The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-06-27
SLOW TO MOVE.
Salvation Army Not Ready to Conn
ply With Order of the Council

The Salvation Army has taken no
definite action in regard to the many
requests that they move their hospital
to another part of the city. They are
just waiting in hopes that something
will turn up to relieve the predicament
in which they find themselves, due to
the fact that they have been declared
a nuisance and ordered to move and
yet have no place to move to. In con-
versation with Mr.. Lowe, superintendent
of the hospital, this morning he said:
THE people of Topeka seem to have
a wrong impression in regard to our
hospital. There has been a great deal
said against the hospital and about the
hospital, which is not only untrue but
is also unkind. The hospital is a charit-
able institution and of course is de-
pendant upon the help of others We
have not an abundance of money and
are consequently handicapped in our
work.
There has been a great amount of
talk about the hospital being nuisance
but this is not so. The neighbOrs, that
is some of them, have complained that
the patients scream out at all times of
day and night and disturb them. 1 will
admit that some of the patients have
screamed but it was because of their
suffering and not because they were in
sane. Some of the neighbors forget
that their children are sometimes very
noisy but they overlook that because
they are their children.
Il do not think that it is right for
the people to threaten US and tell US
that we will have to move and that we
are a nuisance. We are willing to meet
the people half way and are ready at
all times to do what is right yet I do
not think that it is fair and that
they should find fault with US and yet
not offer to help US or even suggest any
way in which we can overcome the diff
culties.
The city council has voted US $25 to
I-1Tv1 I
but that sum will not more than pay
for the actual drayage. We ought to be
sure of having 500 at our disposal be-
fore we begin to move. The people are
hardly treating US fair in this matter.
They say to US that we must move and
there they stop and wait for US to move
and they know that we do not know
where to go or how to go.
I'VE are trying to do a. good work in
Topeka and know that we are helping
some people. During a period of nine
months last year, we took care of and
furnished medicine to 60 patients, who
would probably have to have gone I'M
cared for had it not been for our hos
pital. At one time a complaint was
made that we had consumptive patient
who was running at large throughout
the neighbOrhoOd. That is a mistake;
we do not take patients who have con-
tagious diseases and the patient to
whom they refer was a man who had
just got up from the sick bed and was
consequently very thin and haggard
looking.
Il think that the best way to settle
this matter is for the neighbors and
those interested in our welfare to meet
with US and talk over how and where
we can move to. We are willing to meet
them at any time and are anxious to do
the fair and just thing towards ALL"
No one questions the purpose of the
hospital authorities or the good that is
being accomplished. 1t is its location
in a thickly settled community to which
people object.