PERRY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Part of the PAGenWeb

SOLDIERS' ORPHAN SCHOOLS/HOMES

TRESSLER ORPHANS' HOME
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT
OF THE SOLDIERS' ORPHANS, 1881

HOME | BACK


REPORTS OF PRINCIPALS.

TRESSLER ORPHAN HOME--P. Willard, A.M., Superintendent.

On the return of the children from spending their vacation at home a few of them brought the remains of malarial fever with them.  These were over it in a few days, and the children soon put on a healthy appearance.  Since that period we have not had any sickness during the year, more than colds during the early part of the spring.
We have had a good and experienced corps of teachers during the year, and the children of the various grades have made commendable progress in every department of study, which was plainly evinced in the readiness and thought they exhibited at the last examination.
The examination was conducted by Deputy Superintendent Lindsey, in connection with George F. Mull, A.M., of the Department; Professor Fleckinger, county superintendent, and G. Scholl, Esquire, of New Bloomfield, all of whom expressed themselves as highly gratified with the thoroughness of the children in the various studies through which they had passed during the year.  We were especially gratified by the presence of a representative from the Grand Army of the Republic, in the person of our old and tried friend, Captain H. Crider, whose especial business was to examine into the condition and management of the various Soldiers' Orphan Schools throughout the State, who, in connection with a number of others who are men of erudition, age, and experience, all expressed themselves as highly gratified, not only with the progress and proficiency of the children, but also with the furniture and arrangement of everything in the building and its surroundings.
We have purchased, during the past winter, a very fine philosophical apparatus, by which our facilities for imparting instruction to some of the classes are very much increased.  The various classes have also had regular lessons in drawing during the year, according to their capacity.
The drill has also been kept up by the boys during the year, and the examiners were highly pleased with the knowledge and regular step manifested in the exhibition of their display in military tactics, and expressed themselves as such in the most flattering terms.
The morals of the children upon the whole are quite as good as we could reasonably expect.
Religious exercises have been kept up in the school as in past years, and, we have reason to believe, with salutary effect, as forty-one of the older children have united with the church during the past year, and seem desirous not only of knowing their duty as such, but also of doing it.
We have made some considerable improvement in the way of building large play sheds, both for boys and girls, each separate, to afford them opportunities for recreation and exercise in the intervals between school hours, without exposure to the inclemencies of the weather when it is too disagreeable to be out.
The children are all well supplied with good and comfortable clothing, both for every day and Sunday wear.
The discipline of the school is entirely parental, and we have only to refer to our remarks on this subject in our last year's report.


 

This site is maintained  by Cathy Wentz-Eisenstadt
Copyright 2003-2010.  All Rights Reserved.

This page was last updated on:   03/14/2009


People for better PA Historical Records Access (PaHR-Access)
Learn about the grassroots effort to make older PA state death certificates available on-line!!  Please consider helping.