The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-08-05
HOSPITAL CAMP IN THE DESERT.
Il. Louis Phllanthropist Founded a Unique
Retreat for COnsumptiyes.
From the 81, Louis Globe Democrat.

From the 81. Louis Globe Democrat.
To found a charity out on the Great Amer
lean desert for persons In that stage OF health
where il Ia to be supposed they should want
to go anywhere else than on the sun baked
plains to live Is the novel fad Of a st. Louis
phila nthropist. n. O. Nelson. Not alone that,
but IL was his original idea to make this desert
charity ~self-supporting. fitting II with ranches
where alfalfa and barley and cantaloupes and
the like could be raised, and while the tenants
paid but a nominal dollar a week for tents.
or 50 where board was included. the farm
should make up the remainder.
The story Of his going into what is almost
like Death Valley for health is interesting.
The site Of the place is Indio. Cal. a mere
hamlet. given over almost exclusively to rail-
way employees and fugitives from the great
white pla gue-consumption.
On what was the bed Of a primitive ocean.
the sand still made up of millions of marine
clam shells and other tiny spiral conches.
and supporting no cacti. but only a low brush,
the Nelson philanthropy purchased ia acres
OF land at an average of 500 an acre. The
outdoor camp for consumptives was then
opened and put in charge Of a general fore
man, who was TO super wise the ranches for
raising the crops indicated.
At first things went well. but II soon became
apparent that sick men can't work well
and that IL would be exceedingly difficult to
keep up the farming. As a result that side
of the venture has been dropped and the place
Ia supported almost entirely by the st. Louis
man. At the same time IT is not made abso-
lutely free. but where persona cannot pay the
nominal 81 or SO means are found to let them
work of their board.
Obviously the desert camp does not cure.
1t does, however, cause wonderful ~rallyine.
Men have been brought here on stretchers,
and under influence Of sleeping powders. and
they have been brought to almost perfect
health.
tents, set In a hollow square about a field
OF very long. dry grass. Each Of these tents
rests on a %99 Pa no 90 T nnsr ana IL laol1s the
with books and, magazines and q flagstaff,
At one end Of the plaza the, adobe Gotta ge
the area the inmates drag away time as they
can. the women at quilting, the men in loung-
Ing. or FIXING their guns. Now and then they
go bunting out in the desert for hare or quail
At each tent there burns a .gasolene lamp
at right, Inside there is a shelf for the little
whitened over, a small iron cot. and a table
resting on a rug. These, tables haye their
oilcloth covers. a lamp and books and papers.
The tents are practically all the same size,
bed and bedding. chairs. stove and washing
u Utensils;
The charity Ia open to any one; The days
br eakfast at 40 o'clock on mush and milk,
eggs and coffee. At noon there. Ia soup, a
little meat and potatoes. but no dessert. In
the evening at 5 O'Clock suppe Ia served.
Sunday meals are the same.
There are nov some twenty-five persons
at the camp. Those who do not do their
own cooking or eat Mt the general mess tent
beard themselves in the hotel.
The idea Of TIE euro, however, out in the
hlisterinc desert for health Ia UNIQUE. Some
th;nU like S-T mitCs from New DFlCapa Ipdio
lies twenty-five feet below the sea level. Its
non-humidity is the wonder Of the medical
water ia marked by 100 per cent: absolutely
vaporless air is set at zero. Ten per cent.
Ia rare. even In arid Arabia. In fact. the
average humidity OF the north Atlantic Is
40 per cent. Here in Indio they have regis
tered o per cent; the average is Is. As a
result. there is not much water for the benefit
Of the thirsty pulmonary tubercle, and with
out moisture he cannot incubate. Hence the
value Of the site for the charity.