Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-11-17
ADOLPH'S OBSERVATIONS.
BE DESCRIBES MATTERS AND THINGS
ABOUT STOCKTON.
Sights and Scenes at the Asylum-Boring
for Gas-Forty Years of Connubial
Happiness-Etc.

come. we TURN 10 our OlQ nome anu us
| friends as naturally as the faithful house
dog to the place where he, it may be- has
not received always that return which his
steadfast devotion deserved. Yesterday
morning 1 witnessed painful sight. A
group of brothers and sisters, bright. eyed
| and pleasant-faced, were waiting to take
the train to Oregon, where their parents
| had preceded them. A brother of about 20
years was with them, bound in an opposite
| direction. A Laverack setter was watching
every movement of the party with an alert
ness no pen can describe, with a sorrow de-
picted on his face that only lover of and
sympathizer with dogs sorrows can ap-
preciate. Doubtless, what is to be done
| with Jack" had been discussed in the
dogs presence. Who can say he did not
understand every word that had been
spoken? Circumstances made ii necessary
to leave "the old dog" and, though the
writer did his best to take the place of the
friends lost, the poor animal is inconsola-
BILE. Doubtless there are persons who will
smile at this, but all the same the heart of
that poor, dumb brute has gone with his
former playmates, and he is now the
picture of despair.
sxs
Agreeable to a previous arrangement,
the writer made the grand rounds with the
physician in charge at the State Asylum
for the Insane the other day. We were to
have started at 8 o'clock in the morning,
but for some reason TO the writer unex-
planned in words, we did not commence
TcI1a 10 -
in this letter detailed description of the
building, so often described before. DR..
Phillips is the man at the wheel, and DR..
Hoisholt, young German graduate, one
of those quick, active, nervous, blonde men,
who almost always wear spectacles, and
seem to know everything intuitively, ac-
companied the psrty, and handsome,
stalwart assistant brought up the rear. On
q similar occasion at Napa some years ago,
when the writer was Deputy Sheriff for
the nonce, he was strongly impressed with
the control that our own Fred Hatch had
and doubtless has (as he is still in the
same position at the asylum there) over the
patients. So on this visit DR.. Phillips, who
is quick, self possessed gentleman of about
forty, whose hair is slightly tinged with
gray, knew every one of the multitude of
beings under his charge, and they in
Oh the depressing influence the contact
with these poor creatures must have upon
a sympathetic nature no one can realize
until he has seen its effects in the gravity
of demeanor, dignity and power expressed
in the personnel of these noble men who
give their lives to suffering humanity.
We pass through ward after ward, all
clean and perfectly kept, and meet on
every hand attentive, alert attendants,
ALWAYS busy with their duties and seeming
ly alive to the responsibility of their posi-
tions. 1t is a marvellous thing to see the
wonderful control DR.. Phillips has over
these men 1.-THE pstients). He knows them
all by name; their histories their condi-
ton. mental and physical, and they turn
to him with their troubles as sick children
do to kind parent, and recognize in him
friend.
In one of the upper wards of the new
building, at the right of the entrance, with
his hands pinioned in front with leather
manacles, sat poor fellow. whose black
ened ewes and bruised face showed recent
encounter, in which | recognized press
man that once lived in Sacramento, noted
for his skill and who has long been sup
posed dead. His real name is Louis Land
settel. DR.. Hoisholt gave me little hope
for his recovery.
A return to fresh air and sunshine after
an hour and half of sightseeing such as
is imperfectly described above, is cause
for thankfulness calculated to make the
thoughtfully inclined grateful.
~
Did you ever see a profession al we'll
borer at work? We have an experienced
one here in the person of G. W. Fox. This
is the man who bored well for George
Westinghouse in Pennsylvania 4612 feet
deep. That is close to a mile, you see. Fox
is boring the asylum gas-well, and is down
between 600 and 700 feet. Expects to go
down something over 5000 feet before
sufficient depth is reached to supply the
proper flow of gas. A day could be spent
about this boring apparatus, and you will
then commence to learn something about
the countless things you have never before
dreamed of, so far as well-boring is con-
cerned. This man has been doing this act
for twenty-five years. You have seen.
probably, an old-fashioned well-sweep2
Upon the front end of this huge beam, at
tached to a rope about three inches in
diameter, is huge cold-chisel, which the
well-sweep raises up and down, and man
turns the rope with his hand, so that the
chisel will strike in different place as it
descends. How does he know Easy
enough; these men know everything, and
will kindly tell you, too, till you are lost in
amazement at the stupendity of your own
ignorance-of well-boring.
docs that drill, down there, fall back
with its own weight?" asked the innocent
writer, with a childish simplicity that
caused the patient man to smile. "Oh, yes;
it weighs 1880 pounds" Silence for some
moments, broken only by the creaking OF
the huge walking-beam overhead, that bobs
Il Va O
over to Stockton to find out how to get gas for
nothing I'VE use it here for fuel, you know,
and it costs bachelor about twenty five
cents a week to keep warm) you will no
doubt pay a visit to the asylum gas-well.
1t will pay.
Among the many remarkable things your
correspondent has seen in the San Joaquin
valley is an old couple who has lived to-
gether As years They came from New
York State. The husband has but one leg |;
| lost the left limb by being gored by wild
| steer. The wife (good old lady } said she
had heard of but one divorce case before
| coming to California in 1852. 1t was at
that time spoken of as q remarkable incl
dent This good old couple, Mr.. and Mrs.
| Sebastian Visher, remember gentleman
now on the staff of your paper whom they
| knew mere IlOIt tudb " caio o5O.
| -
went down the slough the other day to
| the dairy farm that supplies the city with
milk and cream. This farm is owned by
| Sam Bigelow, of San Francisco, and is op-
Grated by one Biggers, Canadian. He
makes two round trips with five-ton steel
propeller that was built at the Union Iron
| Works. San Francisco. About four miles
down we found the Government dredge at
work, deepening the channel. This pom
derous machine has been at work about
three months. We are abreast of the times
here. tell you. 1t would do your old
heart good to see the levee in the morning
while the steamer from San Francisco is
unloading. 'Twould remind you of old
times in Sacramento, when money was
plenty and easy to get-and let go Of too.
Our little craft easily kept ahead of the
regular passenger steamer, which started q
few minutes behind us. She is named
Romala, after Mr.. Bigelow's only daughter
and is little beauty. The scene coming
back to the city is beautiful one, and re.
minds you OF the Hudson at Albany.
Charles Evans, relative Of the lamented
George S. Evans, is engineer of this ship
Evans was engineer at the Asylum for six
teen years, and although he was one of the
States most faithful servants, losing but
three and half days in all the years