The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1910-02-10

Tho old folks, thirty-three men
and twenty women. are In building
OF their own, as large as the chill
dren's building. They are under no
restrictions. A trained nurse waits
upon them when they are i'll. Or.
Frank II. Mathews, n Liberty physi-
clan, visits the Home every day, at
tending to all the residents. Al
though many old folks died at the
Home since it was started in 1895,
only one child died. This child was
a baby who was i'll when brought to
the Home.
Each of the oldpersons has room
to himself. None of the residents
needs money. Everything Is fur
nishcd. The old men have all the
tobacco they want and they can sit
and smoke and play checkers all day
II they want to. The large porches,
of the first and second floors, are
much used In warmer weather.
Chapel services are held every
morning In the school building, and
every Sunday minister from Lib
erty breaches at the Home. Enter
tainmcnts are given at tho chapel
every few weeks, and In the summer
the boys band-better than most
college bands--gives concerts.
Not all the children are orphans.
Many have parents who are able to
support them. One girl owns 900
acres Of land In California. All her
relatives are dead and her guardian
is paying for her support at the
Home.
She is the only resident at the
Home who pays. She is being reared
as we'll as she could be at any
school. She. like all children, is
happy and cOntcnted.
The residents must have been for
five years members of Il Missouri
Lodge Of the Independent Order of
| Odd Fellows, or son or daughter
of such member. The applications
are sent to the Home Board, which
passes on them after the cases have
| been investigated. The Order owns
/ the building, valued ut one-guarteI
/ Of million dollars, and 2il acres OF
land surrounding them. The LAND
I is farmcd by employees who are as
sisted by the larger boys. The girls
! help around the Home. No one is
/ forced to work The children study
first, then play and then work.
1t cost 500, 600 to support the Home
| I'm 1905. This did not include the
products Of the farm. The cattle
and hogs and chickens and the farm
and garden products are nearly suf
ticient to furnish the refrigeratOrs
and provision rooms. From the LAX,
/ every winter Is harvested year -
supply Of ice. The Home is sup.
/ ported by tax Of only sixty cents q
/ year levied upon each odd Fellow
/ in the state. The girls are dressed
| i'm uniform dresses, but the old men
old women and boys are bought
| whatever clothing suits them. The
girls are taught to sew and some
help make their own clothing, The
/ Home has a regular course IN do
nestle science.
The boys range IN age from to ii
/ years old The youngest girl Is one
/ year old and the oldest one is III
/ The men range from Il to 81, the
women from - to ~.
John King is superintendent ol
the Home. All the boys say "Inl
John Kings boy" TIL" smaller
! boys also are "Miss Meadows boy. ;,
! Miss Meadows Is the matrOn of the
small boys. a great deal of the
credit for such n home belongs to
MIR. King and to his wife, who have
been Mt the Home three years
Everything is as clean as the clean.
est private home and the boys and
girls are all bright and full Of life
II 1t were allowable for persons t.
adopt children in the Home, there
would be few children left. A few
children are allowed to go and live
with families that the Home Board
knows will give the best of care Ia
the children, but even in these cases
the child may return to the Home
any time he or she wishes.
The residents have the use of H.
brary of 5000 volumes with no re-
strictions as to drawing books. They
go in the library and take book to
their room and keep 1t until they
finish 1t. There are picture books
for the little ones and histories for