The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1909-07-08
THE SOUTH DAKOTA SCHOOL
FOR THE BLIND.

school training, the educational facili-
ties Of a state are not complete with.
out some institution for the instruc-
ton Of the sightlcss. South Dakota
with It's usual al@ertness, provided in
its constitution for a school for the
blind. but did not specify its loca
ton. In 1885, Doanc Robinson, then
editor q the Gary inter State, say
the immediate need Of a school and,
ever anxious TO further the interests
Of his town and at the same time to
provide for the welfare Of the blind
people Of the state, conceived the
idea Of having the institution located
in Gary, Deuel. county. Through the
columns Of his paper he proclaimed
the need Of the school. His efforts
might have been in vain, however,
had it rot been for the influence of
Mrs. j. V. Wells of Gary. Also at that
time she had passed three score years
and ten, she still felt an interest in
all that p%ertained to the public good.
She realized the need Of a school and
saw Mr.. Robinson's fitness for cham.
pion of the cause. With ~characteris-
tic generosity, she furnished the mon
ey to defray all expenses connected
with a trip to the capital. Mr.. Robin
son went to Pierre, and secured for
Gary the location of the school for
the blind in South Dakota.
The people Of Gary were so anxious
to see this institution established
that they secured the vacated court
house from the county with lots on
which it stood and proffered the prop
erty to the state. The Board of Char
tiles and Corrections visited Gary and
concluded that the building was in
adequate for the purpose intended.
This decision was communicated to
the town authorities who Immediately
subscribed ten thousand dollars with
which sum they built a two-storybrick
building. This, with the court house.
they again rendered the state. This
time all was found to be satisfactory
and the property was accepted.
An experienced worker among the
blind, Miss Dora Donald, was appoint
ed superintendent and the school was
opened March |. 1900. In a few years
the attendance so increased that more
room was needed. An appropriation
Of ten thousand dollars was secured
and with it a dormitory for boys
was erected. Two years later a sec
ond appropriation of ten thousand dol
lars was made and an addition adj
joining the two brick buildings was
erected. The old court house was
now relegated to the less dignifed
though equally useful purpose of a
laundry. At present the institution
consists of about forty thousand dol
lars worth of property. The buildings
are well furnished and well equipped
for the instruction of the blind. They
are steam heated, electric lighted and
well supplied with a convenient sew
er and water system. In connection
with the institution there is a twenty
acre tract of land, which has been
decided to the state by the people of
Gary and the North Western Railroad
company.
To bring out the best in those seek
ing admittance and to develop to the
uttermost all inherent faculties and
talents, four departments of work are
maintained-literary, musical, house
hold and industrial. Each department
Is under the supervision of capable
instructors. The literary department.
similar to that of public schools, is
foremost and work therein is required
from every pupil. The American
Braille print is used. 1t is a system
of raised dots employing touch in.
stead of sight. The pupils are taught
TO accustom their fingers to the differ
ent arrangement of dots just as the
seeing are taught to accustom their
eyes to the shape of letters. Writing,
which can be read by the blind, is
done on a Braille writer and the sys-
TEN used just as script is used in
schools for the sighted. BY means
OF a g%rooved board. the square-hand
system of script, similar to vertical
writing, is taught. An ordinary type
writer is used by advanced pupils.
A library in the raised system of print
has been furnished to which, by means
of a stereotype maker. the pupils have
added q number of books printed in
Braille. There is also a. library in
ordinary print. Text books in Braille
have been furnished by the American
Printing House for the Blind at Louis
vile. XIV. from an a"pproDriatiOn made