The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1880-06-15
A WORTHY INSTITUTION
The Missouri Pacific Railway
Hospital, at Washing
ton, Missouri.
A "Bsxoo" Reporter Interviews q
Sedalian Who Was An
Inmate Thereof.

era, . reporter called on Mr.. George Tur-
ner, foreman Of the Pacific paint shops in
this city, yesterday, and interviewed him
on the subject. As many are aware, Mr..
Turner hes been in the employ Of the Old
Relisble for years. Last January he wss
taken sick with what il know n painters
collie, and on the 18th of that month he be-
came patient 1t the hospital, where he
remained until the "a day Of March.
when he returned home entirely cured.
He il earnest in his praise Of the insiitu-
ton and the gentlemen connected there
with, as his remarks following will verify.
R.-Mr. Turner, ~ you we're On inmate
of the hospital for several weeks, sup
pose you can give pretty full description
Of the place and the plan upon which it il
conducted?
Mr.. T.-Yss, I think I can; for while
vas there took particular pains to ascer-
tain for myself Is murh a. could about
the place.
R.-How was the hospital founded, how
is il kept up and where is it located
MI. tt will answer your last question
first. Il is at Washington. Mo-, Fifty miles
west Of st. Louie, a9d one hundred and
thirty five miles east of 6edslis. The ad.
visibility Of establishing an institution Of
this kind, for the benefit Of the sick or
injured employees Of the company, vas first
suggested BY Mr.. Oliver Garrison, ex pres
ident Of the road. After thoroughly con-
s,dering the subject, it Was deemed advisa-
bic TO locate hospital somewhere along
the line Of the road, and the town oil
Washington wss selected.
R.-Why Washington?
Mr.. There was en- old hotel there,
and il was for rent at low figure, ~ the
company leased il for . term Of years.
The building Was remodeled throughout
and is now quite An imposing structure,
being $50 feet IN length, 20 feet in width
and four stories high. Ii was decided that
the sum Of fifty cents yer month should bs
deducted from the wages Of every employe
from the president TO trackman, for the
purpose Of keeping up the place; and any
employe who was taken sick or injured in
any way should be entitled to treatment
free of charge, providing such employe he'd
been working for the company for period
Of fifteen days or more.
R.-When was it opened for patients?
Mr.. Ton the FIRST day Of August
1879.
R.-Iu whose charge is il?
Mr.. T.-Wiley Wesson is the general
superintendent; DR.. J. w. jackson is The
experimenting physician and surgeon, and
he is ably assisted BY Ds. Allen and
Knapp.
R-How is the building divided into
suitable rooms?
Mr.. T.-As 1 told you, the building il
four stories high. On the first floor il Z
large drug store and the Office Of the Wash
ington Democrat on the second flor an
the doctors Offices, amputatiOn rooms
bath rooms, linen room and suPerintend-
ents Office. There is a portico extending
oil the way around the building, which
adds much to Its beauty. The third aooI
lie divided into two wards-the sick and
the surgical; while the fourth floor is GU
up into rooms about fourteen ieet square
with vide hallway extending the entire
length of the building. These rooms an
occupied BY the patients, and are very
pleasant indeed. Al times there are n
many as twenty Of them in use, but tn
number of patients will not average more
than twelve. At the time vas there, how.
ever, there we're only eight-the Lowest
number ever there.
R.-Where do they do their cooking?
Mr.. T.-They do no cooking in th'
building. Victuals of the best quality arr
procured At either the Washington hous'
or at another hotel that I have forgotte,
the name of. Any patient can take hi
choice of these two houses. II be is ab!,
to 90 to his meals, he does 30; If not, they
are brought to the hospital by servants
For day board the superintendent pays 81:
per month for each patient, and it i
much better than cooking in the building
R-You say the place was thrown oper
on the lat OF last August; Who wac th'
FIRST patient. and when was he received?
10 Mr.. IA 6remsu named NJ. w. Scam
mel, who Vas badly burned by an acciden
near Lees Summit, was the frat. He va
taken there about the middle OF Angus
and has been there continually until th'
past week, when he had 60 far recovere,
that be was cent to his home back east.
had letter from him in which be ssit
he had settled satisfactorily with IN,
company and intended leaving. He spok,
in the highest terms Of the treatment h,
bad received, but he could not have don,
otherwise, for it is rs good - il one va
home with relatives.
R.--Do the majority of the patient,
taken there recover?
Mr.. T.-Oh, yer. don't think ther.
has been but two deaths since the institu-
tion was opened. One of those was q
Sedalia boy named Charlie Kegan, and the
other one q trackman, Who was almost
dead from drinking whisky before he went
there.
R.-Are others than employees of the
rod received {?
Mr.. T.-No. snd no one Of those Who
has not been in the company's employ
fifteen days. This is done, you know, Ia
protect those who are entitled 70 benefits
in csse of accident or sickness. 1t in.
cludes the main line and all its branches.
There are acme there nov from ID the
Central Branch Of the Union Pacific, the
road lately leased BY the management.
. R.-Whst is the average monthly sum