and Mrs. Julia Good
hart comprise the members of the board
The object of the institution is to give
neglected children of the county a home
both in word and spirit. The board en-
ploys an agent to place the children in
homes and look after them after they have
been taken. If they are not cared for prop
erly and sent to school, the home takes
them back again. An officer is employed to
look up the cases of neglected children and
report them to the board. An attorney is
provided by the board who tries the cases.
and all decisions are made by the Circuit
Judge. The parents, relatives or guardians
of the little waits reported are given op-
portunity to defend themselves, and if
they prove themselves capable of car
ing for the children they are allowed to
keep them.
A regular teacher, Miss Carroll, is sup
piled by the school board. She stays at the
home and teaches the children in their
own school room. The home is q large
two-story brick building, built substantial
ly, containing fourteen rooms and heated
by steam furnace with natural gas for
lights. The walls are painted in light col
ors. Mrs. Josephine Purcell, the matron,
led the way to the parlor, a pretty room,
frightened by large vase of flowers, an
open piano, and two or three paintings on
the walls. From this room double doors
open to the school-room. Across from this
is the nursery. while just beyond them both
is the dining room. Separate play grounds
are provided for the boys and girls of the
home with plenty of shade, swings and all
sorts of toys to play with They have nu-
merous holidays chief among them being,
in the summer time, the fresh-air missions
to Fairview Park.
AT present there are forty-one Children
in the home, ranging in ages from four
months to eighteen years The girls are
taught housework, and, since the home
owns no land, the boys obtain positions in
stores while not in school. Two of them
are now in the New York store one in the
cash department and one in the wrapping
room.
THE children are found in all sorts of
conditions and in all sorts of out t-of-tile-
way places said the matron. 1--WE take
them up the back stairs and battle them
thoroughly, wash and comb them and dress
them in clean clothing before we bring
them down among the other children. This
prevents embarrassment, as most children
are sensitive. Some of them have never
hot tnt l.
it, but after having once enjoyed the pleas
ing experience they are always anxious to
repeat it. That little one' pointing to a
child about three years old. lying asleep
on a couch, had one of the worst tempers
ever when she first came here, all
due to her vicious surroundings. Tender
care and cheerful companions have made
her different child. 1t is remarkable what
a complete transformation home-like en-
vironments will produce. The children.
their needs and requirements become a part
of myself. L follow them as they leave the
home"
She then showed a letter from little
Nellie Black, whose grandfather, Dr.
Pfenigar, of California, recently found her
at the home and who took her to live
with him. The child is happy, and sent
some large punches of orange blossoms and
leaves with some seamoss to her little
friends. Dr. Prenigar has promised to re-
member the home in some substantial way
after the sale of some of his property In
many instances relatives of the children are
found who are amply able TO care for them
and who willing to do so If the home
will legally transfer them
sIt has been my experience continued
the matron, Ito have the most trouble with
the worthless parents or guardians from
whom take the children. They annoy
us continually, and in hundred different
ways. 1t is for this reason that well-to-do
relatives are chary of taking the children
of wretched parents
A look through the five dormitories up
stairs revealed clean, neat white beds and
dainty cradles Down stairs in the school
room a dozen strong, heaithy-looking boys
and girls were playing school," turning
picture books and laughing as if each OF
them was innocent of history in miser-
able surroundings. Since the work of the
home is constantly increasing there is
great need for more house room, besides
grounds, where the kitchen vegetables
could be raised.
til.