OREGON ASYLUM, VAST AND COMPLEX, RUNS LIKE
IT M$0ht'. ' Ml Ml saasm
FY AItISOV HKNNKTT.
T
O fcive in one article m comprehen-
s.ve and analytical description of
the largest farm in Oregon, the
lrgf.n prescription drug store, the
largest dairy, the greatest boardlng
hou.. the finest surgery and operating-room,
and to embrace In such ar
ticle all the other varied interests and
Industries, such as tailor shops, shoe
shops, blacksmith shops, grocery and
dry goods stores, bakeries and laun
dries, as .. to make up a city of 2000
Inhabitants, would be a task beyond
the ability of the ordinary writer, and
surely far beyond the powers of the
pen of the writer of this article.
When It was decided that I should,
through the columns of The Oregonlan.
give the public some of the facts about
our State Insane Asylum, the task
seemed a very simple one. and I went
Into the matter with the easy sang
frold of a youthful reporter sent on
his first round of Investigation In a
case nf measles or mumps, or a runa
way that had resulted In the loss of
a singletree or a linchpin. Oh yes; It
seemed mighty void of anything like
romplexlty.
So It was with vast assurance and a
light heart that I undertook to gather
I he necessary data for two-column
article which I thought would enlight
en the Oregon taxpayers mightily on
the subject.
Trip) Made tm Sales.
first. I took the matter up by cor
respondence with Governor West, and
it his request Dr. Steiner and his as
sistants and accountants sent me
mass of matter that set me to think
ing that perhapa 1 had struck rather
larger s'ibject than 1 had anticipated.
, I went to Salem and was met by
;fte Governor and Dr. Steiner, and we
pent a day in going over and through
:he various state Institutions, winding
up at the asylum.
Before this trip was half over I be
gan to comprehend that the subject
was not one for the consideration of a
few hours it would take much read
ing of reports and statistics, and many
visits, embracing days and weeks, to
get a real InsigM Into the "workings
of Ir. Stciner's Institution, and 1 have
spent considerable time going over the
farms and what may be called the
outer works of the asylum, and
through the asylum Itself.
And now let me digress Just a mo
ment while the matter Is In that shape,
before I attempt to explain how very
little i know about the multiplex
workings of this great Institution.
At each biennial session of our leg
islature there must be an appropria
tion made for the maintenance of the
asylum, and for Improvements thereto,
for the next ensuing two years. At the
last session such appropriations
amounted to the rather tidy sum of
S731.39l.si. and was made up of (1
Items, from toTO.OOv for maintenance,
down to lis for an oil filterer.
Legislative Task. Heavy.
The sessions of the Legislature ex
tend over a period of less than &0 days.
Hence when the matter for asylum
monies comes up and is referred to
the proper committee, such committee
has to go into the matter with a good
ileal of thoroughness to become con
versant with tne workings and condi
tion of the institution, before they can
make Intelligent recommendations for
tne basis of the bills carrying the nec
essary funds for the biennial period.
This committee, to be sure, has In
Its hanJs tl. e report of the superin
tendent, and also his recommenda
tions and suggestions as to the nrrJi
-f the various branches of the Institu
tion. But to act Intelligently the com
mittee must see with their own eyes
a thousand and one things of interest
to the taxpayers and liie Inmates, as
well as the employes: and to do that
in a thorough manner would require
ten times the time these committees
sn devote to the matter In the limited j
hours of an ordinary session of the
legislature unless they neglect all of
their other legislative duties.
There Is so much to be said along
this line, so much to show that no busi
ness man on top of the earth who was
expending such a vast amount of
money, over S3 50. 000 a year, would for
a moment think of making the neces
sary allotments on the mesger knowl
edge these committees can gain by
what may be said to be mere cursory
et laminations.
Hy this It need not be thought that
any complaint la being made as to
what the Legislatures have done In the
pat. It Is the least In my thoughts
to cast any opproblum upon any mem-
Intricate Problems Presented to
lut or any former sessions. To do I ft I t-" C , -V4 'i" --JM V SJ
More Time deeded.
Rut In the time at my disposal In
Coing through the workings of the
establishment I came to the conclusion
that for any committee to act with the
Intelligence any of the members would
ask In their business before embarking
on an enterprise of a tenth of the mag
nitude of an asylum appropriation,
they would give the. matter ten times
the thought they have the time to give
to the asylum.
And this digression Is not made with
the purpose of making a suggestion as
to the betterment of the prevailing
system, but rather as a hint for some
of those who find themselves In the
next Legislature: a hint that the en
tire system of appropriations for the
state Institutions may be so arranged
as to give those responsible for the
same more time to learn the needs of
the various public concerns.
This digression shows that thta ar
ticle must be very far from a com
plete one. No man but Dr. Stelner or
Dr. Griffith, or one of their staff who
has spent a long time In the asylum,
could give an article covering the en
tire ground and then It would take
every rolumn of a Sunday Issue of The
Oregonlan to contain it.
But 1 hope to give my readers some
facta about their greatest institution
that will aet them to thinking, facts
that will touch their pride, perhaps
their vanity. I wish I had about six
weeka in which to study the matters
further. I would like to go and ac
tually make my home In the wards and
see the real Inner workings of
the place. 1 would like to pass sev- i
eral days on the farm, more time at
the outlying branches, like the tuber
culosis and feeble-minded wards. And
I believe It would pay the state to
have aurh a work done by some com
petent writer. Dr. Stelner's biennial
reports are all right as far as they go,
but the limited space at his disposal
for such matters precludes the idea of
giving anything more than the skele
ton of such an article as might be
written.
I'sra la Fradactlve.
The asylum farm, known aa the Cot
tage Farm, embraces lilt acres, but
about a section. (40 acres of this Is in
brush or timber, although In this un
cleared land there is much fine pasture.
The buildings cover about 30 acres, in
cluding, of course, the barns, outhouses
and lawns. The garden embraces 6i
acres, orchards 7& acres. Of the latter
there are nearly ko acrea of recent
planting, say two yesrs age and less.
In addition to this farm there is In use
for the same Institution about 40 acres
of the land belonging to the Mute
School, this land being in potatoes.
The stock on the farm consists of
101 cows. -I brood sows. 10 teams of
horses, about 40 heal of heifers and
calves. H0 pigs and hogs, about 1200
hens and chlckena and 100 ducks with
a miscellaneous assortment - of farm
machinery commensurate with a large
and successful farm. Much of this land.
In fact all of It. as well as the many
other farms belonging to the peniten
tiary and other Institutions, is as fine
and productive agricultural land aa
there Is In the world.
Now. before going further, remem
ber that the superintendent of the asy
lum has about as many Irons In the
Ire as any man In Oregon. He must
not only he a doctor and an alienist,
hut must know at least something
about every trade and calling carried
on In a city of 2000 people. You might
compare htm with the Mayor, Com
mon Council. Chief of Tollce and head
of the fire department of auch a city,
for he la the sole head and administra
tor. If there Is an obstreperous patient
In one of the wards, the matter goes to
Dr. Stelner: If the cooks get too much
salt In the soup, see Dr. Stelner about
It: If a calf breaks its leg or Its neck,
carry the news straight to the doctor:
If only 7000 bushels of potatoes grew
thla year where there were 1000 bush
els last year, let the doctor get ready
to explain tt In his next biennial re
port: If the chlckena get the pip. the
cows the hollow-horn, the pigs the
cholera or a mule throws a shoe
carry the tidings to the doctor and get
his consolation and advice.
Dalles Are Lea-lea-He
must settle quarrels, arbitrate
fights, referee wrestling matches, um
pire, ball games, criticise the theatri- J
cal and musical entertainments, hire
and discharge a few hundred men each
TIIE SUNDAY OKEGOXIAX. PORTLAND, DECEMBER 17, 1911.
Head of Institution Legislative Committee Has Great Task
f ff ff. a "h3 vi H. a iss: i
( , l V lurry JiJ- - ' jl Sit-. tJt'V" -JM J -f LJ
year, listen to a doxen applications for
raise of pay ever day and do a few
thousand other stunts and at every
hour, almost every moment listen to
the plaints of a great army of patients
who are sure they are saner than the
doctor is, and "want out." ,
When you see Just what a multiplic
ity (there ought to be a word covering
more than that, but I can't Just now
think of it), if you could see Just what
the doctor Is up against as I saw It In
the limited time 1 was a member of
his "family." you would wonder how
under the name of heaven it Is that he
is not a "student" in one of his own
wards.
And mind you this, the superintend-
ent or our asylum must not only at-
tend to all of these duties satisfactory
to himself, or come as near to It as he
can: he must, at least, partially Jus-
tlfy his every action, before the Legls-
lature, the people and possibly the
courts.
And It might be a good thing for the
taxpayers, as well as the lawmakers,
to remember Just what duties Dr.
Steiner has to shoulder, or what any
man in his place will have to take
upon his hands.
In looking over the institution, of
course, the first and greatest night Is
the new south wing of the receiving
ward, which Is now rearing complex
tlon. 1 forget now Just how much
this hss cost, nor Is it essential, for It
haa ail been paid for. and is about as
complete a building of the kind as
there Is In the country. At least that
Is what the doctor told me, and I am
willing to take his word for it, for I
am blessed If I can tee how it could
be improved upon.
Many Tblak Themselves Mae.
But the mere mention of this part of
the Institution brings up another
thought, and that is that somehow we
all feel closer to the Insane asylum
than any other state Institution. We
all ahould have great sympathy for all
of the state's unfortunates; but the
asylum comes to the near vicinity, per
haps to the very home of most of us.
Of all of the unfortunates we seem to
have inanimate feeling for those who
have, lost or partially lost their rea
son. One cannot go through the wards
without feeling softened towards every
living human being aad thanking God
that his own mind is clear. Or he
thlnka tt Is. For hundreds of those
under Dr Steiner think they are saner
than the doctor.
And these Insane patients touch us
by their very numbers, over 1600 of
them, coming from every section of the
state. And we want them treated in
the very best possible way. We want
them to enjoy every convenience and
comfort essential to their well-being,
for perhaps by such treatment they
may be restored to their friends and
society.
Of all the portions of the asylum,
the most necessary to, have Just right
Is the surroundings encountered aa
they enter the Institution. The patient
la then tired, nervous, irritable and to
find himself In what looks like. a prison
has a terrible bad effect. If. on the
other hand, he finds himself In what
looks like a splendid and spacious ho
tel, finds the attendants as careful for
his comfort as any landlord or host
might be, finds the rooms and halls not
only elegant but so painted and tinted
as to soothe the brain and nourish the
eye why these flrst impressions may
go a long way towards putting the pa
tient on the way to convalescence.
Building Klegaat aad Safe.
A description of this beautiful build
ing la Impossible, but it can be stated
that while it Is so complete and ele
gant. It is also safe. It haa none of
the marks of a prison, but It would not
be easy for the newcomer to get away
from tne sinprie attendant wno migrnt
be in charge of him. In every detail
the structure and the equipments have
been patterned after the best buildings
of the kind in this country. Not a
single detail Is missing. The operating
room Is one of the very finest ever
constructed anywhere; in ventilation
and heating nothing further In the way
of improvements could be suggested.
And what is more to the point for the
.taxpayers, who always like to get
value received, but sometimes fail, the
material and workmanship are of such
- a substantial character that it will be
i many years before any Improvements,
I alterations or repairs are necessary.
I In some wars this asylum is in ad-
vance of anything in the West. Tak
1 the laundry as an Instance; there is
j no establishment of the kind on the
i Coast that has a better equipment than
can be found In the asylum "washee
' house." It has every newest wrinkle
for renovating and Ironing clothes,
from the finest to the coarsest. And
when you remember that here the
work is done for over 1800 people you
will see that it Is something of a go
ing'' concern.
Everything is as neat and clean
soap and water and fresh paint and
pure air can make It. The weekly
output la 135.000 pieces, and there are
only three hired employes, the other
40 being patients, 2& men and IS wo
men. Clothing Carried la Tsmmels.
Mentioning the laundry brings up
the subject of gathering the solleu
pieces, which brings in the fact that all
of the buildings are connected by un
derground tunnels, and in these is
tramway and all the carrying of ma
terials of every description Is done on
Perhaps the greatest sight In the en-J
tire institution Is the kitchen where
the cooking for the majority of the
Inhabitants of thla little city is done.
The superintendent thinks he here has
the most up-to-date culinary arrange
ment to be found west of the moun
tainsand If there is soother kitchen
anywhere that can beat It, why he
does not know where it is. And one
cannot imagine any sort of apparatus
for convenience, utility or perfection
of cooking that is not there installed.
But think what goes through this
kitchen. And these figures will give
some Idea of the products of the farm.
Here Is a list, as far as It goes, of some
of the products sent from the farm to
thla great kitchen during the last two
years: Green beans, 1315 bushels; cab
bage, 41.873 heads; carrots, 4179 bush
els; corn, 1 1 ,7 !3 doxen; eggs, 3117 doz
en: milk. 144,150 gallons: potatoes. 21,-
D21 bushels; rhubarb. 31.320 pounds;
pork, 63.134 pounds: pickles. 2718 gal
lons, and strawberries, 7799 gallons.
For cleanliness this kitchen is Just
as near perfection as possible for any
place to be. In fact It Is In every im
aginable way the height of perfection.
Bakery Another dhow Place.
The bakery is another show place,
for it Is no inconsiderable task to turn
out the bread, cakes and pies for a
population of 1800 people. And there
are few plants In the state to compare
with the asylum baker)-, none more
complete, none where cleanliness and
purity are carried to such extremes.
And remember that aside from the few
heads all of these departments are
manned by the patients. Over nine
tenths of all the labor Is performed by
them.
It would be a hopeless task to under
take to mention every part of this
great institution in detail; but let us
touch upon some of those phases that
have occupied the public eye during
the last eighteen months.
I will take the cow "parlor" first. I
in" Providing for Many Expenditures and Delving Into
1 vi' -r -v " '
r v v" -, 'A s u ,
There is about as fine a herd of dairy
cows on the asylum farm as there is In
Oregon and this herd is getting better
every year. The barn of such political
note was constructed to accommodate
100 head of cows, and it is perhaps one
of the best In the world. It has every
modern wrinkle. . It is as near perfect
in every - detail as the architects and
builders eould make It; and it is built
In a way so permanent as to make one
think it will be as good 25 years hence
as 1t is now, for there is scarcely any
woodwork in It save the roof and outer
covering.
Not a Dollar Wasted.
Perhaps a few hundred dollars could
have been saved in paint and finishing
and the glass in the windows might
have been less expensive; but any per
son who realizes that the cow is the
most sensitive of animals, that her sur
roundings have much to do with her
output of milk, that her comfort makes
for profit when these things are con
sidered by one who loves the "bossie"
family, he will say at once that in car
rying out the schemes of perfection
there has not been a dollar wasted. It
was aimed by Dr. Steiner, backed up
by the Legislature, to construct as
complete a dairy barn as there is in
the world and the best experts think
we have it, and the taxpayers got the
worth of their money.
That "bltr red automobile was my
means of conveyance over the various
state properties and the tour was made
In a short day a trip that would take
three days by a team conveyance. In
deed, before this auto was purchased,
It used to take the doctor trom early
morning until late at night to visit
the outer farm alone; now he can make
the trip In a couple of hours. If this
was the ox-team period, the day of the
stage coach or even the pony express
or the period of horsecars, then the
paying of 11875 for an auto would be
out of place. But we had no such
machines then, we had no such modern
cow barns, up-to-date clinics, perfec
tion in kitchen and laundry machinery.
This is the age of automobiles and
evers'body knows it. And this "big
ced touring car" was purchased for the
use of the asylum after pretty tnorougn
consideration. From- the day it was
bought It has been kept mighty busy
on the business of the various state de
partments and it has paid ror Itself
five times over. The money paid for
It was one of the best investments the
state ever made. . And the state board
should purchase one each for the State
house and the Penitentiary at the
earliest moment.
Wood CossDmptlos Large.
One Item to show what a mammoth
Institution the asylum is can best be
stated by the consumption of wood,
which amounted last year to over 6000
cords. An oil plant Is now about com
pleted and this will save over 12500 a
year.
One of the great surprises to meet
the visitor to the asylum is the amount
of work done by the patients. it is
well known that all of the mild pa
tients are far better oft with some work
to do than they would otherwise be
but one can hardly' understand how it
is that there are scores and hundreds
who have labored in or around the asy
lum diligently, faithfully and apparent
ly intelligently for many years who are
as mad as the proverbial March hare.
But such is the case. I saw some who
had been working steadily at the same
occupation for over 20 years as they
will work until they die. Many of
these labor like automatons, but pa
tiently and skilfully until their "hob
by" la touched upon. Then they flare
up like an explosion of gunpowder.
Finally I will give the statistics of
over 20 asylums, scattered from New
England to the Pacific, showing the
monthly cost per capita of the patients.
which of course includes board, room.
clothing, laundering, medical attend
ance, dental work and everything that
can be reckoned in the cost of living,
even amusements.
Various Asylums Compared.
The list of the cost for maintenance
for patients In the different asylums In
the united States follows:
Name of
Cost Per Capita
Institution.
Per Montn.
State of Oregon 113.63
title. State of New York 16.93
Poughkeepsle, State of New York 16,30
Kings Park. State of New Tork 15.98
Lonr Island. Btate of Nw Tork....... 10.43
WUIard, State of New Tork 15.36
Eastern. State of Maine 15.48
Jacksonville. State of Illinois 17.3.1
Georgia, State of Georgia 14.28
Connecticut. State of Connecticut 16.33
Norwich. State of Connecticut 16.47
Stockton. State of California 15.33
Napa, State of California 16.25
Agnews. State of California 17.lt
Mendocino, State of California 17.08
South California, State of California. . 18.09
Central Indiana, State of Indiana.... 16.42
Dixmont, State of Pennsylvania 17.68
Warren. State of Pennsylvania 17.0S
Hartford Retreat, Stale of Connecticut 15.06
run. M. for insane, Krltlsn Columbia. 15.38
state Asylum, State of Washington... 15.20
State Asylum, state of Idaho... 16.S0
Oregoa Rate Lowest.
It will be noted that the Oregon asy
lum has the lowest rate, 113.65, and
the Southern California the highest,
118.09. These figures were furnished
by Dr. Steiner and I have no reason to
doubt their accuracy. The doctor avers
that there is no other Institution in
the country where the keep of the pa
tients is so low and none where their
wants are better supplied. He accounts
for the low cost of living by averring
that the farms of the asylum are the
best and most productive owned by any
public Institution in the country. And
I will drop the matter right here for
fear of getting close to the borderland
of politics closer than I did with the
"big red touring car."
Here is the hospital staff: Dr. Robert
B. Lee Steiner, superintendent; Dr. L.
F. Griffith, flrst assistant physician,
with the following gentlemen as assist
ant physicians: A. E. Tamiesie. J. C. i
Evans, Harvey J. Clements, J. H. Rob
nett and C. C. Bellinger.
Dr. Griffith has been practically the
head of the medical staff for many
years and his knowledge of the work
ings of the institution Is of the great-
MACHINE
Details.
eat value to the superintendent, thai
patients and the state. The other pay
slcians are all well equipped for thelrt
various duties and Dr. Steiner wished!
me to say that he attributes the smootl
running of the Institution and the!
great success which he avers has beenl
made in healing so many diseased!
minds, to his assistants.
Wrecked Crew Saved by Dogs.
Swansea, Wales, Correspondence Lon
don Dally News.
A thrilling story of shipwreck and
of rescues by dogs was told when Na
thaniel Miles, fireman of the Swansea
steam trawler Hector, returned home
today.
The Hector, carrying a crew of nine
hands, went ashore at Kilronan, on the
Irish coast, during the recent heavy
weather.
"Great waves swept over the vessel,
said Miles, "and at length we heard
the order 'Every man for himself.' We
had lifebelts on, and with the exception
of the captain, mate and chief engi
neer we plunged into the surf. At first
we could make little or no progress
then e couple of huge waves carried
us toward the shore, where two dogs
belonging to B. R. Jeffers, the light
house keeper, Jumped into the water,
caught our jerseys In their teeth and
dragged us ashore.
Origin of Word Panic.
London Chronicle.
No word has moved with the timea
pure than "panic" Long ago in ancient
Greece It was a mild fear inspired by
n.ysterious sights and sounds among
the mountains and valleys by night,
which were attributed to the gH Pan.
Nowadays it has a by no means supers
natural significance on the stock ei
rhacgci as it nearly did in Berlin tha
othoi day. "Panic fear was the orl
ginal expression, and in shortening It
to panic we nave already been
slipshod as the small boy who calls
his comic paper" a "comic" eniites
bury, 200 years ago, would have used
the word for any contagious feeling
that rclzed upon mases of men. "There
are many Pannlcks In Mankind besides
cereli that of Fear. And thus in Re
Usrlon also Pannick."
F
SCALES AND CRUSTS
4
Eczema from Top of Head to Waist.
Suffered Untold Agony and Pain.
Doctors Said ItCould Not Be Cured.
Set of Cuticura Remedies Success
ful When All Else Had Failed.
"Some time ago I ms taken with eczema
from the top of my head to my waist. It
began with scales on my body. I suffered
untold Itching and burning, and could not
sleep. I was greatly disfigured with scales
and crusts. My ears looked as if they had
been most cut off with a razor, and my neck
was perfectly raw. I suffered untold agony
and pain. I tried two doctors who said I
had eczema m its fullest stage, and that it
could not be cured. I then tried other rem
edies to no avail. At last. I tried a set of
the genuine Cuticura Remedies, which cured
me. Cuticura Remedies cured me of ecrema
when all else had failed, therefore I cannot
praise them too highly.
"I suffered with eczema about ten months.
but am now entirely cured, an I believe
Cuticura Remedies are the best skin cure
there Is." (Signed) Miss Mattie J. Bhaffer,
E. F. D. 1, Box 8, Dancy, Miss., Oct. 27, 1910.
"I had suffered from eczema about foui
years when boilu began to break out onj
different parts of my body. It startea win
a fine red rash. My back was anectea nrai
when it also SDresd over my face. The items
was almost unbearable at times. I trie!
different sosds and salves, but nothing seeme
to help me until I began to use the Cuticur,
Boap and Ointment. One box or tnem cure
me entirely. I recommended them to tt
sister for her babv who was troubled wit
tooth eczema, and they completely cure.
her baby." (Signed) Mrs. F. L. MarDerge
Drehersville. Pa., Sept. 6, 1910.
Althotnrh Cuticura Soap and Cuticui
Ointment are sold by druggists and dealer
everywhere, a liberal sample of each, wit
82-paee booklet on the skin and hair, wlr
be sent, post-free, on application to Potter
Drug A Chem. Corp.. Dept. 4B, Bastes.
WITH