The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-08-15
State Of Iowa Brings Action Against
Trustees and superip.
tendent Of Whites
Farm.
I1To REMOVE TRUSTEES
Alleged That the Defendants Have
: Failed to Comply With Details
Of Court Decree
Of 1908.

WHITES iowa Manual Labor IQStl-
tute at Salem, in Cedar township, is
again in the courts.
Petition has been filed in the dis
trlct court at Fort Madison in the
name of the state Of Iowa by George
Cosson, state attorney general, in
which the removal of the trustees
OF the institute and the ap-
pointment Of others is asked.
The defendants are Alfred J..
Hanson, Newton Branson and Calvin
Haskins, the three trustees, AMI
James A. Bruff, superintendent.
agement has neglected to comply with
and perform the duties specified in
the decree entered by Judge Bank
in the district court of Lee county
on July 80, 1908, in the case
where the trustees and superinten
dent of the institution at that tin,e
were the defendants.
1.-THE petition alleges that the LAO
acres can be reckoned at producing
easily $500 to $500 per acre, and of
such revenue 1t argues that the sup
erintendent should be able to care
easily for at least 100 children, and
improve the buildings and premises
to accommodate that number, and
that such was contemplated in the
provisions of the will; that present
buildings, ETC., can accommodate rs;
that the superintendent admits only
rs children while he had had valid
applications from over 100.
A Remarkable Institution.
Whites Institute, the Quaker es-
Enlistment for children, has been a
remarkable institution in its time
and much history centers there. For
several years there has been quite a
little discussion about the manage
ment and conduct Of the place and
the institute has been party in the
courts a few times lately.
In 1908 the court put an interpre-
.ation on the will of Josiah White
former owner of the place. The LAO
acres Of fine fertile soil which COM
posed the estate and the institute
grounds was left to the continuance
of the school, the courts action on
the will having been solicited by w.
C. Davis and others of the Salem
neighborhood.
History Unique One.
The history of the founding of
Whites Institute is a peculiar one:
In 1850 Josiah White, wealthy
Quaker, a resident of Philadelphia,
died leaving will which provided:
"In as much as it hath pleased the
Lord to prosper me in the things of
this world, so as to be able to re-
turn the estates given me by M;
families above other legacies, to in.
situations, ETC., and to appropriate TO
my beloved children, including the
amount they will receive from their
mother, my beloved wife, as much as
perhaps will be- of any use to them,
and in addition sufficient to begin
and perpetuate manual labor school.
or two schools, in the free states Of
the west, for poor children, white,
colored and Indian, as many as the
annual products of the land l pro-
pose to buy will support-such as
have not the means to procure
schooling, board and clothing them
selves, for time and conditions
may hereafter direct.
"My design and interest being not
so much a literary institution or edu-
cation (however valuable this may
be to them) as spiritual education;
such an education as religious
Friend, Quaker, processing and
being of the same religious faith and
doctrine and life as our ancestors,
George Fox, Robert Barclay, and Will