The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1916-06-17

The blind children of this state
we're formerly housed with the dear
children and all were under the di-
rection of the superintendent OF tho
State School for Defective Youth.
The school was established on Feb
ruary 3rd, 1886, and was under the
management of board of trustees
and did not come under the jurisdic-
ton of the Board of Control until
October 1st, 1900.
At that time Ernest Lister, now
governor, was chairman OF the
Board of Control. He recommended
to the 1903 legislature that the
feeble-minded children be establish
ed at another point, that the blind
children be segregated from the dear
and that the former be given the
quarters then used by the feeble
minded. This board further recon-
mended that the name of the school
be "The State School for the Deaf
and Blind" The recommendation
was not followed at that session,
but after being recommended by an
other board, the 1905 legislature
adopted it.
In September, 1902, report there
were but IA blind children in attend
ance at the school, and one teacher
was all that was required for the in
struction of these In the 1904 re-
port this attendance had increased
to 90.
Owing to the fact that the state
of Idaho had up to this time made no
provision for the care of it's deaf and
blind, our school cared for a number
of Idaho children in the Washington
institution. The sum charged the
state of Idaho was 5000 for each child
for the school term, and they receiv-
ed the same care and attention as
those of this state.
While the law transferring the
feeble-minded children elsewhere
was passed in 1905, the buildings
were not completed at the new loca-
ton so that the transfer could be
made until May, 1906. Immediately
the blind children were removed to
the buildings vacated, and there was
to all intents and purposes a separate
blind school and separate deaf
school, although under the same
management and classed as "The
State School for the Deaf and
Blind"
At the time of the transfer the
population of the blind school had
grown to 81, sixteen of whom had
become afflicted with blindness at
the age of one year or less. Two
years later, or at the beginning of the
1908 term, the number of students
had increased to 81.
The 1909 legislature was request
ed by the board to separate the two
schools, and that one be known as
the School for the Deaf, and the
other to be known as the School for
the Blind. The reason for this re-
quest was that the schools had both
grown so rapidly in population that
it required one superintendent to
look after the deaf and one to look
after the blind. Dating from this
recommendation the two schools
were conducted separately, although
the law dividing them was not passed
until the 1913 session of the legisla-
ture.
In September, 1918, w. B. Hall,
superintendent of the Kansas State
School for the blind, was induced to
come to this state and become the
head of this institution Mr.. Hall
was one of the foremost men in the
work in the United States, and 1t was
a great loss to the school and to this
state when he passed away last fall.
His widow, who had been his
valuable helpmate throughout his
life's work, was Immediately appoint
ed to succeed him, and she Is now the
superintendent of this institution.
In tribute paid to the memory
of Mr.. Hall, the first superintendent
of this institution, at the recent lay
ing of the cornerstone of the new
building being erected there, Hon. T.
e. Skaggs, member of the State Board
of Control, had the following to say:
81 need not describe in detail the
two years work that have meant 30
much, not only to our blind children,
but to the adult blind, who, last
year for the first time, were permit
ted to enjoy the benefits of the sum
mer school. You all know how his
splendid executive ability. business
judgment, thorough training and
tireless energy have brought this ms
titution up to degree of efficiency
that places it in the front rank of
the blind schools of the nation. 1t
Is sufficient for me to say that
every hope entertained by the gov
ernor and the Board of Control has
been realized In full and | betray no