The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-09
THE ORPHAN ASYLUM
FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY TO BE GEL
EBRATED ON MAY 26.
One Thousand Invitations Will BE Is
sued-History of the Asylum
and the Programme.

request that it be filled with as many pen
MES as the giver Is old. OF course this do
nation is not obligatory. but the money
is needed to defray improvement expenses
which have long been needed In the build
ing and which have but recently been put
in.
The Indianapolis Ophan Asylum was or
ganized fifty years ago by Mrs. Jane M.
Morris. Mrs. Caroline Harrison. Mrs. Mary
E. Sheets, Mrs. Rachel Irwin, Mrs. Maria
ID. Willard. Mrs. Josephine b. Holdings
head. Mrs. lane Graydon. Mrs. Lydia Brad
ley. Mrs. Josephine Cressy, Mrs. Anna
Morrison. Mrs. Sarah Underhill. Mrs Dian
tina Dunlap, Mrs. Julia A. Phipps, Mrs.
Elizabeth Butler. Mrs. Catharine Wiley and
Mrs. Ann B. Williams, who also constituted
the first board of managers, and 1t was
called the Widows and Orphans Asylum
of Indianapolis until 1876. when the name
was changed by an act of the Legislature
to its present name.
The first building was located on North
Capitol venue and old Fifth street, but
as the increasing demands needed a larger
building, the present site. the old Butler
University, was rented in 1850 and four
yCaA ~ thC PAOPtAN q -
the board of managers for $4,000. For the
first years the board vas wholly depend
ent upon public charity for the support of
the asylum. but within the last twenty
years the County Commissioners have paid
the board % cents a week for
each child brought into the home.
This, with the interest on two be-
quests left the asylum by Mr.. Ed
win ]. Peck of 10000 and Miss Dauben
speck of $500, besides the several enter
tainments given during the year and con-
tributions from the Honorary Aid Society.
organized by Mr.. w. r. N. Sylvester. sup
ports the institution.
COST LAST YEAR.
Last year 1t took nearly s12,O 600 to run the
institution, of which amount the County
Commissioners contributed ss.64s. Last year.
however. the expenses were unusually
heavy. as the building was equipped with
modern plumbing. which cost the board
$1,000. However, the sanitary conditions
of the institution have been very much i'm
proved. New tiled floors have also been
added to the lower halls and improvements
are constantly being made throughout the
building. Mrs. Austin Morris was the first
president of the Indianapolis Orphan Asy-
lum, elected in 1850, and two of the oldest
members of the board were the late Mrs.
Benjamin Harrison and Mrs. Fred Baggs.
Mrs. Baggs is still one OF its ablest work.
ers. The present president, Mrs. John A.
Bradshaw, Is entering on her seventeenth
year as president, and 1t is mainly owing
to Mrs. Bradshaw's earnest efforts that the
asylum now owns its present property. 1t
was one Of her first acts after being elected
seventeen years ago TO at once purchase
the present location. She has been a men,
Der of the board for the past t~hirty-five
years.
There are now e~ighty-two children in the
orphan asylum, most OF them having been
brought there when they were infants.
They are usually kept until they are twelve
years old, and occasionally until the age
of sixteen. but when they are retained
after twelve years of age they are trained
In some kind of work and are paid wages
by the board OF managers. The children
are well cared for in the institution, and
there is a kindergarten and public school
in connection with IL. Mrs. Dorman David
son. the public school teacher, has been a
teacher there for the past ten years, and
she has become very much attached to the
children. who are nearly always bright,
happy little folks. They are brought to the
home In all sorts of ways. left on the door
step. sometimes in a box, or wrapped in
paper or In a basket-sometimes with
clothes on and as often without. 1t Is a
very common occurrence for one of the at
tendants, or the doorkeeper, to answer a
bell, and on opening the door find a COW
cred basket or parcel with a baby some
times comfortably sleeping or crying loudly
in fact, IL would be a disappointment IL
such things did not occur regularly, and
these little ~foundlings are taken in and
given every care and attention. If they
are deformed I'm any way that a surgical
operation will benefit, 1t is done. If their
eyes need attention. an oculist is consulted
and every two weeks a dentist devotes two
hours a day to looking after the children's
teeth, without charge. The matron, Mrs.
j.. d. Speer, is always interested in the
children's welfare and is a kind mother to
them. Once a month two members of the
board call at the asylum to supply all its
needs and look after the children. The OBJ
ject of the institution is to procure homes
for the foundlings, and Ii is estimated that
not less than $500 homes nave been secured
for children since the orphan asylum was
founded
MORE BOYS THAN GIRLS.
Mrs. Bradshaw always has a good many
| applications for girls, and consequently
there are more boys than girls at the IN
stitution. The boys are also harder to
manage than the girls, and occasionally
in summer they attempt to run away They
sometimes pawn their shoes, or some
clothing. and with the money thus pro.
| cured, they loaf around town for a day OF
so, but invariably return to the asylum
The children are sent to school every day
and those who have passed the grade in the
| asylum school go across the road TO schoo
No. 10. After school every day the girl:
iron for an hour and vie with one another
to see who can iron best and the mos
| pieces. When children are brought to the
| asylum by mothers they must release al
claim to them and when application Ii
made for a child IL must be accompanied
by three recommendations from reliable
| persons. Mrs. Bradshaw finds on an aver
age OF forty-two homes a year for these
foundlings, n almost without exception
these children have been taken into home:
and treated as a daughte or son of thu
house. Mrs. Bradshaw considers IL a grea
| responsibility placing these little children
in homes and she uses the best judgmen
in doing so. She first ascertains who thu
people are and what their standing is an'
whether they are able to give the child
good home before she allows them to adop
the child. Often children are taken on ap
prevail and neary always kept. The infan
department of the asylum is the most ex
p~ensive, on account of the foods and tn,
wants of the babies. Then there is the sec
ond nursery and the hospital and the boys
and girls departments.
On Sundays Sunday school is conducte,
and occasionally the children are take
across the street TO the Baptist Church
They are rather attractive little things
dressed in light blue Bingham dresses, wit
a white 'kerchief around the throat an,
crossed in front and white Normandi
caps.
HAVE A GARDEN.
The boys this year have a vegetable gar
den. which they are taking good care OF
They planted corn. peas, beans. onions
ETC.. early in the spring and they ar
- A.