The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-10-19
DIR. TANNER A PHfLANTHROPIsT.
He Is Engaged in a Home Wherein Orphans
Are to BE Cared for on a Universal Plan.

DR.. S. Fl. Tanner, who, in 1880, made himself
known the world over by . fast of forty days. is
in tho city for the purpose of establishing what
hs terms q 'Gathering-in Home for children,
preparatory to taxing them to an orphans homo
which has been established by himself and
colony of forty at Las Cruces, New Mexico. on
the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad.
The Doctor has been in the city for two weeks.
and will remain here until the home in which
he is interested has been erected. The
only "Gathering-in Home in the world. he says,
has lately been established at New Orleans. It
has now about twenty orphan children within
its walls, awaiting the completion of the colony's
home at Las Cruces, when the children will be
taken there to bs cared for and brought up in
entire ignorance of liquor and tobacco, and fed
entirely upon q vegetarian diet. Here they will
be allowed TO remain until they are fourteen
years OF age, when they will be declared Of
age. and. if not desireus of leaving the ~institu-
ton At that age, they viii be permitted to re-
main IN the home and pay the debt
they owe to the institution by helping
other little waits. No more than 5000 orphans
will be taken in at the home; when they exceed
that number . new colony in another State will
be established, and this is to be repeated until
every State In the Union has an Institution of
this kind. The proposed colonies are to be self
sustaining.
The Doctor, in referring to his plans, last night,
said the homo at Las Cruces had 1900 acres Of
land, supplied with all kinds Of improved ma
chinery. AID that the orphans would be taught
to till the soil. 81 am the physician OF the colo
n.y. said be, "and I believe in improving the
present systems Of charity. This %crowdiug the
orphans In cities should not be allowed. They
should be given the benefit OF the pure air OF
the country
The Doctor has an Office on South Illinois
street. opposite the Grand Hotel, and says that
be expects to lecture here this winter. In re-
gard to his fast, he said: Il have never met
but one man who never heard of my fast He
lived down in Mexico, where they never see q
paper. / have been badly served by the
newspaper reporters, and tina alleged interview
with me in the Chicago Tribune. q few weeks
ago. was only the imaginative rawlings OF some
enterprising newspaper man. The general I'M
preston among the people is that the first thing
/ ate after my fast was a slice of watermelon. l
wish you would state that it is o mistake. The
first L ate was q large ripe peach. Then / drank
. glass OF milk, after which l ate the slice OF
Watermelon. i did not eat slow, either. ate
so much that 10 thirty hours l had gained nine
pounds, and / am confident that IL / could
have . fast every ten years l
would live to be $50 years old. 7
can seal myself in an air-tichs coffin, remsin
concealed therein for forty days aud como out
alive. 1t all depends upon the will power Of .
person"
The Doctor does not believe in Christian
science, but thinks that the mind-cure would in
the future be the general remedy Of overcoming
all diseases. He has been in New Mexico for
five years. having gone there with q colony from
New York. In that time he has not eaten any
meat Of any kind.