The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-06-27
Matsuyama Home for Girls Steadily Growing in Its
 Scope and Efficiency NoU

children who have been deprived of closer parental care?
 There were girls in the sewing room in all stages of the sewing game, from the patching and darning classes to those promoted to plain sewing and fancy work departments.
 That little eight-year- old girl who is so proud that she might mend her dress successfully has a mother, but her home surroundings were such tha. the child never could have had much opportunity in life if she hadn't found some other shelter" said Mrs. Amigh And the eighteen-year-o girl you see making the dress is a fine char acter. She has been with us for some time and will soon be ready to earn her own living.
 "Oh, yes.'' Mrs. Amigh assured we send girls from this training school who are making successful milliners, home-makers. dress makers, laun- dresses and two girls we've sent to normal school to train for teaching"
 I couldn't decide which was more spo.less the inviting living room in the Ellen Weakle hall. or the kitchen where pupils were taught plain cook. ing. canning. preserving and the wholesome combination of foods for breakfast, dinner and supper. One of the officials whose business it is to inspect state institutions said of Mat suyama that it was one of the clean est institutions she had ever visited, where every line of work was carried on with the least possible waste.
 "The girls do all the work" Mrs. Amigh reminded-'Cooking sewing, laundering gardening" While I know that the obect of the board of control was to make the home as near self supporting. as possible. and that for this reason a farmer was in charge of the cultivation of the farm1ands, I was surprised to find the flourish ing garden the girls tended for them selves. The poultry too bore evil dence of their interest in the numbers of nice fat hens tha, didn't look one bit responsible for the H. c. L. market price of eggs.
 Some of the fresh vegetables from the girls garden were served at the luncheon hour. It was at this time that I discovered at glance the of the dining room. When Mrs. John son and Mrs. Brown joined us there, the girls were gathered around tables that showed their dainty care in the spotless linen and flowers that Mrs. Amigh said they ne> <r forgot to pro- vide for every table A well bal anced meal was served by the group of girls who were on duty in the din- ing room and in the conversation at the luncheon table I was fortunate enough to catch little glsmpses or the history of the board of control, and of how Matsuyama was purchased for g. state institution.
 Through many dangers. tolls and cares. they have already come"-.those members of the board of control since January. 1909. when the Rescue Home for Delinquent Girls of Birmingham was opened in a rented cottage a. West End. Mrs. Mary Carr. a mission ary of the Methodist Church was the first matron. and members of the man. aging board were chosen from various denominations of the city.
 FREE GIFTS
 Funds for maintenance were first se- cured as free will gifts collected monthly from persons interested inu the work, '' some one remarked so casually that it was difficult to go back in imagination over the years and over those miles of blocks that women~walked every month to collect 50 cents from MT. A., who was very much interested in civic work. and 75 cents from Mrs. B., who was probably even more so
 The board of revenue finally gave us s3s~a month. the city $iol and. by hard work. after years time. the money was
 
 building at East Lake for 5000.
 After discouragement and a measure of srccess the rescue home was ineor- porated as state institution in 1911. and ssoC0 per year was appropriated for it's support.
 "well do remember" said Mrs. John- son. .'the time when Mrs Charles Brown and Mrs. Wilson Searight were appoint ed on the committee to go to Montgom- cry in the interest of state institu- tion, how valiantly they worked there. It was largely through the faith and persistent effort of the president of the board. Mrs. Weakley. that the rescue home finally became a state institution and the name was changed to the State Training School for Girls.
 ''The legislature, under Governor Hen- derson's administration. appropriated s5e, 600 for purchase of property for more adequate care of the states delinquent