New-York tribune., 1902-10-31
GHEEL. THE CITY or FOOLS.
WHERE HARMLESS "INNoCENlS' AXE
CARED FOR IN BELGIUM

. . ~, ,,,,.,to5 whether the town Of Gheel. in
Belgium has often been heard or outside 'ne "''-
ders OF that thriving and interesting niue e'u"'
and even n the name be known, its character Is
most prohably ignored. II is a town Of harmless
I,rratics who dwell i'm harmony. stroll about lhe
streets take their MONDAY refreshment at the
cafes and 90 about their daily routine wIth more
common sense many worthy citizens VINO arc
healthy in mind well as in body
Situated about twenty-seyen miles from the great
commercial centre Of Antwerp II shelters hfteen
hundred fools who are taken as lodgers by the
toUnsfolk all dangerous or violent cases oeihs
passed on 10 outlying villages. The treatment OF
the patients IS a moral one. cures being due 20
kindness and tact the part OF the toWnsfoik VINO
make il their business The fees for taking In the
.fnnocents" as the patients are called vary from
so to 500 year according 10 the manner in wnich
the patients or their friends wish that they shoui
he looked after
Eo matter how much he pays. however. the
boarder Is always the spoiled member Of the fam
ilv for it is a well known fact that the people OF
GheeI understand the management or me insane
better than any other community or institution
The patient always has the armchair ana the bes'
sea- al table and enjoys every possible attention
with the result that he learns TO value the esteem
in which he is held such an extent that he
make the greatest efforts 20 master his weakness
lest he should forfeit his cherished privileges. The
children Of the community seem wiser ana 20 nave
Older heads than ordinary youngsters and thls
comes from their contact with their elders In years
, who unfortunately. little older In intellect.
Dozens OF little ones may be seen walking hand
in hand with great, robust men, 20 whom they
chatter in the most familiar manner. often the
h0arder is told of watch the baby of the house
hold and in most cases makes a devoted guardian
Naturally Gheel surpasses London. Paris. Berlin
or Rome as "A residence Tor emperors kings queens,
niuIonaires popes archbishops and pashas. all OF
whom are fully humored In their fancies. one
king" Informs all new comers that he has two
loft legs and is Obliged 10 have hts boots ana
trousers made accordingly. Another old gentleman
who thinks himself the Pope OF Rome, says ne IS
perfectly able to hy Heaven. but that for the
time being he is corpulent His landlord humors
MIN 10 the extent Of Offering to assist him In
making a start from his window sill hut warns
him that ne might fall and break his neck so the
Pope until has thought IL wise TO put on
his experiment. and says each day that he will
wait until after tea one OF the strange inhabi-
tants Of Gheel is always the lookout 10 borrow
hatchet. because he says he has suddenly grown
so stout that he must chop way through the
doorway. which is too narrow TO allow him 10 pass
No visitor Gheel need be surprised II he be
accosted 10y innocent In the street. who,
with tears in his eyes. will ask him for protec-
tion against horrible butterfly or bird about
10 attack him and eat out his brains or by an
other fancying himself seed and asking to he
put in the pocket that the wind may not blow him
away only few days ago one Of the inmates
was In a terrible way because he fanced himself
a mustard seed and the birds sure to swallow
him. HIS landlord demonstrated with him for be
ing So foolish saying: Have not told you that
YOU are safe. because the birds only eat hemp
seed?' and the unfortunate man became tran
quil.
Al the inns tho landlords show the greatest po-
lteness and consideration toward the ''nnocents
humoring al their fancies and often appearing 10
carry out the realization OF some OF their wild
I ideas.
There is the ludicrous side to it all. but there
is also the pitful; while the tenderness. the tact
and goodwill shown these simple minded folk,
who free from all restraint. astOnish all who
visit the town TO inspect its system behalf OF
other asylums Of Europe.