Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1905-02-15
Battle Creek Sanitarlun.

bent the bow and smeared their faces
with keal-braided their flowing locks
with feathers of the porcupine and
wild eagle, that they might appear
more wild, If possible than before
And as they painted the cheeks and
braided the hair, the squaw-women
sharpened the flint arrow heads and
shaped new bows, that their lords
might do battle to the death with
Other redmen.
And here at Battle Creek, way up
in Michigan, a great battle one day
did occur, and when it was over, and
the sun kissed the range to the far
west, the, tom toms were mufIied and
the squaw-women wrapped their heads
in vari-colored blankets and wept for
with the going down of the sun, many
braves passed to tho proyerbial happy
hunting grounds.
But that was many, many, moons
ago, as the Indians measure time, and
a now era has long since tawned
True, it is Battle Creek to-day, just
as it was decades ago, but, instead of
the cry of the savage is heard the
hum of industry; the throb of life;
the greeting of men and women of
the Anglo Saxon race-the shouts of
happy boys and girls, who know of
Battle Creeks former history only
by tradition, And here on the site
OF the famous battle between the red
men stands now one of the fairest
cities of the great Northwest; a city
eought out among thousands, for in it
dwell, month after month"; as the
years come and go, men and women
who find within the charmed circle
that which they have long sought else
where-health.
When one speaks Of health, the
mind naturally wings itself to Battle
Creek, for up there health is to be
found as at few other places on earth.
Forty years ago there began in Bat
tie Creek a return to nature move
ment, with purposes and pricinples in
many respects similar to those which
led to the famous Brook Farm Exper-
iment" twenty years before and to the
Grahamite movement of that period.
This movement, while religious. was
ayowedly uon-sectarlan, and was in a
broad sense philanthropic altruistic
and reformatory. The immediate re-
suits we're the establishment of
monthly Journal now known as Good
Health and shortly afterwards the
erection of health institution called
THE Health Reform Institute. The
chief features Of the institute at this
early period were diet reform, dress
reform and the use OF water as a cura-
tive agent
In 1876 the present management
took charge Of the institution and with
the consent and cooperation of the
Board of Directors (the institution
having been Incorporated ten years
before), thorough reorganization was
effected Broader plans were intro
duced, the methods of treatment were
placed upon a substantial and thor
oughly scientific foundation, and the
name was changed to the Battle Creek
Sanitarium. Since this time the
growth of the institution has been con
slant and rapid.
From year to year accommoda.
tons for patients and facilities for
treatments were enlarged to meet
the increasing patronage until Feb
ruary, 1902, when great fire swept
away the two principal build
ings of the establishment. The cree.
ton of new building was speedily
begun, and the following year, May 81,
1903, the present fireproof main build
ing, erected at cost of more than
100000, was dedicated. The cost OF
the entire establishment including
equipment, twenty dormitories, cot
tages and other buildings has amount
ed to more than $1,200,000.
There are many sanitariums in the
world, but few, if any, that are con
Quoted on the same plane as that AZ
Battle Creek. This haven of rest and
health is in no sense a money max
ing scheme, and every cent that is
made from patients who are able to
pay for their accommodations is used
to help those who have nothing but
broken health. All over this country,
and even beyond the seas. branch in
situations are springing up-creepers
from the mother plant at Battle
Creek. One point in view is down on
State street, in the center of the me
tropolis of the Middle West Chicago
where hundreds of the city's poor are
cared for as tenderly as If in the par
ent institution at Battle Creek.
In a few brief paragraphs one can
tell but little of the good work of the
Battle Creek sanitarium, but a postal
card will bring pamphlets that will
tell all-all except the knowledge oh
tanned by actual experience, and that
experience must be had at Battle