REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE TO VISIT THE ORPHANS' HOME AT GLENWOOD. To the General Assembly of the State of Iowa: Your Joint Committee appointed to visit the branch of the Iowa Soldiers' Orphans Home at Glenwood, in the county of Mills, in the State of Iowa, beg leave to report: That on the 21st and 22d of February, A. D. 1868, during the recess of the General Assembly, they visited the Branch of the Iowa Soldiers' Orphans Home aforesaid. This Home was opened in the month of November, A. D. 1866, with six soldiers' orphan children. The whole number admitted since its commencement has been twenty-eight children, all of whom are still in the institution. They are from the following named counties, viz.: From Dallas, two; Fremont, three; Marion, five; Mills, four; Page, five; Woodbury, seven; and Union two. One of the children is fifteen years old, the others are between five and thirteen years of age. The Home is situated about half a mile from Glenwood, on an eminence overlooking the town. The property consists of sixteen acres of land, on which stands a frame house, about sixteen by twenty-two feet, one and a half stories high, with an addition about fourteen by twenty-four feet, one story high, used as a dining room and kitchen. About two acres of the land is inclosed with a post and board fence, and is in a state of cultivation. There is no cellar under any part of the house, neither is there any well, and but one small cistern. The county of Mills donated fifteen acres of the aforesaid land, and gave one thousand dollars for the purchase of the other acre adjoining, with the Home, or house above described standing thereon. The title to the land is perfect, it is clear from all incumbrance, and a conveyance thereof to the State will be made, as soon as the State decides to make a permanent location of the Home there. Hon. William Hale is Superintendent of the Home, and Mrs. H. V. Marshall is the Matron. One other woman, and the Matron are the only persons employed and paid at this branch of the Home, and they receive each, only the sum of three dollars per week. The girls assist in doing the house work, and the boys chop the wood. The ladies and citizens of Glenwood in many respects, aid and assist the Home gratuitously. From the very limited accommodations of the Home, many needy orphans have been turned away and refused admittance. More than forty applications for the immediate admission of that number of orphans, have been received, which it was impossible to accommodate for want of room, and many more are awaiting the time when a place shall be prepared for them. If suitable accommodations were provided, the mothers of more than one hundred orphan children in adjacent counties would avail themselves of it as a Home for such children in less than a year. It has been (under very forbidding circumstances,) conducted by the excellent Matron remarkably well. The children appear clean and healthy, cheerful and happy and are comfortably and neatly clad. Their behavior is very good, above the average of children as we were assured by the people of Glenwood. Their training and good conduct reflect credit on the Matron who is a kind, intelligent, Christian woman beloved and respected by the children as a true mother. The children of the Home attend the schools of Glenwood as there is no school room in the institution. They also attend the Sabbath schools of the several churches of the place. Your committee visited three public schools, one Collegiate Institute, and one Young Ladies' Seminary in the town of Glenwood, at each of which some of the children of the Home are in attendance. All these schools are, doubtless, as good as the average of those of their grade, while some of them are superior. A few of the younger and smaller children are unable to attend school on account of the distance and cold weather. The Matron, however, instructs these, as also all the children of the Home. There has been but little sickness among the children at this branch of the Home, and no deaths have occurred since its organization. The people of Glenwood manifest a warm interest in the Home and in the children, and are very anxious to retain it among them. They are soon to furnish better educational facilities in their public schools, and the officers of the higher institutions will always be ready to make favorable terms for the instruction of the orphans. Your committee beg leave to state that the soldiers of the western portion of the State responded to every call as promptly, were as brave, and rendered as valuable service to the country as those of any other portion; that there are many orphans of those soldiers who ought to be cared for, too remote from either of the other Homes to be benefited by them; that a Home is needed in the western part of the State, and that the location of the branch at Glenwood is very suitable and accessible. Your committee, therefore, respectfully but earnestly recommend that the present General Assembly make an appropriation sufficient to erect suitable and commodious buildings for at least one hundred children, with the necessary conveniences; to fence and improve the grounds; to pay a superintendent and necessary employes; and to support the children at the rate of ten dollars per month for each orphan. They would also recommend that a regular school, impossible at present, be opened soon for the younger children in the Home itself, and that the trustees be left at liberty to make such arrangements for the education of the older ones as seem best. All these representatives of our patriot dead should have the very best opportunities for a good education. All of which is respectfully submitted, ROBERT SMYTH, On the part of the Senate. L. F. PARKER, P. G. WRIGHT, On the part of the House of Representatives. |