Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 December 1890 — FEEBLE-MINDED HOME. [ARTICLE]

FEEBLE-MINDED HOME.

THE ANNUAL RJEVORT OF SUPT. JOHN Q. BLAKE. lattrvttag Facta sod Figure* Relating to ttec state InsUtuUoei Located at Fort Wayne—Splendid Financial Stowing— Subatantial Im proveniences Made. TM twelfth annual report of She Superintendent and Board of Trustees cf ihe Indiana School for Feeble-Minded Youth, located at Fort Wayne, hast been lik'd with Gov. Hovey. The total receipts from the State Treasury for the fiscal year, ending Oct. M, 1890. were $78,238. Of this amount, $3,000 belonged to last yesr’s expenses, being a defict appropriation of two years ago and not drawn until the beginning of the present fiscal year. For the first time, the fiscal year finds the home in its own quarters. Nov. 1, 1889,. there were 262 children on the rolls. Since the number admitted has been 74, returned from vacation, 3, making a total of 339. During the year, 9 boys and 6 girls were discharged. Seven afflicted ones have died, 2 are absent visiting friends. On October 31. the number in the institute was 315, and at the end of the present year the number is 317. Ot that number, 79 are epileptics, 15 paralytics, 9 Idiotic and of the remaining, more than one-half evince low symptom of imbecility and partial idiocy, while the remaining few constitute the better grade, known as the feeble-minded. The health of the inmates.ot the Institute has been during the year very good, much better than would be expected with the classes to which they belong. Once the influenza appeared and spread until more than half the inmates were afflicted, but no death was directly due to the epidemic. The report of the industries is very creditable. In the shoe shop, 290 pairs girls’ and 343 pairs boys’ shoes were mode, a total of 633, and the total number repaired were 2,314. If the repairs had been made outside the institution, the cost would have beensl,3Bß.4o, while the actual cost is $809.90, & saving of $578.50. The making of the shoes would have amounted to $1,205,50. The real cost, as It is, amounts to $886,20, being a balance of $322.30, and this added to sewing on repair work makes the total amount saved, $1,900.80. In the mattress and upholstery department were made 258 husk mattresses at $2.45 each, 01 cotton mattresses at $2.45 each, 120 feather pillows at $1.26 each. One hundred and twenty husk mattresses renovated at $1 each; 10 pair pljlow shams, at 75 cents a pair. In the tailor shop were made 364 pants, 271 coats, 157 shirts, 54 suits of underwear, 12 white costs, 358 dresses, 162 aprons, 298 drawers, 142 skirts, 94 underwaists, 654 nightgowns, 445 towels, 266 sheets, 20 vests, 187 pillow-cases, 49 table cloths, 212 mattresses, 24 corset covers, 54 bedspreads, 190 night shirts, 534 napkins, 185 pairs knitted stockings, .29 pairs socks, 49 comforts, 14 sundries, a total of 4,564 articles made for the institute. Eight hundred thousand pleeea were laundrled during the vear.l The results in the farming and gardening departments far exceeded the expectations of the superintendent and trustees, and next year they expect to have all the “truck” necessary for the home. Twelve thousand native forest trees have been planted, the ground graded, hills leveled, driveways and walks made, etc. The permanent improvements made are numerous; besides sleeping rooms, storage rooms, and outside scullery, a commodious pump and hose-reel hojise and 6,152 feet of fencing has been constructed. Superintendent Blake strongly urges the necessity ot the erection ot two school-houses, of not less than eight rooms each. “The reason for the large expenditure during the past year, has been the failure to obtain water, necessitating the sinking of two large wells, each 300 feet deep, building new pump house, purchase of a large fire pump, extending the water lines for fire protection, has aggregated over $6,000. Erecting over 6,000 feet of fencing, $2,300; construction of rooms, etc., sl,800, ditching and tiling grounds, $1,600; expense of moving, $3,000; with other incidents, amounts to nearly $19,000. This, taken from the total receipts, shows total expenditures for maintenance during the year Itave been less than $60,000, which Is $30,000 less than the per capita appropriation of sls per month.” The purchase of more land is urged by the Trustees and Superintendent.