Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1906-10-12

means good enough for anybody.
And the insane inmates earned all
the furnishings themselves. Under
the administrative direction of the
very capable Miss Tufts, matron for
twenty years, the women patients
have crocheted and knitted, hem
stitched and pieced together fancy
articles which have been sold to visit
ors and the proceeds invested in
things that makes the home comfort
able and inviting.
Magnitude of the Task.
Some Idea of what it has meant to
these busy fingers to so adorn twenty
three wards may be gained from the
following estimates for the furnishing
Of the entrance ward
40 y1rds carpet at sl.20 s156. 90
One Bookcase %. co
$50 bks. 25c each 1850
80 pictures at So, each $4,000
II rockers 5000
II cane settees 5000
Lace curtains 1000
Total for one ward sos. 80
1t has been task of fifteen years
to equip all these wards in this way,
but it has been done, and has proven
worth while. Such things soothe the
the troubled spirit and quiet the dis
traught brain. and the -breakage and
destruction has been less than it
would have been had the same things
gone into private family with chill
dren.
Men S Wards Need The Same.
The mems wards need to be furn-
ished likewise, but, unfortunately for
the men patients, although more than
300 of them are engaged in productive
labor, their product, while it inures
to the common good of all the In
mates, does not command price in
the open market. 1t would cost $1,000
or $4,000, to fit up mems wards COR
respondingly we'll, but | believe that
the state should do it. 1t would be
money we'll and humanely spent, and
would help to heal hurt minds.
Cost OF Care and feeding.
This Stockton state fami y of 1000
persons has good capacity to con-
sumo. As a~maker of a market for
produce it is not to be sneezed at.
For the fiscal year ending June 80,
1906, the item of flour footed up
$40, 45S. 80: fresh meat sl4. 879. %; but
ter, So, 1872 l6; potatoes, s4,0l7. SO;
syrup, So, 236. Oh; eggs, 1902. 20; tea
81, $40 %; coffee. sl,9s5.05; tobacco,
81, 45l.4S; clothing, So, $50. The total
cost for maintenance for the year
figured up s24S, s74.52, and the insti-
tuition did not have more than it
needed, in fact, has had to scrim p
some to come out even. The purcbas-
ing is honestly and efficiently done
and at bottom prices.
Going Into Farming.
The legislature of 1905 appropriated
$40, QUO with which to buy more farm
ing land for Stockton Hospital, and
the Board of Managers purchased 400
acres two miles north of the hospital
grounds. Out of the contingent fund
the Board AFTERWARDS purchased 121. 81
acres adjoining at s123. 30 per acre, a
total of sl4, 9S9. ~ or 81, $3.50. 10 for one
of the best farms in the neighbor-
hood. The soil is adobe except as to
some peat lands, is under ditch and
is being prepared for irrigation. One
colony of working patients has been
established out there already and
more colonies will follow. In fact, a
colony system tor chronic insane is
likely to develop on this farm that
will one day be as populous as the
parent institution, if the entire insti-
tuition does not go there itself So
fast Is Stockton growing that the
original site oil 90 acres, cut up into
town lots, will soon for sell enough to
replace all the buildings now consti-
tuting the institution and values will
increase more rapidly in the future
than they have in the past. In fact in
another decade Stockton will have
built entirely around the hospital
grounds
The Failure Should Be Looked To.
The eventuality above outlined
should prompt the Board of Managers
to have the new farm site laid out to
meet future requirements in order
that trees may be planted where they
will be wanted and building spots
provided for utilization by -and-by.
Meantime, the farm can produce
enough milk and meat, potatoes and
vegetables, to cut those big items of
support down to moderate figures if
they cannot be eliminated altogether.
Stockton will some day be crazy fol-
the crazy peoples grounds for pub
lie park and it may be easily for the
advantage of both state and city to
have the present grounds relinquished
for that purpose.
Things Wanted.
Stockton Hospital is fairly equ1pp-
ed tor taking good physical care of
insane persons, but it is devoid OF
equipment for healing hurt minds.
Medicine can do little toward re-
establishing a disordered intellect.