Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-09-07
INSANE DANCERS.
Grand Ball at the Arkansaw State
Lunatic Asylum.
How the Patients Behaved and
How They Danced.


Little ROCK ohAttttt %
The first regular dance at the Ar
kansaw State Lunatio Asylum tool
place last night. Some Of our reader
may think II strange that q dare
should be given at an institution o
this kind, but il they could have seeI
the radiant faces Of the patients, anC
witnessed the zest with which they
entered the dances, they would b.
more than convinced that the nov
was q good one. There we're las
night Z39 patients in the asylum, AnC
probably 100 OF them, men and wo.
men, we're among the dancers. o
course, none but the mild, the harm.
less and the eonvalescent were per
mitted to participate. All institu.
tions Of this character fnd the dance
Of great benefit. IL affords the poor,
demented creatures something to talk
about, something to look forward to-
dlyerts their minus, and, as DR.,
Forbes, the Superintendent says, 1T
s an incentive to make them behave.
they are told they will not be allowed
to 70 to the dance unless they do
nus and so, and this settles it,
Last night the music was furnished
by a band Of colored musicians.
and very good music it was. The
first dance was a double quadrille,
in which the asylum corps were
partners for the patients. After this
however, the lady and gentlemen Wis.
itors formed sets with the insane. the
men asking the ladies todance and The
gentlemen being regularly introduced
20 the women. The scene during these
dances was intensely interesting
Quite a number Of the patients danced
extravagantly, but on the whole it wa
more orderly than many public ball
we have attended in this city. Tn,
men as a rule were more lively thar
the women, and we're very kind anC
polite, several Of them invariably ask.
ing the lsdies after each set il the!
would have water TO drink. Tl5 leg
islators, could they have seen the bali
room, situated way up in the uppeI
story, with all these insane peODlt
neatly dressed, and many Of them be
ing rapidly restored TO health, woulC
be proud they voted for the asylum
1t is a great institution, and is savinI
and making good citizens Of man,
people, who but for the treatmen
here received, would have spent a fev
years in a county Jail and died mos
miserably. DR.. Forbes. the Superin
tendent; DR.. Buchanan, Mr.. Whit,
the steward; w. s. Woolford, and tn
ladies there added greatly to the plea
ure Of all who attended. Among Ii
ladies who we're out from the oil
we're Mrs. Governor James H. Berr
Mrs. &C. Stevens, of Franklin, Tenn
Mrs. Cora CAN'T, Mrs, Fabre, Mrs. ,
| H. Van Alstine, Mrs. Josie Alcok
Mrs. George r. Brown, and Miss,
Pate House, Lucia Martin, Liz
Waddell, Irene Haney, Nora Cowa
Of Richmond, Va; Bell, Ma
Williams, Sue Ingram, Annie Johl
son and Lottie Naylor.
Hon. A. W. Files, Auditor
State, Hon. N. b. Crump, W.
Langford, Will Reaves, D.. Q. Be
Mr.. Ashford, Mr.. Cochran, G. X. NJ
Swine, A. Godbold, Howard Trimb.
Fred Martin, and a number Of 9th
gentlemen added interest to the ocC
sion by being present.
Those who went there, ii any, o.
pecting to see q lot Of rampant, ra
ing maniscs cutting pigeon wings,e t
must have been woefully disappeint'
The affair passed off without I
slightest unpleasantness OF apy Chi
acter, and there was scarcely q 10
word spoken during the dancing
cept by the visitors.