The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-06
pl.on, The Nelo YORK Tribtule.

tTdSt'
From, the Nelo York Tribune.
pondall's Island is not particularly pre-
possessing place in winter. The square, I'M
lo.alv architecture of its buildings stands
on+ in bare angularity against the snow.
ryarvthing looks cold and dreary. A row
of stnnted trees faces the river. LeaflesS
and lifeless. they look deplorably wooden.
Il is relief to see thin gray smoke
,rresth curl up over the chill, snow-laden
roofs and hang lazily in the still, frosty air.
# is at least suggestive of tireside.
From the great, coy city, full of in
,niring life. YOU are rowed across the East
Ever to this desolation by little, old, silent
bostman. He pulls his craft up TO stone
landing steps washed by water thickly
"nated with oil The lower steps are green
I'd GREASY. You pass under an archway
If Stone. As you walk you are surprised at
tbe noise of your footsteps, and miserable
ottenuated echo feebly repeats your
@goodday" to the old boatman. Then,
sS your feet crunch the frozen
snow. YOU are aware of an oppressive lone
Tness And yet you are not alone. A
sound of rhythmical scraping attracts your
Gaze. and it falls on gang OF men shovel
Inc snow. They seem to be working with
desperate earnestneSs. They are dressed
ellie in clothes striped with black and
white. They exchange no words. A man
in official uniform sharply watches their
compulsory toll. Looking at them you Ieel
loneGer than ever.
And vet the walls of the forlorn houses
before YOU afford the only shelter to many
unfortunate members of the irresponsible
classes that, like the poor, we have always
with us. and who, but for Randalls Island
and similar institutions, would be destitute
and ncared for. By rough division, the
irresponsible classes represented here are
two kinds-the temporary and wholly ir
responsible. To the former belong the
foundling children, whose lives are nursed
through the helpless early years into the
period of the awakening of the intelligence.
The imbecile men and women, boys and girls,
who would otherwise desolately drift
through life to a miserable death, constitute
the second class.
VARYING GRADES OF IMBECILITY
But the imbeciles are not all in the same
depth of darkness. They are carefully
graded: and are subdivided into classes
ranging from the teachable, the members
of which have some hope of a partial re-
Gemption, to the lowest type of beast-like
idocy
Many of the teachable class make a pro-
gress toward intelligent usefulness which is
astonishing and speaks volumes for the
patient, uuwearying care and skill of their
Instructors. A number of them are taught
Matchmaking and other simple work; others
learn to read and write and do little fgur-
ing, so well as to warrant their return to
the outside world, in which they will make
better members of society than a good
many folks who have, and others who think
they have all their wits about them.
But unteachable idiocy is the blacklist side
of the picture The StOuteSt opponent of
Darwin'S teachings will be likely to have
his disbelief of the evolution theory some
what shaken when he is brought face to
face with these examples of ''retrovolution.
Here are beings who have lost all individu-
atty, and who act upon the promptings of
amere instinct that is feebler than it is in
many of the lower animals.
There is something melancholy beyond
words in their hopelessness. In the maniac's
widest rawlings there is "Reminiscences of
an unclouded past. There are no memories
to be associated with the imbecile. The
mind of the mailman is after all only
eclipsed. The mind of the idiot is nothing
but cloud.
Through the partially opened door of one
Of the big bleak houses on KendalFs Island
there comes day after day untunefui sing
ing and the loud tramp of many feet The
song shapes itself into a rough outline of
some popular air What may be called the
groteSQue class, in many respects the most
interesting In the institution, is exercising.
ina big bare room, over a score of eccen-
trlc specimens of humanity are stamping
around IN an endless march
STRANGE COMPANIONS IN MISERY.
At the head of the procession is a sickly-
looking lad, with soullesS face, who shout
dels wooden gun. Several keepers mar
snail the procession and keep the uncouth
gang IN order. Round and round they go.
Noise IS melody to them and they stamp
and bawl from hour to hour, and are
presumably happy. Some are stunted and
dwarfed. Their bodily and intellectual
growth ceased simultaneously. Others are
hump backed, others knock kneed, others
wry-necked
There Is scarcely possible deformity un-
eAalnped. Two of the poor creatures in
particular instantly arrest attention. They
are the show" couple. One is of ordinary
height; the other a dwarf. The taller of
t3e TWO marches with his arm clasped round
MS companions neck, or rather head, fer
the glrth Of his arm hides the whole head. 1t
Is no bigger than an orange
IVY no are theyp the visitor asks.
Johnny Rauss and Mr.. Norris replied
Iue superintendent. "Halt, all. step out,
johnny Rauss"
me summons brings both the oddities out
iLto the middle OF the floor. Johnny is the
uwart he is over 40 years of age, and his
companion much older; but it would be inn
PSSio!e to guess the age of either the one
OF The other. Johnny looks like a minia-
lure OF Barnum's ''IVhat is It," He has the
same tlny aquiline head. His ears and his
noSe are disproportionately large. When
sPoAen u, he bends forward to listen, with
tIue painful earnestness of the sightless, for
We ne Is stone blind. Mr." Morris stands close
pId him and keeps a guiding hand on
ltS the most curious case on the Island"
Sa{S lhe Superintendent. Mr.. Morris and
SSy1nnHaly kauss are inseparable. I've seen
~. motifs cry over that 'boy'--they are all
ooyS-and fondle him like baby. What's
yoqT name, Johnny"
,io ana Johnny is forthwith put on exhibit
I'm uon' lie dances, he croons an uncanny
ons, ne kisses his hand like the ladies do"
" ",'n Inis all to the prompting of his queer
'aser. 1t IS not a pleasant perform
n.y. b,Cs' Mr. Crowleys fantastic tricks be-
oni,, L uis cage bars are amusing These are
pa "pafed little higher than Johnny"
o' 'u9s IS a small manikin. He is really
s,,o middle age; but he stopped growing at
MS lace is withered, but he talks like
NJ D5lear-oid. Ask him whats your agep
Hr ne VIII tell you five years.
il i'uoilg inc women in the institution there
i'll t;93iSlderabe proportion of these child
h. J"otS. Women in mature life ioin