St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1889-02-07
THE STATE ASYLUM.
The Commissioners Visit St. yohnsbur

commissioners for locating a state
insane asylum arrived here Monday
night, were rendered a reception in
the evening, and spent Tuesday
morning in looking at the proposed
sites. The entire board were pres
ent, consisting of Gov. W. P. Dilling-
ham, chairman; Lieut.. Gov. U. A.
Woodbury., Burlington; DR.. w. H.
Giddings, Bakersfield; DIR. D. D.
Grout, Stowe; Judge S. D. Hobson,
East Brighton.
About so of our leading citizens
gathered in the St. .Johnsbury house
parlors Monday evening to meet the
commissioners and present ST. Johns
bury's claim for the building Af
ter being presented to the governor
and his associates Henry c. Ide call
ed the meeting to order and made a
strong plea for locating the asylum
here.
We feel, said Lawyer Ide, that we
can present just as good inducements
for locating the building here as any
other town in the state. We feel that
there are other inducements that no
other town can present. Our people
want the asylum. They recognize
the fact that the state institution
would add q certain character to our
place, that it would bring a class of
professional men that would add to
our social standing, that it would
encourage and help business while
the buildings were being constructed
and ever after. Furthermore fur
nishing equal facilities for an asylum
we feel that this section of the state
is entitled to some recognition. The
western part of the state is pretty
well provided for Washington
county has the capital, Burlington
the state university and agricultural
college, Vergennes the reform school,
Rutland the house of correction,
| Bennington the soldiers home,
Windsor the state prison and Ran
dolph the normal school. The three
counties of Orleans, Essex and Gale
donia contain no state institution.
Most of the residents of these three
counties have to pass through st.
Johnsbury to reach any state insti-
tuition. No town in the state has
better railroad facilities We have
railroads in four directions. We have
several desirable sites that are retir-
ed, and, we believe, well adapted for
the purposes of an asylum. We tried
to get the soldiers home, as we be
lieved this section of the state ought
to have a state institution. We now
present our claim for the state asy-
lum firmly believing that we can
present stronger reasons than any
other town for locating the asylum
in our midst
Judge W. P Smith said that this
gathering was not for the purpose of
speech making but simply to show
the commissioners the advantages of
locating the new asylum here. We
do not expect that any favoritism
will be shown in this matter. You
will visit the different towns and i'm
partially Judge of their fitness for the
purposes contemplated. 1t is not
expected that any two institutions
will be located in the same town. 1t
is hoped that you will carefully con-
slider the fact that this section of the
state has been left out when any
state institution has heretofore been
| located.
L. d. Hazen said that there was
no other town in the state where SO
many people who would naturally
visit such an institution, could come
and go in the same day.
DIR. Bullard asked if the commits
sion expected any consideration from
towns or individuals.
Gov. Dillingham; said the commits
sion had not taken any action on the
matter but would consider any prop
osition of donating site.
Mr. Hobson said that personally
any offers like this would have no
weight with him in deciding the To-
cation. The state is able to buy its
own land and build it's own asylum
| - o,,or1,t III
Lieut.. Gov Woodbury. said that
the cost of the site would of course
have some weight with the commits
sioners and if ST. Johnsbury should
donate a site it might make some
difference.
Gov Dillingham; said that the state
wanted a farm large enough to keep
COWS to supply the inmates of the
institution with milk, and with suf-
ficient land for them to till. The APP
preparation of 100000 is pretty
small but as the institution grows
it will look to the state for support
and aid. DIR. Draper of the Brattle-
boro asylum advised having the new
buildings not less than one-half mile
or more than two miles from the vii
lage The buildings, also, should be
away from a main thoroughfare
Lieut. Gov. Woodbury. asked what
the cost of constructing buildings in
this town was compared with other
| towns.