Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-08
GEN BRINKERH0FFSVISIT
WHAT HE SAW ON HIS TOUR
THROUGH THE SOUTH.

charitable and RefOrmatOrY Il Institutions
Admirably Manageable State Insane
Asylum at Tuscaloosa, Ala, Worthy O,
ynbounded Praise-CoDgenial Employ
,nent for the Insane the Key to Sue
cessfuI Treatment.
WASHINGTON, June 7.-Gen. r. Brin-
kerhoti of Ohio, who was delegate to the
late Commercial Convention at Atlanta,
and is now in Washington as delegate
n the National Conference Of Charities
and Corr ections, spent the time between
tbe convention and the conference in
making leisurely journey through the
States of Georgia, Alabama, Florida and
South Carolina. He has been for years a
member Of the State Board Of Charities of
his state. and IA a student of charitable
and reform8tory problems has visited, for
purposes Of inspection, all the typical
asyiums, prisons and reformatOry insti-
tutiOus Of the North and West.
.'My Journey in the South" he said to
an Associated Press reporter, twas pri-
marily TO see what they were doing down
there for their penitentiary criminal class.
had heard nothing Of their institutions,
and think very few Of our Northern peO-
ple ever took the pains to enquire what
they were like. / hardly expected to find
anything to admire III comparison with
our establishments of the North, and
especially Of the West, where we are
little ahead of the East in this regard. In
fact, leading Southern people themselves
expressed the belief, as matter of course,
that 1 should md nothing remarkable in
the way Of public charitable institutions.
] was, however, very agreeably surprised
by what saw"
Gen. Brinkerhof found that everywhere,
except in Georgia, the vicious system of
leasing conyicts was rapidly falling into
disfayOr and disuse. He visited many
iails and found item no worse than those
Of the North which for these ''schOOls Of
vice" was the best he could cOnsclen-
tiousIy say. He visited social Industrial
schools, both charitable and refOrmatOry,
and found them admirably managed.
The several State insane asylums were
under the control of humane, intelligent
and cultured officials, and that at Tusca-
lOOsa, Ala. was worthy of unb0unded
praise This institutions" Gen. Brin-
kerh0H said, "wOuld stand in comparison
fully abreast of the half dozen leading in-
sDitutions OF the North. Its head was a
close student of all problems of manage
ment of the insane, and had brought his
institution up to the highest point of
tuClcuCg. NOb Il 6lGdlSub Jacket.
crib muh, strap or like
instrument for restraint, or more
properly perhaps, for the torture, OF the
insane, was to be found, nor would such
things be tolerated. The doors were wide
open, and no inmate was conscious of
any restraint, although always
under the eye of experienced
keepers. The secret of success in
the management OF the insane by
this method was in finding congenial en-
ployment for each patient. Many insti-
turions in the North had entered upon
this course Of practice, but not more thaH
half dozen of the larger ones had made
greater progress than the Alabama
asylum, while in great majority resort
was still had to ancient instruments of
restraint for violent cases."
Ia the matter OF finding cOngenial,
sometimes profitable, employment for in
. sane females, the Alabama institution,
Gen. BrinkerhOtf thinks, has distanced all
others. Among the novelties he saw
were a half dOZeu old-fashioned spinning
wheels in full operation, this employment
having been found best suited 10 the
Mental condition of some of the inmates.