Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-12-30
Insane NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. the
Peoples Money Sans Ceremone.

ABOVE.
Insane Prolfigacy-Squanderingt the
Peoples Money Sans Ceremone.
A committee consisting OF Sena.
tors Sutherland, McGrew and Smith,
was appointed from the Wisconsin
Senate last winter to investigate the
hospital for the Insane at Mendoza.
The Committees voluminous report
was handed to the Governor a few
days ago. 1t presents the manage.
ment of that hospital IN a most un.
becoming aspect. 1t shows that af.
ter deducting the cost of permanent
improvements, the support of the
institution for four years cost tho
State 1853, 1920. The board of
the average number of 377 inmates
cost 1870 per week, or nearly sS5,
900 per year. There were found on
the asylum farm "170 blooded and
fancy animals" which cost the State
extraVsgant sums-fanoy prices for
fancy stock to be- used by and for
fanatics. Half the number ia an
abundance and the ordinary grade
of animal, would suit the parp $50
much better. Raining the hospit.
al to grow fancy cows and bulls is
but one item 10 the fancy style of
running the whole Institution. Here
for instance are q few of the Iuzu-
rles and their prices tent and
hammock $2150; oars aud row
locks for boat s14.95; ways to boat
house 100; attending circus s29 90;
fire works for 4.h of July, S169. 81 ;
attending State fair 800 90; a
female dog s23 so seven chickens
$4,000; frescoIng ceilings about
$500 90; one Rogers Italy s15,
one Richter 1890; one Otley's
painters. S2l.00; one Roswell's Air.
slee S18 80; one National Gallery,
$1,000. The committee says such
illustrations of folly and extrava-
canoe could be extended to great
length. La 1877 the Legislature
authorizs I'D an appropriation of ST.,
600 tor new barn. Before even q
plan of the barn was made tie first
bill of lumber for it cost 1880
The barn when completed cost over
$4,000 and yet the State Lsgisla-
ture never made any other appro-
priation forit. Every reader knows
that every year q pamphlet of laud.
atoms of that "Insane" institution,
illustrating its good management
and It's credit to tho honor of the
State is printed and circulated by
toe thousand by direction Of our
wise legislators. The only item
that ever appeared 10 this new pam.
phlet about this new barn was a
oharge,of 1927 Sc. Four wings to
the hospital. acosting $4,000, were
built in 1879 without any authority
from the Legislature. A steward
was allowed to retire in 1876 with
his accounts S1,9O1.85 short and
the case was never even reported.
Net a trustee 'or~any officer knew
what had become of his bond. His
accounts are still short 81 ,256 95,
the difference having been recover
ed from q broken bank where be
kept bis deposits. The hospital is
right on the shore of big lake
whore there is plenty of water for
81 hands to drink, battle, swim, take
boat rides or drown themselves, but
this did not prevent the superinten.
dent from constructing an artificial
lake, never authorized and fer
which no special appropriation was
ever made. The legislature author
izsd sn Investment Of $1,000 in
stock aud Immediately $4,000 were
in7ested. II 1873 the legislature
gave go 1000 - ooa- rset TIE bed of
a rairoad -wi'ch from Ii dspos to
the bospi,si engine house. The
work was never d0ue and no one
knows what becsms Of thai 50 600
During the time Investigated the
State has paid oyer $4,000 interest
on monsy borrowed unau,h rita.
lively by the legislature. The hos
pital debt vas reported to the last
Legislature a. $50 sill, bat it is
found that the debt amounted to
$4,000. The Committee could not
get satisfactory explanation whsre
the additional SIT, 500 were expepd-
ed. Sans of money. large and
small, have been received by the
Superintendent from both poor and
rich friends of inmates and these
moneys are not accounted i5r. The
book-kseper reports that the
hospital officers should have saved
$4,000 by jadicious purchases ofsup-
Plies. Dr.. Boughton's accounts are
s1,I91,77 short aud G. E. McDiIl's