The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1882-05-04
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No. II.
Correspondence Of the Herald
AusTIN, April 81, lSs2-Wero you, dear
reader, ever in an Insane Asylum, mean
as visitor? An Insane Asylum, the
home of those whose light of life has yir.
tually been oxtnguished; the home for the
wrecks of perhaps once noble existences
the place where present fears predominant
and horrible imagininps and airy
nothings with fantastic shapes and
ecstatic joys. all rule by turn.
Here we look with pitving eye upon man;
that encyclopedia of facts and fancies; that
enigma, in one respect all simplicity, in an
other all mystery; pendulum betwiXt
smiles and tears and joys and fears. Him,
that human quarry, who has been said to be
$50 noble in reason, so infinite in faculty,
in action so angelic. in apprehension so like
a god, the beauty of the world, the paragon
of animals" we find here to be only the
disjointed remnant of what distinguishes
humanity from the brute. These were the
reflections that presented themselves to my
attention few evenings ago at the state
Lunatic Asylum, where there are now nearly
400 of these wretched wrecks. Each and
every one has his or her own peculiar theo-
ry assigned why he or she is thus
deprived of liberty. Each has a
tale of some suffering and grievance intlict'
ed upon them by some other. All have
bafled the physicians skill in his efforts
ITO minister to a mind diseased
To pluck from the memory some rooted sorrow;
To raze the hiddenstrou oithe brain
And with some sweet oblivon's .antid tie,
Cleanse the stuffed bosom of that perilous stuff
Which weighs upon the hear"
Some are revengeful in their feelings,
some desperate in their intents while 9th
ers, happy in the contemplation lot some
great, good fortune about to befall them,
and lead lives with sort of joyous strains,
yet under all ripping a perpetual.wail as of
souls III pain. And so runs lie away with
them. they knowing, after all, about as
much as you and L how and
wherefore life and ourselves did meet,
lowering in the titful dream like stars be-
tween two worlds, or how and where we
must separate the compromising when the
eIiacing fingers of Decay shall at its portal
Death sweep the lines that bound this
suburb mortality from the city of eternity.
They with their day dreams, we with orr
maginings; they with their ever present
illusions, we with ouras frequent decisions.
Under the kind courtesy of DIR. ]. Y.
Wilson, myself and party of friends, Ia
dies and gentlemen, were shown through
the several wards, apartments, play
grounds, ETC., etc, of this humane institu-
tion. The first cell visited was that re-
Gently occupied by
the son Of General T. j. Rusk, once the
foremost of the men of his time. l
sent you brief account, by
Sunday morning by means of a handker-
chief tied around his neck and then sus-
pending himself to the iron window-bar,
just passing his own height above the floor
He was 81 years of age, was widower, with
only child, a son, living; was a farmer, and
had until lately been residing in Nacog-
doches county. This was his third attack
of insanity the first one having been ex-
perienced some ten years ago. 1t will be
remembered that his father sucided about
twenty-five years since by a rifle shot
through his brain. In health a better,
drawer man never lived. Passing along we
struck
ANOTHER QUAINT CHARACTER,
who was in possession of rope and fancied
himself sheriff and insisted upon hang
ing VI unless we left the premises
instanter. Like most of the inmates of
an epileptic ward, he was ill-humored;
this is the prevailing feature OF epilepsy.
The next individual we met was from
New Orleans, his former home, anu he told
me much of the early history of some of
the old residents of the Crescent City now
living in Texas, and some in Dallas. He
was to every appearance perfectly sane I'M
til he commenced on the subject of his
Navigation Stock" of which he owned
some $1,000 900, and whereof he was I'M
Justly deprived. Then reason toppled from
its throne, and fancy lent to memory the
wings that took him back to the days when
the now hoary locks were in their silken
prime.
Another one was in daily expectation of
the receipt of valuable patents for preserv-
ing fruits, and of which some parties
were endeavoring to dispossess him. And
yet another one, with perfect limbs, imag-
ined himself a cripple, and would be whole
once more eff he but had heels to his
boots" One fancied himself to own heavy
deposits in various banking concerns, and
was "ready at all times to draw his checks
for any good paper that might be offered
no matter how large the amount" This
idea of wealth is characteristic of most
cases of general paralysis.
One poor fellow, about so years of age,
especially interested me. He was
BOTH INSANE AND BLIND.
He had been at one time an excellent
music teacher, and had taught at the blind
institution under an annual salary of $500:
had also taught music to many OF our best
citizens, among them the wife of ex-GOv-
ernor Hubbard. He was truly feariully
afflicted. and yet he seemed TO be content
All wanted to receive letters from their
friends, and felt that these communications
had heen pnrposely withheld. All wanted
to see the governor or the legislative mem
Der from their county or some relative. In
the shady and ample Fairgrounds they
are happy, rarely ever fighting, and in
dulging in oil sorts of games. On Friday
evenings they have their regular dance and
go through the figures with surprising &C.
curncy and interest, the music being hired
for the occasions. Some amusing incidents
sometimes occur. One OF our party put
sp a job" on another one, suggesting tina:
a certain one of the females was perfectly
sane on al subjects except that she believed
herself to be
THE QUEEN OF HEARTS.
So be was tod TO ask her TO dance and, TO
secure her ready assent, 10 represent him
self as king Of Diamonds" She on the
other hand had been told a similar thing Of
him early in the evening. II was only
when the dance was finished that our
friends discovered that both had been
sold" each being visitor instead Of
supposed lunatic innate.
Visiting
THE FEMALE WARDS,
I found that most Of the women had be-
come crazy from religious excitement. One
of them fancied herself 10 be est Mary
the mother Of Christ. She has been in ia
asylum for twenty years and confined 10
her bed in a reclining position for six years.
and was originally from Louisiana. Her
hair was as white as the driven snow, and
age aud woe had wrinkled facc and fore, [,
bead that | was told once rivaled m their
youth tie blush Of roses fully blown, and
IN their perfect prime ruled camp nd.couri. /
the od0red Of al adorrs. One poor Girl I
was positive that she bad
A TEIEITTED Stomach,
and no argument could persuade her to the /
contrary. On al other subjects she was as
sensible as most mOrtels be. Another one I
thought she was empress Of France and I
that her son was prince 81 America and ]
suspected that every one was in conspiracy /
10 defraui them o. their righfful inherit I