Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-12-01
REPORT ON DAKOTA
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS
Their Condition as Set Forth by
State Board Of Charities
and Corrections.
IMPROVEMENTS OF The YEAR
OF s141,oOo Appropriated One Half Went
to Asylum at Misunderstanding OF
o. ,0OOa at Plankinton-fboard's
Recommendation,

George w. Kingsbury ST., secretary,
has been filed with Governor Lee,
II is interesting because h board has
been under criticism the last year and
because OF It's increased work In con.
sequence Of new institutions and large
improvements. The present board was
y & nized In March, 1899, 3. II. Lien
ioux Falls and f, NJ. Brown OF
,ood succeeding W. ]. sibbison
~ Lell Rapids and L. 3. Mclaughlin
OF B~rldgewater,
This Legislature of 1899 authorized
large additions to the hospital for the
insane at Yankton. for the feeble
minded at Redfield, gave the board
authority to equip and put I'm operation
the blind asylum at Gary, to put In O
steam plant at the-s school for deaf at
Sioux Falls and to settle for the girls
cottage at Plankinton. The money
handled by these improvements
amounted to $i45, coo, 10000 20 the hos
pital at Yankton, $25, 600 to the hospital
| at Redf1eld, 50, 5000 for the school for the
deaf. and S42,5 500 for the girls dorml-
tory at Plankinton. The board COM
plins that this additional labor was
given IL without increasing the maxi
mum OF one hundred days for which 1t
may collect per diem.
improvements Mt Asylum.
The most extensive Improvement was
the rear center building for the hospital
a.: Va. Iton. This Is Of Sioux Falls
stone, fire proof and includes Kitchens,
dining room, stewards Office. theater
or Improvement shrdlu cmfwypshrd
or amusement nall and apartments
for nifty patients. An appropria-
ton of $685. 900 was made by Archi-
tect Dow last February, the con-
tracts for materials being awarded In
March. The old board adopted plans
for a s65, 900 building and proceeded to
lay out work on that basis. The new
board, confined to plans already adopt
ID and appropriations already made.
was unable to complete the building.
The report declares that Its early COM
pletion is n necessity, This Is the
building which entered somewhat into
the campaign Issues just settled, and
the official expressions OF the board
correspond with the unofficial state
merits made by Mr.. Lien in answer TO
his critics. About $25, 900 will be re-
quired 20 equip the building when
completed.
The board complains that the dining
hall at the hospital Is crowded; that
the kitchen is u~nhealthful and too
small. A new power house to cost
SIS, eco, a laundry at $40, 900, boilers, en-
gines, electrical machinery. water
pipes and connections, together with n
concreted subway 40 rect long for the
pipes and wires, have been completed
by the board. The large outlay for
civilian labor became necessary owing
to urgent demand for the completed
improvements. Additional stonecut-
tiers were employed at the penitentiary
and paid out OF the building a%ppropri-
atoms.
Sustains DIR. Ross.
The report s~ustains the management
DR.. Ross against the attacks made and
Endorses the recommendations In his
report. Mrs. Ross has a class Of forty
women patients in needle work. Some
Of this work at the state fair took pre-
miums. II affords employment n n
marked Improvement in the mental
condition OF many has been observed.
The Chicago, Milwaukee and st. Paul
railroad extended a branch TO the asy-
lum In 1899, and h a and supplies
are landed on the grounds. saving the
expense of hauling three miles. The
building of this grade has made a dam
which can be used as a reservoir for
soft water, which Is badly needed In
lle DOlltIS, udlIldkCu iloubh NlS Sii
ployment OF alkaline waters. An APP
Precipitation OF $4,000 is recommended
for this and for mains to connect the
reservoir with the power house.
The Northern Asylum.
The site for the Northern hospital
was selected In April, 1899, and the con-
tract made in November following for
S22, 500. The report declares that the
l-lI H. ,aaNNIx communicated Nytl
commodate sixty students, and, archl-
~tecturally, is one OF the states finest.
The remainder OF the appropriation,
81, 500, was used In paying the architect
and In an unsuccessful effort to get a
well. II now becomes necessary for the
legislature to appropriate money to
sink IN artesian well, build a barn,
equip the institution and provide sala-
ries for instruction of the sixty feeble
minded.
The legislature of 1899 appropriated
81, 500 per year for the maintenance OF
the blind at Gary. The town OF Gary
should furnish a building without ex-
pense. The building provided vas al
old court house, totally unfit for the
The citizens of Gary finally
provided n suitable brick building. and
put in heating apparatus and furniture.
The school was opened In March, 1899,
with Miss Dora Donald as s~uperintend-
ent, and now has a score OF students.
Miss Donald was formerly from Iowa
and her administration Is highly
praised.
The report pays brief attention ia the
p~enitentiary, saying that "a wise econ
omy OF expenditure" has been the pol
icy of Warden Bowler. The peniten-
tiary has been called upon for the first
time in the history of h state to fur
nish stone for five large public build
ings during one building year, which
has overtaxed it's facilities and weak
ened it's guard force. The report init
mates that the escapes during the year
has been due to lack of sufficient police
force and recommends an increased APP
preparation.
saves $4,000 at PIankinton.
The report relates the settlement
with those who erected the new girls
dormitory at the reform school and de-
cares over So 900 was saved. 1t Is de-
clared superintendent Tompkins has
saved about one-half' the maintenance
by judicious purchases.
Comment is made upon the fact that
drouth usually kills the crops put In
by the inmates of the school and says
that the continued failures have lust
about discouraged further attempts In
this direction" 1t is said hat the re-
ported failures have a bad influence
upon the boys who labor in the fields,
since they find their seasons work in
variably going to naught. Recommen-
dalton Is made for a new building, SIM
liar TO the girls dormjtory. for the
boys. the popu.a alton of the main build
ing being too large.
In conclusion the report says it's
duties are increasing so rapidly that
much more time is required for them,
comparison being made with the rail-
road commissioners, who receive an
annual salary. The report concludes
that IAN arrangement OF this kind
would be for the interests Of ths tnsti'
tutiops. a Just compensation and am-
pie time TO perform Its duties VIII