Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1908-11-19
TIE ASYLUM AT SPENCER.

State, had an interesting visit TO that
institution last week 1t would doubt
less be a great surprise to most West
Virginians to zee such splendid In
stitution as tbir, for in the character
of the buildings and equipment and
the excellence of its management it 10
at the top notch.
The town Of Spencer, the county
seat of Roape county, is a thriving
place of some 800 inhabitants. 1t is
81 miles by rail south of Parkereburg
"a miles down the Ohio River Rail-
road and 33 miles from Ravenswood
on the Ravenswood, Spencer and Glen
Vile line. The streets of Spencer are
excellently paved with brick, the town
having Issued bonda for this improve
ment in order that it might be extri-
Gated from the fearful mud, and nat
ural gas is used for lighting purposes
and for fuel. The business buildings
are substantial brick structures, and
they are up-to-date enough to have a
sky-scraper-a bank and Office build
ing that would be a credit to any
place. The dwelling. houses of the
town are singularly good for place
of its size comfortable, convenient,
well-kept and attractive in appear
apcs. with remarkably few old build
ings to mar the general good effect.
Psvemsnts of concrete or brick make
good sidewalks along the principal
streets
Roane county is mighty billy
country-so billy that very little grain
is raised. The hills are 20 steep that
it would never do to pillow them, SO
they are permitted to run into blue
grass, and cattle grazing is the chief
industry of the farmers. On the mead.
ows along the creeks, where you may
find occasionally few hundred square
yards of level land, corn is cultivated,
and occasionally a little wheat. All
of the timber has been cut out and
there is practically no woodland.
The Second Hospital for the insane
was established some fifteen years
ago. The principal building, or
group, is about l, 100 feet In length,
three stories high, with the admins
tration building, four stories in height.
occupying the center, the wards for
the males on the north and those for
the females on the south. These
buildings are well designed and of
pleasing architectural appearance,
substantially constructed Of brick,
with stone trimmings. They occupy
commanding situation, while typi-
cal West Virginia hill serves as a
mighty bulwark in the background.
Extensive lawns grace the front of
the buildings, with shade trees, flow
ers aud summer houses giving pleas
ing variety. A farm of about 40 acres
is connected with the institution. and
very largely supplies it with vegeta-
bles, a part Of the labor being fur
nished by the patients, who are en-.
couragsd to work outdoors as much
as possible.
At present thers are 485 inmates Of
the institution. pretty nearly evenly
divided between the sexes. No pa
tients are taken from this section of
the State, as these are cared for at
Weston. Those who are in the Spen-
Ger asylum are from the western and
southern counties. The several class
ss of patients are separated into the
various wards-thoss who are violent
being on the upper floors, while the
mildly demented are kept on the
ground floor. The patients are cared
for in accordance with modern scien-
ti6c regulations. There are no me-
chanical restraints-no handouts nor
straight jackets nor appliances of that
sort-the attendants managing their
charges gently and without violence.
We saw but one insane person who did
not have tue freedom of the ward-a
burly maniac who had killed an at
tendant and who was kept In room
to himself behind barred door.
Opening into the main corridor on
each floor are comfortable rooms we'll
lighted and ventilated, which are oc.
cupied by one and sometimes two pa
tients. Each person has comforta.
BILE bed to himself. The bedstead is
of iron neatly painted white, with
good mattress and clean bed linen and
coverlets. In the corridors are COM
Portable chairs and settses, rockers and
even rolling chairs being provided.
Connected with each ward is a bath.
room, clothes room, an apartment for
the use of the attendants, good sup
ply of fire hose and other things neces-
sary for the comfort and welfare of
the patients, and on the male side
barber shop. Everything is astonish-
inglv clean. One of the regulations
is, Nothing is clean enough if it can
be made cleaner" and it is rule
scrupulously observed. The system
and discipline is such as TO make this
cleanliness and order a constant con-
dition, and not simply for occasional
inspection.
A visit through the wards aud OBJ
servation of the inmates is most inter-
esting-sometimes melting one to
laughter and again moving to pathetic
reflections. One of the patients de-
manded an honorable discharge, with
papers regularly signed; another asked
the return Of loan of three million
dollars he had made to the superin-
tendent talkative fellow announced
that he had built the B & o Railroad
and had not vet been Maid for IT. one