Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-02-25

tise S"IltIdt A,StIilDlN
The trustees of the Vermont State
School Cor Fe~eble-AIinded Children.
created under No. 81 Of the acts OF 1912.
herewith respectfully submit their re-
port:
THE subject Of fecb'e-mindedness had
never attracted more than the most
casual attention in Vermont, until n Dill
was introduced in the Legislature OF
1912. provi3ing for the establishment of
a school fo~ the feoolc-mindcd. There
were &c EaLEy demands on thai Icgisla-
t1re for r.onay hat the appropriation
was out 20 81. 6n0. a sum altogether too
small to make more than 4 beginning.
and largely. for this reason. 1t was
thought unwise to do anything about It.
VERMONT CHILDREN BARRED.
Events which were unsuspected, how
ever. occurred to change matters. Yer
mont had about 40 feeble-minded chill
dren being cared for in institutions in
other States, and about this time the
authorities Of those States notified the
Governor la owing to the crowded
conditions Of their respective ~institu-
lions and long list of Predetermined chill
dren of their own waiting for admis-
sion. We must take our children out
and provide for them elsewhere.
Nov when the Governor sought to
find places for them in other State in
stitutions he found that the same crowd
ed condition existed everywhere. 1t was
therefore evident hat Vermont must
make a beginning, whether We wished
to or not. The following trustees were,
accordingly named: DR.. Irving S. Coburn
of Milton, DR.. W. j. .Aldrich of St.
Johnsbury, DIR. u. T.. insolvency of
Burlington and DR.. John +. Paddock of
Saxtons River. These trustees were ad-
vised to visit similar institutions in the
neighbor1ng States in order to a~cqIaint
themselves with what was needed. We
made visits to Pennsylvania, New Jer-
sey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
and came home with a fairly clear idea
of what We would require.
THREE CLASSES OF FBEBLE-
MINDED.
w found that the fe~eblc-minded are
divided, roughly, into three classes, the
low grade, the middle grade and the
high grade. The low grade know ahso-
lutely nothing and are incapable Of learn
ing anything. They nave to be dressed
fed and waited upon like infants. Lik,
, infants, they respond to the calls OF
nature whenever they como and wher.
ever they happen to be. This grade is
made up of hopeless cases and once ad
mitted they are there until death re,
moves them.
The middle class can dress, feed them.
selves after a fashion, and attend tn.
calls of nature, but they canno learr
anything from books and they can Learn
TO do only the simplest things. The girl.
can be taught to drag "a pad over tn.
floors to keep them polished. and tn,
boys. under a teacher, can do quite q
little work with a grubbing hoe clear
ing UP wild land Of stones ard brush
They have no initiative and will not worl
without the example of their teacher
They cannot do any work in the gar.
den or on the farm. Cor they cannot bc
taught the difference -etween plants ant
weeds.
SOME LEARN 20 READ.
The highest grade girls crn be wurkef
in the dormitories making beds. in III,
laundry, In the Kitchen, washing dishe.
and cleaning vegetables, IN the sewins
room. mending. and ever making .hcii
own and the boys clothes. The hlgt
grade boys work about the stables, mill
the cows. feed the stock, plough, har
row. hoe, NOV. pitch hay. shovel manure
cut ice. do blacksmithing and carpentr,
work. The capacity of even the hig
grade for book learning Is small. though
.an Inar, % raa1 o~I coda
Among the requirements for a feeble
minded school the first is a large farm
1t hould be large at the start. for 1t Il
the experience Of other schools that il i.