principal, and remained under the general supervision of the superintendent of the institute. In 1882 a complete separation of the internal administration of the two departments was made, and James J. Dow, who had been principal since 1875, was appointed superintendent of this department. In 1887 a reorganization of the departments of the institute was made, and this department was termed by law the school for the blind. The superintendency and internal administration remained unchanged. The school is equipped with all the appliances of a modern special school of this class, and makes a specialty of musical instruction and industrial training. The course of study embraces a period of eight years, beginning with the kindergarten and ending with the ordinary studies of English classes in the high school. The school is free to all blind children and youth in the State of Minnesota, between the ages of eight and twenty-five, to whom board, care and tuition are furnished. There are in attendance the present school year (1888-9) fiftyfive pupils. The buildings are adapted to accommodate a maximum of sixty pupils. THE SCHOOL FOR FEEBLE-MINDED. In 1868 the attention of the board of directors of the institution for deaf, dumb and blind was called to the fact that there were children finding their way into the school for deaf who were not bright enough to remain, and in 1877 Prof. Noyes emphasized the necessity for special provision for this class. The state board of health took the same position, and the officers of the hospitals for insane announced that many idiotic and feeble-minded persons were constantly being sent to them for want of a more suitable place. The concurrent movements caused the legislative committee on hospitals for insane, during the session of 1879, to take the matter of provision for idiots and imbeciles under advisement. The legislature, by an act "Relating to the removal of insane and inebriate persons," created a commission, whose first members were Dr. Geo. W. Wood, of Faribault, Dr. H. A. Boardman, of St. Paul, and Dr. W. H. Leonard of Minneapolis, and who were authorized to select from the patients at the hospitals for insane such children as were feeble-minded or idiotic, and not properly belonging with the insane, and assign them to the care of the doctors of the Faribault institutions. A large frame building situated about one-half mile south of the school for deaf was rented by the board for the "experimental" school, and a veteran specialist, Dr. H. M. Knight, of Connecticut, was employed to organize the work, and his son, Dr. Geo. H. Knight, was placed in charge, under the title of "acting superintendent," the nominal supervision resting with the superintendent of the school for deaf till 1882, when a separation was made in name, as it had formerly existed in practice. Dr. Knight resigned in 1885, and Dr. A. C. Rogers was appointed in his place. The present buildings were begun in 1881, are of blue limestone, have cost about $135,000, and will accommodate three hundred persons. It consists of two wings and a transverse centre, the south wing being occupied by custodials, and the north by school children, while the centre contains administration rooms, a hospital, an assembly hall, school and industrial rooms, dining room, kitchen, etc. There have been over four hundred applications for admission received since the organization, and the number is rapidly increasing. The present population is two hundred and fifteen, divided nearly equally between the custodials and school children. The former consisting of idiots and adult imbeciles, will require life care, though many become more or less useful. A large percentage of the latter whose mental incapacities prevent their receiving benefit from the public schools, become self sustaining under proper training, and a special school with a manual training is organized for them. THE SOLDIERS' HOME. The Minnesota Soldiers' Home is located at Minnehaha Falls, on a tract of fifty acres of wooded land, donated to the state for the purpose by the city of Minneapolis. The law providing for its establishment, constitutes Chapter 148, General Laws of Minnesota for 1887. Its management is vested in a board of seven trustees, appointed by the governor, not more than four of whom can be members of the same political party. A temporary home was established at Minnehaha, in November, 1887, occupying some vacant buildings directly across Minnehaha creek from the site of the permanent home. The buildings for the latter were commenced in May, 1888, and consist of two brick cot |