The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-02-17
'TBEDE6l0CRNSS
MoMNNN, Wy. Al
The Wcst Virginia Hospital for
the insane.

The Wheeling IntClligencer of the
Sth inst. Opposcs an appropriation for
the Hospital for the Insane, on the
ground that largo amount Of money
has been expended on the building
already, and that there is not room
in tho said Hospital for all tho insane
now in the jails Of tho State.
Tho State Insane Hospital located
10 Weston previous TO tho formation
Of West Virginia was intended 10 be
model institution Of the kind, and enc
Of the finest IN the United Statcs.-
Virginia had, at tho time Of the loca-
ton Of this Asylum, two other Lunatic
Asylums-ona ut Williamsburg, 10
the Eastern part Of tho State, aud one
at Staunton, in Central Virginia.
neither Of which were in keeping with
the then wealth Of Virginia, whose
revenues, at 40 cents on the 800
value of property, placed in the pub.
lie treasury Of the State upwards of
-Four Millions Of Dollars annually
The statesmen Of Virginia, stimulated
by her large revenues and growing
wealth, and moved by a generous
philanthropy, decided to build third
Asylum in Northwestern Yirginia,
equal to any on the globe, and when
completed, TO be monument Of high.
est Christian charity. The present
plan Of tho building was submitted to
tho Legislature of Virginia for appro-
val, and as an ondOrsatiOn, 100000
in gold was appropriated to tho work,
and at tho extra session of 1861,
$4,000 more was uppropriatcd-so
earnest werO tho statesmen and phil
anthropists of Virginia to prosecute
tho work, that in less than three years
Sl65,000 had been voted towards the
building Of this great charity.
But for the war the amount Of mo.
noy now expended GU the structure
would have completed it, The depre.
citation Of paper money and the high
price Of labor aud material, have
DOUBLED tho cos! Of building.
We agree that brick house would
have been much cheaper than stone,
but the majority favored stone for the
reason that a number Of blue and sand
stone qaarries were near tho location,
and such Il structure as Virginia ut
that timO seemed to require, 10
make it model institution oil the kind,
could only DO built of stone. Hence the
splendid West Virginia (blue stone)
Hospital for the Insane, located in tue
town Of Weston. Aud it is to US u
source Of great qualification that the
county of Ohio has been the greatest
beneficiary and recipient Of this noble
charity Of any county in the State--57
patients have been admitted into the
Hospital from that county since its
opsning-9 were admitted last year.
3S arc now being cared and provided
for. These figures show double rs
many from Ohio county, now here, as
any other county in the State The
whole number Of the insane now in
the Asylum is ESQ. The original de
sign was to have only $50, to make it
CURATIVE institution. The increase
ofinsanity, the irrcgularity and un.
certainty of appropriations, and the
difficulty Of procuring mechanics aud
laborcrs for short periods Of time, have
greatly retarded tho work, and pre-.
vented tho acceptance Of a greater
number o. patients than ire now nc.
commodatsd. 10 cconomizc aud push
forward to complexion great work
like this, the Legislature should Of pro.
pirate at once sum sufficient, III uu.
nuAl payments, to finish it Let this
be done, and by the 3lst Of October
next The jails Of the State eau DC emp.
tied of their insane, and the 90 or ITO
now confined in The common iails be
accommodated here, and placed under
course Of treatment which might,
sooner or later, restore them to reason.