Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 December 1894 — INDIANA'S INSTITUTE FOR THE BLIND. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA'S INSTITUTE FOR THE BLIND.

The Board of Trustees for tho Institution for the Blind have filed their annual report with Gov. Matthews, An additional endowment of (25.(60, recommended by Superintendent Griffith, previous to his retirement, is indorsed. The report calls attention to the necessity of extending aid in many cases to graduates on their leaving the institution, as they frequently fail to obtain employment and become inmates of poorbouses? although well-fitted to bo self-supporting if once given a chance. A fund for this purpose was contributed by Mrs. Nancy Fitzpatrick, of Muncie, who died in 1870. There is at present a balance in this fund of 8584.68. The Board recommends that whatever money is added to this by tho Legislature bear the name of the founder of the fund. It is recommended that the next Legislature appropriate (2,000 for a workshop and (4,000 for a new greenhouse. It isstated that the present greenhouse is very old and is in an advanced stage of decay, nbt worth the repairing. The suggestion is made that the officials of the Statehouse on occasion have a habit of borrowing plants from the institution's greenhouse, the new greenhouse be made large enough to have this in mind and the custodian of the Statehouse willing, the superintendent says, to bear a part of the expense. The total numb? rof students at the institution last year was 152. The Diamond Oil Company of Ohio, which proposes to compete with the Standard Oil Company, has been incorporated at Toledo. It is a combination of a number of. strong concerns. ’ Frank Leonard,residing near Hammond, has undertaken the development of the lumber interests of what Is known as the cypress swamp, located west of Decker’s station. It is a body of Government land, laying between the White and Wabash rivers, and comprises alxiut 1,800 acres of I well-timbered land, not a stick of which has ever been out. Mr. U>onard a few ago purchased all the standing ' timlx-r, which consists of rod oak. a.*h. : gum sycamore, and other valuable kinds I | A spur from the Evansville & Terre Haute railroad has been built from Deckers, su (miles out into thel swamp. -Mr Leonard •is now putting in one of the finest saw- ., mills In southern Indiana. r