Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1888-03-14
75c-a lot Of Atwood ierseyV; ooIofed
vest fronts; special; Us. Chester CleaFy.
TIE RECORD or TIE INSANE.
Z Ec9GKgryyK LET o. NAMES AND SOME.
THrx0 ABOUT rHn PKcUllAB cAu8ko
OF INSANITY.

II IL q remarkable feet that the per
centsae Of insane people 10 exceedingly
high al along the Pacific coast. In
California there are two state insane
assiuus, and both ere crowded Ore.
Ron has one asyl1m and it contains a
great many inmates Washington Ter
ritofy has last completed the erection
Of building ut Steilacoom which, With
respect TO both szs and character, lie
said to be the equal Of any west of the
Mlssissippi river And the last leeiaia-
tufe appropriated $4,000 10 erect .
second asyiom in tie eastern part Of
the territory. Tha asylum ht Stella
COON is nsu almost Overlooking and
several Of sse old buildings will be al
loved 10 remain Standing until the east.
erp asylum % erected. In the expecta
ton that the present building will not
accommodate tie increasing number OF
inmates.
WHY so MANY INSANE PEoPLx?
That the number Of insane people
should be so great il Q matter Of as
torishment 10 those who have not in
qnired into the matter. Bot those vho
have Investigated the causes Ct insanity,
the place of birth OF tie patients. bow
long they have lived in the territory.
and their habits Of life. do not dnd any
difficulty n accounting for the number
being % large. Aside from the rela-
lively less interesting reasons given,
such as the fact that there are many
towns which are sesports and into which
drift many harmless insane people Who
shoald be cared for elsewhere; the fact
tnat many come or are brought over
land frem other parts Of the country,
snd not few from British Columbia.
there are some very curious reasons
given, based on the fact that many Of
the most hopsless cases are men Who
have lived IN tho territory for many
years.
Many Of the cid pioneers came into
the territory When settlers we're few and
very far between, and except the In3i
ans and wild beasts they lived 10 lonli-
ress so profound that 1t vas but mat
ter Of time until the strongest minds
felt affected. Many OF thess old set
tiers have lived apart from their fellow
men until tie inclination to continue In
the midst OF their lonely surroundings
impaired a permanent bent to their
minds. and rendered them less desir-
ous OF intersntrie With their reighbors.
wien neiRhbors cnce began to gather
about the coantry. In thickly settled
countries this habit. or bent Of mind,
would Of itself msrk man as being either
very eccentric or harmlsssiy inssne.
10 the lonely forest the pioneers bad no
criterion With which TO compare tbeif
minds and TINS reaiiss bow mueh they
differed from other men.
Then as the years went by this bent
of their minds took firmer bold, and
the friction OF living In what has nos
become conNaraIiysiy thiokiy settled
communities becsms Irritating instead
Of eonsoiinR, and IL then was bat a step
20 condition in which tire ' ason il
taken prisoner, and they lived in an
imaginary world.
TUE RRcoRp OF A YEAn.
Some idea may be had Of the numter
OF peeple ccmmitied to the insane asyi-
um from the territory .. ls.se, BY a
reference 10 the lumber which we're
sent during the past twelve mopihs
from King county alone. Of course,
many OF tbess are not properly classed
as residents Of hing county, as they
drift 10 FROM other counties and terri
tories- begin Q irs With March II, 1857.
the following persons have been arr St
Cd and seia3eed insane 10 the probate
esuu: Andrew Mehr. Kate Condor.
Cathsrire Jaspes, Lee Gee. N. A. Fell.
Anton Sworcx. y. q. Douglas, Iperisss
Leifieu. John Bergman. Scott Rosh,
Agsi Gordon, George A. Balloon. Joel
Miller. Fred Robinson, IL. Ii. Marie.
Thomas Powell, Abraham Dawson, Jas.
Murray, Thomas U'IIrieo. Lsus Nosse,
Henry WEIGH. Robert Beatty, Julie
Cad Jsur:e Rrowules. John Mackay,
John Zoerist. Eliza Eicks. George
nsrhimer. Frank Larsen, Anton G,r-
ritt. Jshn Lee. 3 g. woodbonse, WIN.
Johnson. John Mulvihiil, and Mrs.
Florence Gross.
This indicates an average OF three
cases fer each month. or thirty SIX IN
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