Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-09-25
LO6a|NG FOR
BLIND CHILDREN
To Place in Insti-
tute at Alamo
gordo.
NOW READY TO RECEIVE
S. G. Gill, Who Can Not
See, Energetic Superin.
tendent.

Superintendent s. II. Gill, of the
New Mexico Institute for the Blind
at Alamogorio, arrived in the city
last evening. He Is travelling over
the territory to secure blind children
for the institute. Children with de-
fective sight are also eligible and TAX
en- to be given an education at the Ia.
stitute. Mr. Gill is 95 years of age
and has been totally blind for about
fifteen years. He is native of Ten
nessee and was educated in the pub
lie and high schools of Nashville in
that state He has devoted himself
to educational work for the blind for
the past ten years and during that
time was attached to the Tennessee
Institute for the Blind, located also
in Nashville.
Can Care For Forty Pupils and More
Wanted.
The institute at Alamogordo has
comfortable accommodation for forty
pupils between the ages of five and
twenty-one years. There are now but
four in attendance and Superintendent
Gill is>~very anxious to procure, ii
they can be had, the full number
which the school is able to accOmmO-
date. According to Professor Crab
men Bell census expert, there are in
New Mexico at this time about 45O
blind people of all ages of which
about 100 are of school age. These
and their parents Mr. Gill is especially
anxious to reach, and hence his pres
ent tour through the Territory. He
is so used to getting about alone that
he travels without an attendant.
When he reaches town, he procures
the services of boy to go around
with him. He came to Santa Fe from
Albuquerque. He spent Sunday in
the latter city and secured three chill.
dren for the school. These children
have already gone to Alamogordo and
were taken in charge by Sheriff A. B.
Phillips of Otero County. They
reached the institute safely. Mr..
Gill expects to be in this city until
noon tomorrow, when he will leave for
Estancia. He hopes that parents IN
this city who have blihd children will
call upon him and arrange to turn the
youngsters over to him so that he
may either take them with him or
send them to Alamogordo.
The institute is fully equipped and
well furnished. Every modern con-
venience and every facility for the
comfort of the pupils have been pro-
vided and accommodations are ample
for the number given above, namely,
forty.
Those Who Care For Pupils and Their
Experience.
In addition to himself, there are
matron, Miss Butler, of Tennessee,
and a teacher, Miss Keebler from
Overbrook, Pennsylvania. These
teachers have had ample experience
in the duties which they are to per-
form. The following will be taught in
the Institute to the children: A regu.
lar public school course of study; vO-
cal and instrumental music; hand.
craft work both for boys and girls;
the boys will be taught broom MAX
ing, chair Gaming, mattress making
and basket making. The girls will
be taught to sew by hand and ma
chine, to crochet, knit and to do other
fancy work with raffia beads, etc. All
the children will be taught to take
care of their own rooms and keep
themselves clean and neat. Healthy,
nourishing food will be provided and
comfortable clothing will also be fur.
nished the children. Only the chill
dren Of well-to-do parents who can af-
ford it, will be required to pay the
cost of actual maintenance.
The grounds upon which the insti-
tute is situated are about mile from
the court house at Alamogordo. They
consist Of twenty acres of fine land
upon which fruit trees will be put out
in due course of time. The grounds
are now being fenced and within a
few years will present very hand
some appearance. Superintendent Gill
is especially desirous of getting in
touch with teachers and educators in
order that they may aid him in Sc.
curing childrn who need attendance
at the Institute for the Blind. He
also wishes to impress upon them
and their parents that attendance at
the Institute will be Of the greatest
benefit to children who are partially
blind or whose eyes are too weak to
be Of use in study. They will be
taught to read by touch. This will
save them their eye sight and will
enable them to pursue any study they
desire, nevertheless. 1t is not hard
to learn to read by touch, especially
for persons between the ages of five
and twenty-one. Miss Butler, the
matron, who has perfect sight, shuts
her eyes and reads by touch.
Mr.. Gill viii 90 in Search Of Pupils.
Mr.. Gill expects to travel for some
little time in order to secure pupils
He does not know exactly whicn
places he will visit next This de-
pends upon news which he will re.
ceive from Alamogordo or from R. H.
Pierce of that city, secretary of the
Board Of Regents Of the Institute. He
requests parents over the Territory,