The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-04

perior educational facilities. The school is
nonsectarian, but daily services are held
morning and evening, and special attention
is given to the study OF the Bible. The agrl-
cultural features are interesting, a goodly
number of the twelve hundred acres be-
longing TO the school being devoted to the
products of the soil. Though a regular
farmer is employed, much OF the work is
done by the students, squads of them, of
twenty members each, working IN the gar
den or orchard every afternoon from ) TO
5. Small fruits and vegetables are plent-
fully raised and in strawberry season the
berries are brought up to the culinary de-
partment by the two-horse wagon load.
A BIG FRUIT ORCHARD.
One hundred and twenty-five acres are
planted in fruit trees, which include an
abundance of the famous pip
pins. over 100 barrels of these apples were
shipped from the school last season, and an
orchard is in course of establishment which,
it is expected, will be a model one in Abe
marie county. Early vegetables are started
In the greenhouse by the thousands, ready
to set out when the weather permits, and,
among other edibles, hams Of a good brand
are raised and cured. Scattered about the
beautiful grounds are rustic seats made by
the students, and at the time of my visit
the boys We're coasting on sleds. the prod
uct of their own hands. In the great room
tc which l was assigned the pretty carved
furniture was the contribution OF the boys,
and the paintings and embroidery or the
girls. Creditable specimens or their work
were exhibited at the worlds fair at chi
cagO and at the Cotton Exposition at At
lanta.
cial attention is paid at the Miller Manual
School. Captain Vawter said: The regu-
lar course of education makes no provision
for him. 1t simply stamps him as a fool
and sends him out. But in a course of
training like this, if he cannot get through
arithmetic, he can get through something
in our industrial course, and some or the
very best results of this schools training
have been on the dull boy. L suppose L
could point to fifty who would have been
stamped as fools by other schools, who
afterward developed a great deal of mental
activity ana are a great success to-day IN
the special lines they have trained In. We
also believe that there is always hope for
the bad boy. One fellow whom L expelled
from school turned ont a fine man, and l
afterward invited him back to hold a pro-
fessorship.
81 don't believe any school can show a
larger proportion of pupils who are to-day
making a success in life. Perhaps the best
chemist in Virginia is a former Miller Man
ual boy. He was made a fellow of the
Society of Chemists of London recently.
Many Of our boys go TO universities from
here. One of them was afterward gradu-
ated at Brown University, and is now with
the Edison electric works. One boy is now
a professor OF chemistry in the University
OF New Mexico: another is in the United
States navy, and was with Dewey at Ma
Mia. one is president of a railroad in New
Mexico, and another, who at school was
not at all a lover of books, is receiving
ten thousand a year as manager of iron
furnaces in Nova Scotia. Many are doc
tors. lawyers. physicians and ministers.
Perhaps our best record concerns the man.
ager of the Texas division of the American
Cotton Company, who is also the inventor
of the cylindrical cotton press.
1T must be remembered that none of
these boys would have had any opportunity
of becoming anything higher than unedu-
Gated workmen. and now they are educated.
refined gentlemen. The five hundred boys
who have gone from us. who are in trades
and professions the foundations of which
were laid while they were here. are re-
ceiving over $4,000 annually. which is over
S225. 600 in excess Of what they in all prob
ability would have received had they never
had the benefits of this school. while their
moral and intellectual training has made
of them valuable citizens. Our girls have
also done well. Number are married and
living in comfortable homes. while others
are engaged in teaching and other female
pursuits. Only CHILDREN residents of Abe
marie county, and between the ages of ten
and fourteen can be admitted TO the school.
and when admitted the institution is re-
sponsible for their entire support. / can
conceive OF no better way of doing good
School. II works on the most hopeful ma
terial that the country has. the healthfuI
children OF the poor; rich material that
would have no other chance in life, and.
therefore. is clear gain
AN EFFICIENT SUPERINTENDENT.
/ noticed that there was nothing of the
| dependent in the manners of these bright
! girls and boys. which speaks well for their