Minnesota 
 
 State Public School 
 
 For Dependent Children 
 
 Survey of Results 
 Twenty-Eight Years Work 
 
 (Address delivered by Galen A. Merrill, Superintendent of 
 State Public School, at Quarterly Conference of Executive 
 Officers of State Institutions with the State Board of 
 Control, at the State Sanatorium for Consumptives, August 
 3 , 1915 .) 
 
 □ □ □ 
 
 SYNDICATE PRINTING CO. 
 
 Minneapolis 
 
 1915 
 
> I A f (i I j, 
 
 • (| I Jill III | ) } v, : . 
 
 
 Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2017 with funding from 
 
 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Alternates 
 
 
 6 
 
 https://archive.org/details/minnesotastatepuOOmerr 
 
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 STATE PUBLIC SCHOOL FOR DEPENDENT AND NEGLECTED CHIL- 
 DREN. SURVEY OF RESULTS OF TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS’ WORK. 
 
 Galen A. Merrill, Superintendent State Public School. 
 
 From the opening of this institution December 2, 1886, to December 2, 
 1914, 5,098 children, 3,042 boys and 2,056 girls, were committed to its guar- 
 dianship. On the latter date 307 remained in the institution. The others, 
 with some exceptions, had been placed out under supervision, some with 
 their own people, but most of them in foster homes, after a period of care 
 and training in the institution. 
 
 Individual records of the progress and development of the children have 
 been kept. These records include information obtained by our state agents 
 who have personally visited the children at intervals in their homes or 
 places of employment. Some of the results as shown by the records of the 
 first 4,000 children received are summarized in the statement which follows. 
 Those who have developed into men and women of good character and are 
 fulfilling the requirements of good citizenship, and the minor wards who 
 are developing normally, meeting the requirements of good homes and 
 giving promise of success, are designated as doing well. Those who have 
 been less successful or who are not developing so satisfactorily but who 
 have become or give promise of becoming at least self-supporting, respect- 
 able citizens, are designated as doing fairly well. Those who are regarded 
 in the communities where they live as undesirable citizens or who do not 
 give promise of becoming useful are classified as doing poorly. 
 
 BOYS, 2,407. 
 
 
 Total. 
 
 Farmers 885 
 
 Day laborers 210 
 
 Salesmen 56 
 
 Office clerks 30 
 
 Chauffeurs 26 
 
 Carpenters 20 
 
 Traveling salesmen 19 
 
 Teamsters 17 
 
 Teachers 16 
 
 Mechanical engineers 16 
 
 In navy, enlisted men 16 
 
 Buttermakers 14 
 
 Machinists 13 
 
 Electricians 12 
 
 Stationary firemen 12 
 
 In army, enlisted men 10 
 
 Merchants 8 
 
 Telegraph operators 8 
 
 Printers 8 
 
 C'ooks 8 
 
 Elevator men 8 
 
 Janitors 7 
 
 Barbers 7 
 
 Porters 7 
 
 Coopers 5 
 
 Miners 5 
 
 Brakemen 5 
 
 Painters 5 
 
 Street car conductors 4 
 
 Locomotive firemen 4 
 
 Engravers 4 
 
 Cigarmakers 4 
 
 Actors 4 
 
 Army officers 4 
 
 Waiters 4 
 
 Civil engineers 3 
 
 Nurses 3 
 
 Doing Doing Doing 
 
 Well. Fairly Well. Poorly. 
 
 624—70% 212—24% 49— 6% 
 
 89—43% 78—37% 43—20% 
 
 49 5 2 
 
 28 2 
 
 18 6 2 
 
 19 1 
 
 14 5 
 
 5 9 3 
 
 16 
 
 16 
 
 3 9 4 
 
 14 
 
 13 
 
 11 1 
 
 8 3 1 
 
 3 3 4 
 
 8 
 
 8 
 
 6 11 
 
 5 3 
 
 7 1 
 
 6 1 
 
 5 1 1 
 
 5 2 
 
 5 
 
 2 2 1 
 
 3 2 
 
 2 3 
 
 4 
 
 4 
 
 4 
 
 3 1 
 
 1 3 
 
 4 
 
 3 1 
 
 3 
 
 3 
 
4 
 
 Total. 
 
 Stenographers 3 
 
 Plumbers 8 
 
 Masons 3 
 
 Bakers 3 
 
 Hotel clerks 3 
 
 Sailors 3 
 
 Electrical engineers 2 
 
 Express agents 2 
 
 Postal clerks 2 
 
 Photographers 2 
 
 Millers 2 
 
 Real estate agents 2 
 
 Insurance agents 2 
 
 Musicians 2 
 
 Florists 2 
 
 Tinners 2 
 
 Tailors 2 
 
 Broom makers 2 
 
 Blacksmiths 2 
 
 Eivery men 2 
 
 Section foremen 2 
 
 Railway news agents 2 
 
 Tramps 2 
 
 Gamblers 2 
 
 College instructors 1 
 
 Lawyer 1 
 
 Publisher 1 
 
 Bark cashier 1 
 
 Assistant state bank exam- 
 iner 1 
 
 Steward in state institution. 1 
 
 Government meat, inspector. 1 
 
 Member Catholic Brotherhood 1 
 
 Salvation Army officer 1 
 
 Naval officer 1 
 
 Manufacturing dentist 1 
 
 Lo p-ei n g con tra c tor 1 
 
 Building mover 1 
 
 Owner disinfecting factory . . 1 
 
 Restaurant keeper 1 
 
 Jeweler 1 
 
 Harness maker 1 
 
 ^Koemaker 1 
 
 Butcher 1 
 
 Meat cutter 1 
 
 Patternmaker 1 
 
 Horse dealer 1 
 
 ^ 'Torn her fire department 1 
 
 °ailw’av conductor 1 
 
 Locomotive engineer 1 
 
 station agent 1 
 
 R^ake inspector 1 
 
 Poach man 1 
 
 Pall player 1 
 
 Canadian mounted police.... 1 
 
 ^potb’aok 1 
 
 TT o’’se jockey 1 
 
 Bartender 1 
 
 In St. Cloud reformatory.... 10 
 
 In state’s prison 3 
 
 7u insane hospital 1 
 
 County charges, hospital sub- 
 jects 4 
 
 Feeble-minded 65 
 
 Remaining in foster farm 
 
 homes 342 
 
 Remaining in foster city 
 
 homes 92 
 
 "With parents in city homes. 105 
 With parents in country 
 
 homes 45 
 
 Remaining in state public 
 
 school 15 
 
 In school for blind, Faribault 2 
 
 In school for deaf. Faribault 1 
 
 In government Indian school, 
 
 Carlyle 1 
 
 2,260 
 
 Died 147 
 
 Total boys 2,407 
 
 Doing 
 
 Well. 
 
 3 
 
 3 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 2 
 
 2 
 
 2 
 
 2 
 
 2 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 2 
 
 2 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 2 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 Doing 
 Fairly Well. 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 249—73% 
 
 72—78% 
 
 62—59% 
 
 26—58% 
 
 12 
 
 * ”i 
 
 l 
 
 77—22% 
 
 16 — 18 % 
 24—23% 
 
 11—24% 
 
 3 
 
 2 
 
 1,506—67% 502—22% 
 
 Doing 
 
 Poorly. 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 2 
 
 V? 
 
 1 
 
 10 
 
 3 
 1 
 
 4 
 
 65 « 
 
 16— 5% 
 
 4— 4 % 
 
 19—18% 
 
 8—18% 
 
 252—11% 
 

 5 
 
 * 
 
 v 
 
 GIRLS, 1,593. 
 
 MARRIED. 
 
 Farmers’ wives 
 
 Day laborers’ wives 
 
 Salesmen’s wives 
 
 Merchants’ wives 
 
 Carpenters’ wives 
 
 Barbers’ wives 
 
 Traveling - salesmen’s wives.. 
 
 Musicians’ wives 
 
 Hotel keepers’ wives 
 
 Masons’ wives 
 
 Painters’ wives 
 
 Teamsters’ wives 
 
 Banker’s wife 
 
 Lawyer’s wife 
 
 Publisher’s wife 
 
 School superintendent’s wife 
 
 Miller’s wife 
 
 Photographer’s wife 
 
 Mechanical engineer’s wife.. 
 Electrical engineer’s wife... 
 
 Millwright’s wife 
 
 Locomotive fireman’s wife... 
 
 Motorman’s wife 
 
 Office clerk’s wife 
 
 Printer’s wife 
 
 Stone cutter’s wife 
 
 Policeman’s wife 
 
 Miner’s wife 
 
 Baggageman’s wife 
 
 Waiter’s wife 
 
 Porter’s wife 
 
 Showman’s wife 
 
 Ball player’s wife 
 
 Bartender’s wife 
 
 Doing Doing 
 
 Total. Well. Fairly Well. 
 
 169 148 — 87 % 15 — 9 % 
 
 50 10 — 20 % 23 — 46 % 
 
 17 17 
 
 13 13 
 
 5 5 
 
 5 2 
 
 4 4 
 
 2 1 1 
 
 2 2 
 
 2 2 
 
 2 2 
 
 2 2 
 
 1 1 
 
 1 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 1 
 
 1 1 
 
 1 1 
 
 1 1 
 
 1 1 
 
 1 1 
 
 1 1 
 
 1 1 
 
 1 1 
 
 1 1 
 
 1 1 
 
 1 1 
 
 1 1 
 
 1 1 
 
 1 
 
 1 1 
 
 1 1 
 
 1 1 
 
 1 1 
 
 295 218—74% 
 
 49—17% 
 
 Doing 
 Poorly. 
 6— 4% 
 17—34% 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 28— 9% 
 
 UNMARRIED. 
 
 s 
 
 o 
 
 ui 
 
 ce. 
 
 Doing 
 
 Total. Well. 
 
 Doing house work, country 
 
 homes 159 106—68% 
 
 noing house work, city homes 101 29 — 29% 
 
 Teachers 43 43 
 
 Telephone operators 24 19 
 
 Saleswomen 23 17 
 
 Dressmakers 22 17 
 
 Nurses 14 14 
 
 Office clerks 14 12 
 
 Stenographers 13 13 
 
 Waitresses 12 5 
 
 Seamstresses 9 6 
 
 Milliners 3 3 
 
 Cooks 2 1 
 
 Chorus girls 2 
 
 csjctprs of charity 2 2 
 
 Institution matron 1 1 
 
 Postmistress 1 1 
 
 Ti ri->nt in orphans’ home. 1 1 
 
 Janitress 1 1 
 
 Laundress 1 1 
 
 County charges, hospital sub- 
 jects 4 
 
 "CeeHe-minded 63 
 
 In state sanatorium. Walker 1 
 
 In hospital for crippled chil- 
 
 Doing 
 Fairly Well. 
 
 36—22% 
 
 52—51% 
 
 " *5* 
 
 5 
 
 5 
 
 Doing 
 
 Poorly. 
 
 17—10% 
 
 20 — 20 % 
 
 63 
 
 o 
 
 Remaining in 
 homes 
 
 foster farm 
 
 335 
 
 287—86% 
 
 35—10% 
 
 13— 4% 
 
 & 
 
 Remaining in 
 homes 
 
 foster city 
 
 174 
 
 161—93% 
 
 11— 6% 
 
 2— 1% 
 
 With parents in 
 
 city homes 
 
 134 
 
 64—48% 
 
 52—39% 
 
 18—13% 
 
 
 With parents 
 homes 
 
 in country 
 
 P<\ 
 
 -o_ 49 % 
 
 11—28% 
 
 9—23% 
 
6 
 
 Total. 
 
 Remaining- in state public 
 
 school 5 
 
 In school for blind, Faribault 1 
 
 In government Indian school, 
 
 Carlyle 1 
 
 Total unmarried 1,206 
 
 Total married as shown. 295 
 
 1,501 
 
 Died 92 
 
 Doing- 
 
 Well. 
 
 Doing 
 
 Fairly Well. 
 
 Doing 
 
 Poorly. 
 
 3 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 829—69% 
 
 218 
 
 223—18% 
 
 49 
 
 154—13% 
 
 28 
 
 1,047 
 
 272 
 
 182 
 
 Total girls 1,593 
 
 This group of 4,00.0 children includes the older ones who have attained 
 majority and are pursuing their chosen vocations or working for themselves, 
 and the minor wards who have become established in their homes. The 
 oldest person in the group is 41 years old. The small percentage of those 
 remaining in their homes who are doing poorly is worthy of note. Those 
 remaining in foster homes, in cities especially, include many children who 
 were taken from the school when very young by wealthy or well-to-do 
 families for adoption. The results in such cases have been very satis- 
 factory. 
 
 For many of the children the country is the best place; those who have 
 gone into country homes and remained there are, as a rule, more satisfac- 
 torily situated than those who have left the farms and gone to the cities. 
 Only 6 per cent of the boys who have followed farming as an occupation 
 and only 4 per cent of the girls who have married farmers have done poorly, 
 while 20 per cent of the boys who have no regular occupation but depend on 
 day labor -and 34 per cent of the girls who have married day laborers have 
 done poorly. The number of day laborers is made up largely from those 
 who have left their farm homes and gone to the cities. Girls placed in farm 
 homes have usually done well. They have become members of the com- 
 munity, have married the sons of farmers in the neighborhood, and estab 
 lished homes of their own. It is also true that the girls who remain in the 
 country to do housework in the farmers’ families do better than those who 
 drift to the cities and become domestics in city homes. In contrast with 
 the social position of the girl who does housework in a city home, the 
 country girl is the social equal of the girls in the farmer’s family and those 
 in the neighborhood and is treated as such. 
 
 It will be seen that a larger percentage of the children returned to 
 their own parents are doing poorly than of those placed in foster homes. A 
 higher standard is maintained for the approval of foster homes than of the 
 children’s own homes. In many cases, however, the circumstances of the 
 parents have improved sufficiently to enable them to care properly for their 
 children and the children have done fairly well. 
 
 The results indicate that, as a rule, the children have become a part 
 of the normal population, attending the public schools and engaging in the 
 social, religious and industrial activities of the communities in which they 
 live; that those who have reached man’s and woman’s estate are, a large 
 majority of them, maintaining themselves honorably as citizens of good 
 character.