The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-10-17
THE WESTON ASYLUM.
EXTENDED ToUR OF INSTITUTION.
E,sr,.Alus POa.d to he ia 4ppls.pls Order b, The
DirsetOp-The Condition Of the Wards and
the Insane Psopls--Ths Improvements
that Are Going Oa-Psn PIeturss.


WESTON, W. Va, October l5.-The or
der OF exercises set apart for Friday morn
ing, in accord with law, was tour of in
spection through the halls, bed chambers
dining and bath rooms, and all the varioul
departments of the vast building spread
out over several acres Of ground, with it
miles Of piping and sewerage, its leagues
OF Railways and winding exits and en-
frances, the whole structure looming uE
against the sombre hills painted with In
dian summer hues, grand monument &c
the charity, and humanity OF the people o.
West Virginia.
A majority OF the board, accompanied
by the newspaper reporters and Mr.. Nc.
Gray, Of Grafton, we're ushered into the
first hall on the ground floor, where there
was situated in the projection used for a
sitting room fine.toned piano, on which
q Miss Howe, a lady patient performed
very creditahly several pleasing strains
This hall was occupied by the most tract
able OF the lady patients, and was hand
somely adorned with nicely arranged
variety OF chromos or paintings-your in.
artistic reporter couldn't tell which
flowers and ornamental work. There was
quite number Of ladies present OF varying
ages, who were mostly engaged in the do
mestic duties Of knitting, sewing, &c.
PRcuLIARrTIEs FTHE INSANE.
At one turn we met uniquely bedeck-
ed lady with her ears heavily laden with
rustic pendants, almost weighty enough to
break their hold. She is invariably styled
the Queen" and imagines herself the
Queen Of Spain, moving about with >an
almost queenIy air. Those who are fortu.
nate enough to make favorable impress
sion on her are named according to her
fancy in courtly fashion. .t
On another band we were confronted by
a lady OF probably sixty summers who is
anxiously desirous Of securing husband.
DR.. Bland presented her to your
reporter, but being Uniformed he was al.
ready benedict che turned her attention
to the Register scribe, who was not SO hap
PLY situated.
At another point we met a colored pa
tient, whose arlthmetical knowledge con.
sisted only in comprehension OF the
number "two," which he applied to every
thing in computation. For instance, ask
him how high he was and his answer
would be two" feeet, how old, "two"
years, &c. .@. .ll.
At one place an adventist Is warning
the people OF the end OF time. At
another patient ia earnestly discoursing
on whatever his diseased Imagination may
suggest, while at almost every step the
patients would piteously beg for tobacco,
which can only be allowed them in limited
quantities.
The patients were as cleanly and well
attired as could be possibly expected-as
many OF them tear their clothes to pieces
unless their hands are 80 confined as TO be
impossible. The halls were scrupulously
neat and clean, and to the credit Of the
management let 1t be said that it would
have taken considerable scratching 10 find
a busting pan OF filth in the entire trip OF
nearly three miles, from the first to the
fifth story, and back.
One feature OF the institution Ia TO be de.
plored, and that issomething the State will
have to "investigate" shortly-the crowded
condition Of the building. The Hospital
now has too many patients for comfort,
and some Of them have to be placed in the
fifth story, where 1t is absolutely impossible
to give them the light-so essential to health
and comforts they require.