Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-07-21
Pupils of the State School For
Blind All Want to Take
Up Its Study
NETTING MOST POPULAR TRADE
Report Of Superintendent r. F. Mccune
to the Board of Control Contains
Some Interesting information Rela-
tive to the School for the Blind at
Vinton.
Special to Times Republican.


Des 6ioines, July 21.-Music is by far
the most popular branch OF study with
the pupils of the state school for the
blind at Vinton and netting the most
popular trade according to the annual
report Of Superintendent n. f. McCune,
submitted to the state board of control
pupils enrolled in the school 116 are
studying piano and 50 are learning to
net
Music is one thing which all can en-
joy and in some cases can turn to Pc
cuniary profit. There lis class Of
twenty-eight in piano tuning at the
state school and In some cases the pu-
pills are able to keep places in orches-
tras. But music fills in the life of
the blind place that nothing else can.
In the eternal night harmony can
take the place of the views of the out
side world, of the theater, the sports
Of the fields. and hundred forms of
amusement and Improvement which
make life a joy for the normal man.
The state at its institute owns a large
number of pianos. Instruction is Civ
en- on all kinds of musical instruments
and in vocal music. There is a first
class pipe organ for study of which
four pupils of the school were last year
sufficiently advanced. The pupils in
the various musical branches are as
follows: Piano. 116; vocal, %; har-
mony, 10; organ, 4; violin. co. guitar,
9; flute, 8; cornet 3; trombone, j; point
music. Al; staff notation. 81; double
base, 8: mandolin, l; tuning, 2S.
In the gainful occupations netting
claims 9S pupils: bloom making, %:
fancy work, "a; sewing, %; bead work,
is; and carpet weaving. Is. Those who
learn netting can find work in ham
mock making and in the manufacture
of fly nets, which are the principal
uses for this trade. Broom making is
one of the most important trades for
the blind. The state has had several
pupils in the broom making department
over 40 years of age. AS the law adj
mits anyone who may be helped such
people can be admitted to learn trade.
The school during the past year has
had 1s5 pulpis, 1o1 males and 81 fe-
males OF these SO were admitted for
graduated and the average daily at
tedance in the school has been 1879
The total expense for the general
support of the school to the state nas
been $3s,456.64. The principal items OIL
expense were: Wages and salaries,
$13.o1e.67; provisions, S7.7o6.10; fuel
and lighting, $4,ss5.4s; shop. farm and
garden, $S,730.74: household stores. s3.-
2S4.o7: general repairs, s2.410. The
smallest item of stipulated expense in
the report, is that of the library for
which s2345 was expended. For ex-
traordinary repairs s1.92eO3, was spent
and for equipment, s5s452. The state
has put very little into improvements
at this school I'm the year just closed
The school has the smallest income
from It's own products Of any of the
state institutions under the board of
control.
It possesses only forty acres OF land,
and this seldom raises more than 4.
consumes In the susterance of thu.
pupils. The milk cows are pastured oil,
this land and a few hogs are raised.
There IL occasionally a bunch of the
latter to sell. The sundry sales of the
school for the past year amounted to
$199S.c7