Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-01-27
MILLEDGEYILLE.
How the Old Capital Is FlourIshing
A Visit 10 the Lunatic Asylum.

Editor Morning Netcs: In my visit to MIL.
edgeville to attend the sitting Of the Superior
Court was struck with the business appear
ance of the place. 1t is a mistake to suppose
that the old metropolitan city is fast on the de-
cline on account Of the removal Of the capital.
The old capitol building is still there, and has
been put to the best Of purposes, by being con-
verted into a first-class branch college, with an
able corps of professors, viz: Profs. W S.
Dudley, o. NJ Gone, j. G Hinton, D. H. Hill.
Jr., and five teachers in the preparatory de-
partments Number of scholars 342 and on the
increase. Board from S12 to S15 per month
Every house is occupied, and more are needed
for those who desire to make the city their
home to educate their children.
There are number of stores and we'll filed
with goods, and Milledgeville has the reputation
or bel & one OF the best cotton markets for the
farmers in the State, for good prices are paid
and goods sold cheap. Hence. the place is on
the improve, and there is for it a bright future
The college alone would give life to the place.
accomplished fact
The farmers complain of hard times-an old
chronic cry that we have heard for the last
thirty years We spoke with some three or
four, who said thev were doing well, but thew
happened to be those who raised their own
corn and meat. Fools only learn in the school
or nerd experience, and it is to be hoped that
the farmers of Georgia will learn that the f1rst
step in the direction of domestic economy is TO
raise their home supplies by all means and
make their cotton their money crop They
will come to 1t in time-necessitY will demand
it,
LUNATIG ASYLUM.
I visited the lunatic asylum. Found new inn
provements and others in contemI lation The
building for the accommodation of the negro
patients will be finished by the last OF this year.
IL VIII take near four million bricks. The front
will be about $50 feet, running back over $50.
When completed it will accom- modate four
hundred patients. There is now in the asylum
nine hundred and thirty-two patients, ard ap-
plications are made nearly daily for others
There is a great imposition practiced on the
State by sending the old and imbecile. those
without friends, and who, in fact, are only mis-
erable paupers; also, many helpless idiots are
sent. who should be kept at home. They can
possibly DO no harm, and their parents are
their natural guardians Many counties send
their paupers because they do not have poor
house to send them to. The superintendent
should be allowed some discretionary power
as TO whom he will receive LunatIcs mad
men, and such as really need daily medical at
tention are the ones to send, not idiots and
lmoeclles who need nothing but food AS the
law now stands, the asylum will have fifteen
hundred in it in the next ten years. There will
be no less than five hundred negroes senr.
judging from the way they are now going on
1t is remarkable fact that the negro, with
his coarse organization, cannot indulge in vice
to any great degree without suffering mpn
tally. | was astonis7ed at the character of
the insanity of a number. Liquor will be the
great curse of the negro. and The asylum will
be crowded in few years with crazy negroes
arising from drunkenness and other vices
Anxiety preys upon the negro mind with great
effect They cannot stand trouble like the
whites There is no elasticity to their brains
a they break quick when extra pressure is
brought to bear upon them
After the negro building is finished and
those now occupied by them are fitted up for
the whites, should it become necessary to en-
lar e them, it would be well TO build another
asylum in North Georgia. The present build
log and grounds should not be any moro en-
larged, for it would be two unwieldy.
R.M.O.