The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1916-01-24
THE DICKSON 0RPHANlGE
FOR NEGRO CHILDREN


What is the. meaning Of that bell
which rings out morning. evening
and night with such faithful regu-
liarity?" is a question often asked %
people who have not learned the
whole story of Gilmer's various in
stitutions past and present. Mig
/ ger Orphanage." IS the usual al
lswer. unless the question IS address
ed to one OF our city's more Thought
lful and more deliberative eitizenss
in which case he will tell you. it is
Dickson's Orphanage for negro chill
dren, which. by the way, is cor
poration looking to the care of ne
gro boys and girls-that during its
existence has cared for two thou
sand, eight hundred and seventy
mime unfortunate children: has a
scholastic enrolment OF two hun
dred and ninety for which the or
phanage is responsible and pres
ent school attendance of seventy
nine students: has eight teachers IN
the different departments and plant
embracing the necessary buildings
TO conduct such an enterprise, be-
sides stock. land and equipment fo~
important industrial work.
So many citizens are not familiar
with the operation of and conditions
prevailing at the Dickson orphan
age, that the Echo deemed it only
matter of justice to the public and
to the institution when represan-
tative was sent over last Friday
when visit was unexpected. to get
data for a descriptive write-ap to
deal with facts as they were present.
ed to the observer.
Dickson's orphanage is located
about one mile from this city's puo-
lie square The institution embraces
the following tangible visible assets
on the site:
Two hundred aad twenty-nine
acres of land, considerable part
in cultivation; Buckner-Sanger dor
mitory for girls, Halburt hall en-
bracing boys dormitory. music room.
library, reception room, Shorthand
department, kitchen and dining
room and lockers for boys under
wear; chapel, also used as school
room, where a large number were
in attendance; laundry; office, whore
the business of the institution IS
transacted: domestic science hall.
where cooking and domestic arts are
taught; smoke house where a sup
ply of bacon, lard, syrup, flour and
meal is kept; store room, where
quantities shoes, hats, caps, ready
made clothing, huge boxes of cloth
to make up. these being new goods
donated by generous merchants in
many different cities. There were
| big wooden boxes OF candy, boxes
of crackers and cakes donated by
manufacturers. Big boxes of Shoes
fresh from a noted St. Louis fac
tory were there, and every child at
the institution had comfortable shoes
on.
| The livestock consists OF four Jer-
sey COWS, four mules and three heal
of horses.
Buckner-Sanger dormitory, So
named in honor of DR.. Buckner and
another well-known benefactor. is a
handsome three-story structure, Well
finished inside and out. In the girls
isleeping compartments there are
rows of iron-brass bedsteads rang
ed side by side. the bed linen spot
less and neatly arranged The light
land ventilation would meet the most
lexacting demands of hygienies. In
this building is the parlor, reception
lroom and reading room. Here, al
so is the sewing room, where the
sewing for the institution is done.
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