The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-28
FOR THE POOR CHILDREN
SOMETHING ABOUT THE GIRLS IN
DUsTRIAL SCHOOL OF THIS CITY.
1t Was Started by Mrs. Frank a. Blan-
chard About Ten Years Ago
Its Present Condition.

H
One of the most practical icharity or
CARNATIONS in the city is the Girls In
dustrial School of Indianapolis. This school
for poor children between the ages of six
and fifteen has been in existence almost
ten years and yet but comparatively few
of the citizens of Indianapolis have any
idea of the work that has been accom-
plished in these years and OF the struggle
IL has been TO keep the school together.
About ten years ago Mrs. Frank A. Blach-
ard started a little sewing class for poor
children out East Was hington street,
near the L.. L. & w. offices. 1t began to
grow steadily and before she was aware
of it she had ffty-two pupils, who came to
her regularly for their lesson Satur-
day. She soon recognized the need of
larger room and applied to Major Mitchell,
who was prosecuting attorney. He donated
the use Of his rooms in the courthouse,
and within three months Mrs. Blanchard
had a school of over IT'S scholars, together
with fifteen teachers whom she had inter-
ested in the charity.
At this time the constitution and by
laws of the Girls Industrial School was
| Mr.. Denny was mayor he gave the use of
] the City Hall to the school. when not
otherwise engaged, and there is now an en-
rollment of over eight hundred pupils who
go TO Tomlinson Hall every Saturday after
noon. and there are 127 teachers.
THE TEACHERS.
The women who teach all these poor little
| children give their time gratis and visit
the homes of the children of their classes,
so that they are familiar with the home life
Of the child, and only children who are not
| able to pay for their lessons are taken
| into the classes. Each teacher has six
| pupils and the latter are all districted &C
| cording to the part of the city they live
| in. When the teacher visits the homes Of
| these children, they report any cases of
| sickness and persons in the families Wis
| tied out of employment to the superintend-
/ ent, who takes charge, seeks employment
for the unemployed and sees that the pa
/ tient is given the proper care. In this way
| the school is not only of immense value
| to the pupil, but 1t results in the uplifting
| of the whole family.
| The children are taught sewing, neat
ness, grammar, politeness and receive
| moral training as we'll and the molding
| of character in this Girls Industrial
School follows the pupils through life. The
| only way, the managers say, to have good
citizens is to begin with the children. The
| reformatories the resuce mission can
| not do this, for after a person reaches
certain age Ii is almost impossible to
| to the Board of the Girls Industrial
School, on an appeal from the Girls Re-
formatory during the last Legislature, to
have that penal institution changed in
name to the Industrial School for Girls,
and the mail for both institutions is being
constantly mixed up on that account. The
xl@st aha IN
| at the next meeting of the Legislature.
| as the pupils who belong to the Girls In
dustrial School, are all good, honest girls
| and cannot be classed with the inmates Of
| the RerormatOry.
THE INFANT DEPARTMENT.
The infant department of the Girls In
dustrial School is composed of children
| six years of age, who are kept in one class,
| learning one stitch, for year, at the end
| of which time they able to handle a
| needle properly, wear thimble and tie
proper knot. From this first class they
are promoted to ten models. which en-
braces all the stitches required in sewing
Every teacher and officer in the school is
required to go through this course also
| before they are allowed to teach the chill
| dren. Sometimes the children are given
| quilt blocks, which they overland and put
| together, and there has been many as
L
noon at the school. These quilts when COM
pleted are sold for 81 each and comforts,
which are also made from the scraps of
outing flannel, sell for s1.50. Twenty-Five
dollars was realized last year from the sale
of the quilts. which goes to the treasury
fund. So that the children may not feel
that they are altogether charity pupils
they are each one given garment to make
and, when completed, they pay five cents
for ii. They make five garments during
the school year. each one of which goes be-
fore the inspection committee before ii is
allowed to go out of the school. The chill
dren bring one penny at time until they
have brought five, after which the garment
is theirs. From these garments the child's
standing is marked and at the end of the
year prizes are given for the best sewing.
| When the standing of the pupil averages
eighty they are given a Bingham dress to
make. They are promoted to the dress
making class after they have acquired all
the various stitches in sewing and are
taught the art of drafting, cutting and fit
ting model, and, are given a wooden
dress to make. lined throughout. For their
diploma, at the commencement exercises
they are given model by which to do their
cutting.
THE YEARLY PRIZE.
The secretary of the school keeps the
enrollement of teachers and scholars
throughout the year. and those pupils who
are not absent during the year receive a
book at the close of the school. Last year
there were 1877 children who never missed
a day, but came during all sorts of weather,
thinly clad. from the remote parts of the
city - Brightwood, Haughville, West In
dianapolis, North Indianapolis and IT.
vington. This year, the last Sat-
urday in May there will be nineteen
girls graduate. and they will wear dresses
made entirely by themselves. When the
pupils graduate Mrs. Blanchard thinks il
her duty to find employment for them.
There are some working in families, doing
the mending and plain sewing. while others
are in millinery or dressmaking shops.
Very often the school is shifted from
Tomlinson Hail. when 1t is engaged on Sat
| urday, to the courthouse. This is loss of
time and money, and the women are very
| DESTROYS that a permanent home be found
| for the school. Mrs. Blanchard said yes
terday that she has been so discouraged
about the school that she thought of giving
it up several times. People would not be-
come interested in ii, except the people who
have helped 1t during the last ten years
| and she finally came to the conclusion that
she could not devote another five or ten
| years to the cause before citizens would