The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-08
Give BABIES AWAY
There Are Twenty i'm Orphans
Home Awaiting Adoption.
All But Three of Them Are
Boys.
MANY FIND HOMES.
HOMES.
FOrty-fOur Have Been Placed
in Past Five Months.
Costs So, Per Year to Main
tain the Institution.

In the Orphans home on the corner
of Third and Fillmore streets there are
twenty babes under the age of eigh-
teen months. All but three of these
little ones are boys, and they are as
happy as such a population can be.
Mrs. B. T. Payne, the president of the
Orphans home association, said this
morning that "of the sixty-four chill
dren cared for during the last five
months, only these twenty bright eyed
little chaps remained The rest are
placed in homes for adoption"
The Orphans home, which is one
of Topekas most interesting institu-
tons. is located on the corner of Third
and Fillmore streets. 1t is in large
brick building WHICH has large, airy,
comfortable rooms, and ample facili-
ties for the work of taking care of the
homeless babes of the state.
In the year 1883 the idea came to
Mrs Q. F. Danvers of North Topeka to
found an institution for the protection
and care of the homeless babes of the
country. This plan was carried out
by Mrs Danvers with the aid of Judge
A. B. Quinton, and a home was estab-
ished on the corner of Huntoon and
Van Buren, streets. The first child to
be received was found on the door step
of the building very early one morn
ing. From this small rented building
on Huntoon street and this one cast
away babe, the institution has grown
Until II AAON occupies d seven InOuSdnQ
dollar building, and cares for an av-
erage of eighty-fve children a year.
During the nineteen years of the exis-
tence of the institution, between
twelve and thirteen hundred children
have been adopted.
The home is under the direction of
board of trustees, an advisory board
and the large mem bership of the asso-
cation. All members of the asSocia-
ton are assessed one dollar a wear.
The board of trustees Is made up of
the Following women: Mrs. B. T.
Payne, president; Mrs. o. B. Martin,
first vice president; Mrs. NJ. G. Bailey.
second vice president; Miss Hattie
Hebo, recording secretary; Mrs. G. D.
stevens, corresponding secretary; Mrs
w. n Davis, treasurer. The other
members of the board of trustees are
Mrs. NJ G. Hunter, Mrs. G. E HanIey
and DR.. Mary Stewart
The advisory board consists of the
IolloWlng men; Judge A B. Quinton,
Atchison. E. H. Crosby, F. P MacI,en-
nan. w. II. Davis, Thos. Page. William |
Schoch, F. NJ KimbaII and DR., J. e.
M1nney as medical attendant
Aside from these two boards there
are the following members of the as |
soclation; Mrs. H A. Sturgis. Mrs /
James F. Jewell. Mrs. A. c. Mooney, |
MRS Ella Wood. Mrs. Charles Youn- |
Samuel Lux, Mrs. Clara Anthony, Mrs. |
F. A. Candy and Mrs. r. Jean Wallace. |
Costs $4,000 Per Year.
The expenses of running the insti-
tuition average $4,000 a year. OF this
amount $500 is appropriated by the
state, and $3.50 by the county. The
rest comes through popular subscrip-
ton All this goes for the care of the
children only. There are no salaried
individuals connected with the institu-
ton except a matron and a cook for
the Home The expense of running
the Home is lessened because. for
years, groceries, flour and meat have
been furnished by the different mer-
chants of the city. Thomas Page has
been very liberal in his support and
furnishes large part of the flour
used. The Schmidt Bros. now furnish
meat from their shop once a week, and
Mr.. Charles Wolff has sent meat to the
Home regularly every week for the
last eighteen years. other merchants
of the city have also given literally.
The children who are taken into the
Home are orphans. or castaways
whose parents are in the thralIs of
domestic trouble. All of them are nm
der eighteen months of age. From
here they are taken out to families all
over the state. In order for a family
to adopt one of these little ones, for
the purpose of bringing it I'D if is
necessary to furnish three references.
In this way the character of the family
is thoroughly investigated in order
that no one of the unfortunate chill
dren may be placed in the wrong kind
of a home. After the child has been
in the family for three months and all
conditions have proven satisfactory
and every one is satisfied, papers of
adoption are taken out and the child
is permanently located. Mrs Payne
stated this morning that if babe was
taken into the Home while the parents
were securing divorce and remained
there until the guardian married or
secured another home, even if that
guardian We're the child's mother,
references must be furnished to prove
that she had the right kind of a home
in which to rear the child before she
could get it. This is done in order that
the child may be properly protected
under all circumstances.
The institution has done a great
work during the nineteen years of it's
existence. Homes have been made
glad by the bright faces of the little