The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1895-12-29
VIEW AT AUSTIN.
Austin. December 2s. 1896

Austin, December &c. 1895.
The annual report of Dr. simpson, SUI
verintendent of the State lunauc asylum
at Austin, has been received from the
printer.
II is prefaced with a brief statement
iram the board OF managers commenda-
tory OF the methods adopted in the man
| ogement of that institution and referring
especially TO the economy apparent in the
handling of Its finaLces.
| The average number of patients treated
during the year was Coo During the year
there were IS patients discharged OF
| whom % had been under treatment less
| than six months, 81 less than one year.
ana all but eight had received treatment
less than two years. The report calls at
| tcntion TO the fact that In measuring the
work of the institution in comparison with
| that OF others II must not be forgotten
that large proportion of its inmates are
| confirmed or chronic cases of long stand
| irg, confined with little hone of relief
| by treatm and that. therefore, II can
| not be expected that the number released
| or cured or benefited will be as great as
| with younger institutions OF with those
! where there is maintained separate IN
stitutiott Tor incurables. The work Of the
| state lunatic asS lum compares iaVoraLly
| with that of other similar institutions.
however.
Dr.. Becton in this connection. suggests
the ACCESSIBILITY of relieving State instltu-
tions for tine insane Ct cases where nIedi-
cal attention Is productive OF no good
or at least Of placing them together in
some institution devoted to their exclu-
sive care. so as to afford room for the
| many cases where the disease IS of re-
cent development and hopes of cure are
! Justified
The cost of maintaining patients Mt the
State asylum was Sl53.6l per capita last
year.
This is slightly in excess of the figures
for the preceding twelve months, hut
less than the average per CAPITA cost pre-
vailing for the past twenty-five years.
The increase in per capita cost last year
is due entirely TO dietary bettermcnls,
Dr. Becton Icing firm believer in tins
hoory 5hat wholesome nourshment has a
good erect On HIS unfortunate warns.
However. a Der capita cost of S1oS.6l Is
very low as sl65 per capita per annuri
is considered reasonable in other states,
as is shown by the reports of leir in
! sane asylums.
DR. Becton has made the experiment of
employing colored attendants in the col
ored wards, and thus far Is satisfied With
the results. In this connection he says:
1T is needless TO explain that IN pursu-
ing this course | am not moved by sentt-
mcnt. but, considering some of the dis-
agreeable features of the work that at
tcudants have to perform, have thought
that perhaps 1t would be better to haze
colorod attendants work among the PEG
lle Of their own race, hoping thereby Ia
improve the service and benefit the pa
TENTS"
The actual expenses of maintaining the
Institution curing the nast year We're
Sio2 Jo6. The dairy. farm and mattress
h0use yielded nirducts valued at S9iod, ant
a s2l7S,50 was received from private pa
tents.
70 Hon. Travis Henderson, the farmer
a statesman from Lamar, IS in the city, and
is usual, is willing to give his views about
what is the matter with the country.
Z Although charged wish having lately ex.
pressed the opinion that If jerome Kearby
became the standard bearer OF the popu
lists he would be the next governor OF
. Texas and also with having said that tn,
- woods were fun Of populists up his way
< he told The Post correspond mt that Mr.
= Culbersun's administration suited his PEG
pie and that he didn't think that thu
e young man would have any trouble abou
\ securing n denomination.
M Mr. Henderson is stil an ardent silver
~ tie. but objects to any reading of people
out of the party because of their tinancia
g views He is not pleased with the presen
Ie construction of the judicial branch OF m
.e government and would like to see the mem
l. hership the supreme court inc eased ant
s. the court of civil appeals abolished, Whei
- asked whether there was anything in Tn
,t talk Of his being congressional probabil
ity in the Fourth district. he replied tina
~ he was satisfied with the fame he had &C
~ qured In Texas and did not care 10 g
III to Washington to be swallowed up In tn
lr aggregation Of statcsmanship which con
N grcfates. there and slide. or the face o
r, the Garth as " we've. In conclusion Il
es added: ''When / stated on the floor q
10 the house during the late extra sessio
I'd that | didn't expect to cnme back TO Aus
tin as a legislator meant It, but if the
" can't find any othel democrat to so on
~ and beat the popnlists In Agncw's sena
10 torial district (tannin and Lamar cour
"a fTy and |
he win, too. l mean TO go out and work 70
T. the ticket, anyway, and give the par
~ would az II l become candidate fo
the senate"
ne Hon. James b. Wells of Brownsvlll
'e- has been in the city several days nttenc
he ing to land matters In which he is int
nd ested.
mn Mr. Wells is a remarkable man in MOI
nd ways than one. Were he an East or
TO North Texan he would have been eovsl
as nor of Texas long ago. As a poitici
Ne organizer he has no superior. His frienC
nd ship is sought after by big and little an
his word is law with the sovereigns
the lower Rio Grande valley. Whenev,
he says TO candidate, state, congro
sional or district, YOU needn't he uneas
OF about our end of the State. It's ali rigi
T. Tor you It goes and no farther c,oneel
II. verbal; his gentility native and superl
is tive Yet, while his manners are charm
Ing the strength of his character is ~
Of parent underneath 1t all. He is boi
on magnetic and commanding; in fact bot
F leader of men. Notwithstanding n
81, greatness Of his power and the. breadt
Ell .; his influence. however ne remaiI
u plain "Mister" Wells Not one of h
many friends and followers has vet Ia
AZ the nerve to call him Captain or q
st onel Thsrc are men who are bia;.y
than any title, and Nj. Wells is one
me those men. Just now the Eleventh col
,ys glesAional distrc' Is anNinus 10 kno
whether he wants 10 succeed Cong~es
nc man Grain II he cares for the ,,ts
siatosm's seat Il is his Tor the as<in
~ IL he don't want 1t there are twenty
more ambitious statesmen Hn tho distri
o' waiting TO grab al it-hanre tho ann
- Mr., Wells IS not ready Vet to saw "a n,
US he is going to do about it, however M
the boys are awaiting his plens,trs ,v;
An commendabo patience.
en- il
Elm Hon, Monta ]. Moore Of Cameron
here. He has some business to atte,
ny TO for the Link Line" Of which he
!