Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-04-25
'lHI blind SENT HONE
John Cownie in Knoxville Today
Closing up School For the
Blind.
Geological and Natural. History Mu.
scum For the state-Aldrich's
Enterprise
Political Gossip Of All Kinds-Webb
Byers Keeps Them All
Guessing.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Aloines, April Curator AL
drich, of the state historical depart
ment. is getting his collection arranged
as we'll as possible with the limited
furniture which he now has. The fa-
nous Hamilton collection of birds, geo.
logical specimens. Iowa wild animals !
and Indian relics has been delivered to
the historical department as providedl
flor in the will of the man who made
lthe collection. 1t is one of the results
of the erection of a fireproof building.
This collection is very valuable one
and is the result of many years work
on the part of Mr.. Hamilton, an old
man who recently died in Des Moines.I
1t is a museum of itself and when it Isl
properly arranged, classified and dis
lplayed it will be one of the most inter-
esting features of the building. The
1 specimens of Iowa birds and animals
4 are exceptionally fine and very rare.
Another item in the collection is that of
1.-THE specimens of fish. both native and
foreign. a. i. Johnson, the Well l-known
iIDes Aioines taxiderlnist, is assisting
MIR. Aldrich in preparing this collection
and the specimens already owned by
the department for exhibition. They
are being placed in large glass cases,
where they will show to the best ad-
vantage.
John Cownie, of the board of control,
4 lis in Knoxville today preparing to close
4 the institution and send the inmates
A home. The law provides that the in
mates shall be given only the amount
y necessary tn provide for their expenses
A on their Way home, not to exceed $25
each. Mr.. Cownie's explanation of the
aIconditions prevailing at the home
shows that the failure of the institution
4 was manifest in many ways. 1t never
Z had to exceed fifty-two inmates and
i most of the time only about forty. The
4 expense of caring for these forty blind
persons, not including interest on the
l|inVestment but only actual appropra-
y tions, was nearly $500 per capita per
year. The board thought it would be
much cheaper to have them taken care
n of by the counties or by their friends at
!. !. home. The conditions prevailing in the
: home We're Very unsatisfactory. Blind
! people are very hard to get along with
and manage. They are of a jealous
Z idisposition, owing to their iniirmity.
and yet they have as much natural
feeling as seeing persons. They display
this in their tendency to fall in love
with and marry each other. a dozen or
5 more have been discharged during the
I past two years in order to get married,
: as the home does not receive married
Z persons Then they settle down in
Knoxville and try to support them
Z selves by working in the broom factory
:. in the institution. This broom factory
: was conducted at a loss and has not
been steadily in operation. These
{ newly married folks We're unable to
!, support themselves as a rule ard be-
came charges on Marion county. They
. resorted to various means of trying To
support themselves, but the people OF
Knoxville looked upon the institution
Land its inmates With the resulting con-
ditions as a nuisance Which was con-
Itinuaay saddling paupers upon the
county. Therefore they wanted to gel
rid of the Industrial Home for the
2 Blind.
1t has been suggested that this insti.
! tuition might be the beginning of ar
.i epiieptic caiony. but Mr.. sCownies says il
Ills toe near town and there is not lano
y enough to conduct an epileptic colony
! The latter. he says, should have a grea
: farm of at least 1000 acres where4ths
-lpatients can be employed as much as
< possible out of doors, since that is on.
I of the most important features of tht
treatment.
, :, 1t seems to be keeping the politician.
busy Keeping track of Webb Byers o
: Shelby county, since mis- Withdrawal
. from the congressional contest in til,
= Ninth district. He has been accused
since then of being a candidate for at
torney general and governor and prob
ably some other things, all OF whichi
! without sufficient foundation at TIL
present time. MIR. Ryers found tha3
= during his absence the district has
= been fixed up against him, therefore h
y wisely concluded not to make a bis
5 effort and ask his friends To strai,
y themselves when he felt sure it wouit
:. do no coed a.. this time. He resolvet
u to devote himself to his lucrative Law
practice and bide his time. He is
young man with many years of useful
! ness ahead of him and does not need t
!. worry but that he will be in sight an,
. wanted in politics for good man.
4 Years to come. His position in stat
4 politics is such that hardly any man i
Iowa can be said to have better pros
poets. There was some worry in Coun
e ell Bluffs over the recent banquet give
/ in honor of Mr.. Byers by his numerou
! friends in that city. 1t gave ba
/ dreams to some because they did nc
understand it. The fact is it had Ii
I Interior purpose, but was an outburs
y of goodwill from all sides.
!. The newspapers of the state hay
quite generally endorsed the candidac
of Charles 7. Hancock, of DUBUQUE, fo
delegate-at-large to the republican ma
Ic tional convention. Col. George "
g French. of Davenport. who was proba
d bly, the most pronounced man in tn
le Iowa delegation In st. Louis in favor {
es putting the gold standard In plain lar
II lguage and 1t is that hc may be one {
tho four. There y no doubt abo,
Il.