New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-01
AN ISLAND FULL OF IDIOTS
WHERE THE cIrYs IMDEclLEs AXE KEpE
SOME SAD AND IEvoLTKp scgSEs-Tng FOUND.
LING HOSPITAL A PLEASANT CONTRAST.

SOME SAD AND IEvOLTIHp sCENEs-THE FOUND.
LING HOSPITAL A PLEASANT CONTRAST.
Randas Island Is not a particularly prcpossessina
place In winter Tho square, unlovely architecture
OK Its buildings stands out In bare angniary against
tho snow. Everything looks cold ami dreary A Tow
OF stunted trees faces the river feagess and elcss
they look deplorabIy wooden. IL is relief 10 this
gray smoke wreath curl mp the chilI. snowlsdcn
roofs and hang laziy In the san. frosty air Its al
least suggestive Of lreside
From tho great tosey city. full OF inspiring life you
are rowed the East Rvor to his desoirian BIZ
little. old silent boatman He pulls his craft M to
stone landing steps washed by water bickiy coated
with Oil Tho lower steps are green and greasy You
pass under an archway Of stone As you walk yon
surprised at the noise Of footsteps and mseabls
atenuaed echo feebJ repeats your god day" TO tho
old ooatman Then, your feet crunch tho frozen
snow, you are aware Of oppressive loneliness And
yet you are not alone. sound Of rhythmca scraping
attracts your gaze, and 1t falls gang Of
shovelllng snow They seem to b. working With des-
perae earnestness. Thoy dressed alike IN clothes
striped with black and white. They exchange no
words man In Official uniform sharply watches thes
compulsory toll Looking at them YOU feel lonelier
than ever.
And yet the walls OF the forloru houses before you
anord the only shelter to many unfortunate members
OF tho fires ponsibc classes that like the poor va
have always with US, and who but for Randas Islant
ana similar Institutions, would 10 destitute and unc arod
for BY rough division, tho irresponsible cIasses
represented here Of two kinds tho temporary and
wholly Irresponsible To the former belong the found
ling children, whose lives arc nurscd through tho be
less carly years into the period Of tho tho
Intelligence Tho imbecile men and women, boys and
girls who would otherwise desolaeIy drift through ts
70 miserable death, constitute the second class.
VARYING GRADES or IMBEcILITY
But the imbecIes are not all In tho Same depth Of
darkness They arc carefully graded; and sub
divided into classes ranging from tho teachable tho
members OF which have some hope OF partial re-
demption to tho lowest type Of beast-llke idlocy.
MANY II tho teachable class mako progress towari
Intelligent usefulness which s astonishing and speaks
volumes for tho patient, unwearyng care and skill Of
their Instructors. number OF them taught mat
making and other simple work; Others learn t. read
and write and do little figuring so we'll as TO warrant
their return to the outside world In which they viii
mako better members Of society than good many
folks who have, and Others who think they have all
their wits abont them But Inieachabe idocy Is tho
blacklist side Of the picture. The souiest opponent Of
Darwn's teachings will be likely to have dlsblief
OF the evolution theory somewhat shacn when he IL
brought face TO face with these examples Of retrovolu
ton' Here are beings who have lost all Individuality;
and who act upon the promptings of Instinct
that fccbier than IL IN many OF the lower animals
There Is something melancholy Leyond words In their
hopeessness. In the maniac's widest rawlings tLers
Is Renaissance OF uncluu dod past There arc no
memories to DO associated with tho mbece Tho
mind OF the mailman IS after all only cIsed The
mind of tho idiot Is nothing but a cloud.
Through the partially opened door OF one of ths big
bleak houses on hardas Island thcre comes day after
day untuneul singing and the loud tramp OF many OF.
The song shapes Itself into rough outline "f somo
popular air What may be called he groicsque class.
In many respects tho most interesting In the
institution, Is exercising In big bare ROOM over
score OF eccentric specimens of humanity
Stamping around in endless march
STRANGE COMPANIONS IN MISERY.
AT tho head OF the procession is a sickly looking
lad, with souless face who shoulders a wooden gun
Several keeiers marshal tho procession and lcep
tho uncouth gang in order Round and round they
go. Noise is melody to them and they stamp and
bawl from hour to hour, an arc presumably happy.
Some arc stuntcd and dwTed Their bodily and intel.
lectuai growth ceased smult aneously. Others are
hump backed, others knock knecd, others wry-
necked.
There is scarcely a possible deformty unexamrIcd-
TWO OK tho poor creatures In particular Instantly
rest attention They are tho 4" show couple Ono 10
OF ordinary height; tho other o dwarf Tho taller
Of tho two marches with BIS ciasped round his
companions neck, rather head for the girh Of his
arm hides the whole head It Is no bigger than az
orange.
"Who arc they7' tho visitor askcs.
johnny Rauss and Mr.. Norris replied tho super.
intendent. Halt all step out, Johnny Rauss !,
Tho summons brings both tho oddities out into tho
middle Of tho floor Johnny Is tho dwarf lie Is
over forty years OF age, and his companion much
odor but 1t would DO impossible guess the age Of
either tho one or tho other. Johnny" looks like .
miniature o; BarnUms "What Is IT. He has tho
Same tiny aquiline head. His and his nose arc
disportionatey large When spoken to, he bends
forward to lsten with tho painful earnestness Of the
sghtless, for no is stone blind "Mr.' Morris stands
close behind him and keeps guiding hand his
sh uldcr.
"Its tho most curious case on tho Island says
tho superintendent. Mr.. Morris and Johnny Rauss
are inseparable. I've seen Mr. Morris cry that
'boy'-they are all 'boys-and fondle him Like baby
What's your name, JOhnny?'
900"
And Johnny 10 forthwith put on exhibition. Hs
dances, no croOn an uDcanny song he kisses his hand
" like tho ladies dor; and this all to the prompting
Of his queer care-taker. 1t Is not pleasant per-
formance. Mr. Crow7ey's fantastic tricks behind
his cago bars amusing. These only pitiable
Graded little higher than Johnny" Rauss Is
small mannlkn. Ho Is really over middle age; but
he stopped growing at FIVE His face Is witherrd, but
no talks like fveyear-old Ask him what's your
age and he will tell you Eve year ;"
Among tho women In the institution there is a
siderable proportion OF these childish idiots. Women
in mature life joln hands to play "Jngo-Rng' and
sing tlo Sally Waters" with the See of school gis.
There Is also a large number Of the women, we'll
few Of the men, In whom id0sy greatly
developed constitutes their mental weakness They
are literally people Of only idea. Watch group
Of them together, and you will each obvious Of
tho others, pursuing the exemplncaton of this idea
Some rock themselves to and fro all day long. Ono
rather pretty girl constantly brushes her long faIr
hair back from her brow. Some repeat snaiches Of
morry tunes with nc mrth In them. Some are over.
whelmingly vain, Others overwhelmed In melancholy.
AN ANTIDoTE FOR ALL THIS UNHAPPINgss.
No visitor TO Randall's Island who has the
ptIful travcsty Of life In the imbeclc department
should depart without taking antidoe This anti.
dote is to be had In tho Founding Hospital There
are 102 babies; bis babies aud htte
babies, pretty babies and plain babies perfecs
Wilderness Of tlen,i Miss NJ A. sheridan, the supcr-
visor of the trained employed has smile fos
every ono who calls on her pets. There isn't baby
fhafd mt KIM her md All