Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-02-21
Charitable Institutions.

There are, at present, lwenty-three persons
from this county in insane STANDARDIZATION
at Dixmont and two at Warren, and of these four
are credited to the county two each to Winfield
Donegal, Adams and Mercer townships and But
Ter and MerAown bor0Gg.ls. and ore each to
Fairvew, Cleariied Lancaster, Parker, Cranber-
ry Butler and Centre townships. No township
can be credited with more thai two, al after that
number go TO the county.
The bills for supporting and clothing these per-
SONS while at the asyunls sent TO the county
Commissioners and are paid by the county, and
the county III turn collects from the townships to
whom the persons are credited or where the per-
sons have estates IRON the Trustees OF their
estates. Disputes sometimes arise alS 10 the last
place of legal residence of a person committed to
an asylum, as III the case OF the county versus
Clearteld township, now pending, regarding John
Melaughlin The niXmont peype charge $50
per quarter or 80 per week for boarding aud car
ing Tor an Insane person, and the arren people
$3.50 per quarter or 600 per week To which sums
are added the value Of the clothing furnished
them The DiXmonI bin against this county
for the three months ending Jan. lst 1883, tor
boarding and clothing twenty persons dur
ing the entire quarter, two persons during part of
the quarter and for burying Frank Mcbride was
SlU9J15, and the Warren bl.l Tor one person was
s6525 Inc hospital ~ warren Is owned and
State over million dollars, and IL is SAID to be
the finest insane asylum N the world. 1t was
opened for the reception OF patients about a wear
ago and is under the charge OF Dr Jno. Curwin.
former superintendent OF The State Lunatic Hos
pital at Harrisburg. "DiNmCAt" or the Western
Pennsylvania Hospital, L AT DiXmont station ON
the 7. * r. w. r. r., Allegheny county. 1t is IA
private, chartered Institution mas board of Ill
rectors, etc., but has Tor yeaTs been receiving aid
from the State. Last year i received S42. .25O.0O,
which sum was supposed TO be used for salaries,
wages Of employ ees. repairs and other necessary
expenses. Ii was formerly located II the 18th
ward, Pittsburgh, and the old buildings there
still used for hospital purpots under the one
management There are II otner private CHART
able Institutions that received aid from the State
last year, viz the PennSy ylvInia Institute for
deaf and dumb. at Philade pha-SlS,c00 West
Penn Institute Tor instruction OF deaf and dumb,
located IN Allegheny county on the +. r. r., Si0-
975 Pennsylvnia Institute, f1r the instruction of
blind So. .G2J Homeopathic Hospital, at Pitts
burgh 81, 500 Iackawanna Hospital SG,25o VIII
Transport Hospital, 81 900 WlkesbarTe Hospital,
Sll, 30; Harrisburg city HOSPITAL, $500; York,
si,5O0 Pennsylvania Trainias School for feeble
minded children, at Media, Delaware county. .Sl9-
1885; Pennsylvania Working Home, for bind
at Philadelphia, - 900 and Northern Home for
friendless children, 5000 The only other private
charitable institution III The ), ate that we know Of
is the kirkbride Insane Asylum in Philadelphia,
This asks nothing from the state, but charges SiO
or more per week for patients, and is patronlZed
by the wealthy people Of the city who have in
for feeble minded children receives 9 from tbe
State it is bound to receive certain number of
children from each county, tree OF charge. There
are several hundred children in the school at
present who are said to present as pitjabe n
sight as could be imagined
Resides the hospital at Warren, the State owns
Harrisburg and the hospital for AntFaeite Coal
Regions, al Ashland. The Danvllle Hospital was
burned down year or two ago, and is now being
rebut-it received $780, ,1i6 Ol from the State last
year the Norrlstown Hospital received SSS. 500
the Warren S77 800 the Harrisburg $3.50 and
the Ashland S2l ,9S.9J. Altogether, the charta-
BILE institutions of the Sta'c cost 1t Sos G4 30 last
year Pennsylvania is better provided with n-
stiUtions for persons affected either mentally or
physically than any other State in the UnIon-in
tact there are more insane asyums than are
necessary and there Is quite a rivalry between
these institutions for patients.
While speaking of charitable institutions we
might with propriety mention the Reform School
at MorganZa, Washington county, and the House
of Refuge at Philadelphia. both of which are for
the instruction and training of obstreperous chill
and received $4,000 last year the Reform School
Is private institution and received &j7.7O0.
The Reform School has 800 acres of ground in
Washington county, several buildings for the
children to live in and workshops for both boys
and girls. The boys live separate from the girls,
and the big children from the small ones. The
boys are taught trades, have 10 work on the fam
house and peede work, and are also schooed.
Three children from tins county now there-a
daughter OF Willis Collins and the little girls
who robbed Dir. Spohn's house.
In all these institutions. as well rs the penal in
SttutionS Of the State, abuses liable 10 creep
in. a Or. Seyin, of Erie, has lately made some
serious charges agaiHst the management of the
DxmOnt Asylum, aud the Legislature did wisely
in ordering an immediate investigation, but al
though these charges should always receive IN
mediate attention they should never be believed
until an investigation proves them TO be true :
for prisoners may bear malice, and insane peope
have strange Authorizations.