davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-11

band concerts. furnished by hired mu-
sicians When the weather becomes too
cold TO permit these outdoor concerts.
the large auditorium is the scene OF BIZ
weekly entertainments. given by local
talent. Also, at this season, there Is
a weekly hop. where more than hundred
couples dance from until 10 O'Clock In
the evening. In fact. every effort is made
by those in charge to make the lives OF
their wards as happy and interesting as
circumstances permit.
Patients have been tried in various lines
Of employment with more or less salts
factory results. Many OF them work on
the farm. in and about the lawns and gar
dens, and In the buildings. but always un-
der the charge of paid employe. One
old inmate. veteran OF the civil war.
who has been in st. Elizabeth so long
that none Of the doctors are able to re-
member the date of his entrance, is the
owner OF a little canteen, where he does
out tobacco and soft drinks. lead pen
ellis: needles and thread to the other
patients. He is shrewd and drives a
close bargain. and while his profits are
not large. they satisfy him, and he is
probably the happiest man within the
gates OF the mentally-unbalanced citadel.
And so this little world continues to
move in its own orbit, with its laughings,
and its wailings. its happiness and its
misery. All the inmates are properly
fed, comfortably clothed, and well housed.
Generally speaking. from a purely physi-
the pedestrians one encounters on the
streets of Washington. The majority of
them are contented. but II is easy to un-
derstand that where there il content
ment there also is its opposite.
Since the founding of the institution, in
1853, the four buildings with which IL
was then equipped have grown until to-
day there are sixty-ive massive struc-
lures. capable of housing five thousand
patients. The buildings are divided into
five separate departments: The receiving
department, the department for epileptics,
the department for special forms of in
sanity. the department for women and
the department for the criminal insane.
DR.. j. M. Stack has charge of the re-
ceiving department which is the largest
and one OF the most important. The other
physicians at the institution are Dr. B.
r. Logic, DR.. Glascock, Dr. Mary O'Mal-
ley and DR.. c. H. Schwinn These physi-
clans are assisted in their work by about
two hundred nurses and attendants who
devote all their time to the care Of the
patients.
DR.. William A. White, the superintend-
ent, is one of the most eminent alienists
in the world He has been In charge for
many years. but during the past few
months he has been taking well-earned
vacation in Europe. where he is investi-
eating the conditions existing In insane
asylums there. Should he find any I'm
provements over the methods now en-
ployed in this country 1t is probable
that on his return they will be adopted
by the local institution.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-11

40 per cent Of the two thousand and more
inmates Of St. Elizabeth are charged to
the District OF Columbia. The majority
Of them come from Uncle Sans army
and navy forces and from the northern
and eastern sections Of the country. Inc
per capita rate in Washington Is about
one in five hundred, and this compares
favorably with any other city Of the
world.
In the criminally insane department
there are only ten local patients. None of
DR.. Schwinns guests are allowed to use
knives or forks, or chinaware. or any
selves or others. They eat from light
wooden dishes and are guarded by
goodly number Of stalwart attendants
while they are in the little dining room.
These patients are usually kept In cell
like rooms. which contain no furniture
save an unbreakable bed. The doors of
the rooms are heavily barred and lock
and unlock only from the outside. About
fifty, however, who are considered a little
less dangerous than the rest, are allowed
to exercise in an inclosed courtyard,
where they are ever guarded by the
watchful eyes of numerous attendants.
Here they have little to say to each
other. They tramp restlessly about,
screaming and shouting meaningless
phrases at the bare walls. When, as
sometimes happens. one of them excites
himself to state of frenzy, he is imme-
diately removed and locked in his room.
but never, according to DR.. Schwtnn, Is
straight jacket used or is a patient at
st. EliZabeth's placed In a padded cell.
He further asserts that there are no such
things in the institution.
Threatening the Doctor.
When DIR. Schwinn. with The Star re-
porter visited the courtyard. some days
ago, the majority of those who were
walking about within the Enclosure stop
ped and demanded Of him their imme-
date release.
"Will you listen to me a moment, doc
tor" shouted one.s And then. continuing.
Il guess I'll never get out Of here until
you turn me over to the undertaken, will
II"
You may. At any rate, I hope So"
was the doctors guarded reply.
mo. I won't, and you know it, was
shouted back It's because you don't
want me to marry Helen Gould, too.
You've got no right to keep me here.
I'm no fool. not by a whole lot I'm not
l wish l could get at you. XIII you; Of
course, I'd kill you in a minute, YOU"
And he launched into a stream of pro-
family.
John" said DR.. Schwinn. turning calm
ly to an attendant, put number 1858 in
his room. He has gotten himself excited
and might hurt one of the others"
''See how it u.s." the doctor said to the
reporter. THAT fellow is all worked up
now. and II he could reach me in his
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-11

employed in The diamond cutting and
polishing industry OF Amsterdam. and
they handle gems worth many millions
Of dollars every year. The greater part
of the De Beers output is cut in Eu-
rope, and the center of the industry is
Amsterdam. 1t is said that more than
sS.000,0 900 Is paid out in wages to the
diamond workers of that city every year
and that there are something like sixty
factories in which the cutting and pol
iShing are done
The Diamond Output Not FailingP
1 asked Mr.. Williams whether we would
ever have a diamond famine. saying that
1 had heard that the mines were playing
out. He replied:
"Any statement of that kind is not true
We have enough diamonds in sight to
keep us busy for many years, and we shall
probably be supplying most Of the dia-
monds Of the world for several genera
tions to come. AS it is now We have
something like ten million loads of the
blue, containing the diamonds. weather.
ing upon our floors. and there are between
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-11
Shop Kept by a Patient.

cannot hurt you. am only little white
rose"
Standing out. straight and military clad
in khaki. his broad shoulders thrown back
in an attitude of authority, was a young
soldier in uniform. His dsordered brain
carried the hallucination that he was cap
tain of company and was drilling his
men on the parade grounds.
ION right into line!' he shouted, as
the visitors passed. Company halt!
Front! Present arms." And his voice
trailed away into unintelligible COM
mands.
Despite the fact that applicants fer ad-
mission to the ranks Of the United States
Army and Navy must undergo rigorous
physical and mental examination. there
are more soldiers and sailors confined in
st. Elizabeth than men from any other
walk of life. Over 200 enlisted men, the
majority of them under thirty years Of
age, are in the local hospital. and for the
most part they are incurably insane.
The attending physicians attribute this
fact to the tropical fevers and varying
climatic conditions of the foreign military
posts Of the United States. Indulgence
in alcoholic stimulants and other dissipa-
lions help along the work of mental dis
Indignation.
Next to the soldiers, actors are most
liable to fall victims to mental diseases
This is due to the nervous strain at
tendant upon their profession, the late
hours they must necessarily keep, the
constant travel which their calling de-
mands. and some times to the overin-
diligence in stimulants.
Only two cases of what is known as
religious mania are at present confined
in the asylum and these are women There
is not a single case of insanity from the
excessive use of cigarettes, and Dr. Stack
is authority for the statement that he
does not consider cigarette smoking to
have ever caused insanity.
Many of the patients suffer from de-
mentia praecox. which is merely an Inn
perfect development of the brain. These
are usually only weak-minded or silly,
and rarely, If ever, are they dangerous.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-11

In fact in many CASES OK: AZ o their
mentality is abnormaily co;c.oped.
Paradoxical as it may seem, actors,
lawyers, clergy and persons who be-
workers are usually sad, depressed and
silently melancholy. while the man or
woman who previously earned his living
by manual labor assumes an exaggerated
ego, Is loquaciOuS, and not infrequently
imagines himself to be world famed
emperor, yea, even the Deity Himself.
Laboring under such delusions these
mental incompetents fret continuously
under the restraint to which they are sub
jected. while their incessant chatter has
a telling effect on their vitality.
There is one such patient. who imagines
himself to be an encyclopedia. Re
watches the calendar, and every morning,
starts a dissertation on the historical
happenings of that particular day. begin
made their appearance in the Garden of
Eden. He continues it all day. and
strange as 1t may seem, the doctors
assert he never makes a historical mis-
take. Were this his only popularity he
would be allowed the freedom of the
grounds. But he declares himself to be a
book. whose beautiful binding every one
wishes to destroy. Sometimes he becomes
violent on this subject, and, in conse-
quence, is denied this precious boon.
From the standpoint Of the alienist
and the psychologist the most interesting
department is that which houses the
criminal insane. To the layman. whose
life has been cast in pleasant places. 1t
is terrifying and horribly gruesome DR..
G. II. Schwinn is in charge of the 459
patients who are confined there. Forty
five of these men have committed .sur-
der and are kept closely confined in
small cell-like rooms. under constant sur
VIGILANCE. The other patients in this de-
~ oil ianf 20
breaks, and must be watched at all times.
Every nationality is represented, but few
Washingtonians are among the inmates
Of this department. Indeed, less than
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-11

time it took two-thirds of all the dia-
monds we mined. and during the past
year or SO it has bought even more. We
send also many ordinary stones there.
There is a great demand in our country
for diamond engagement rings. In fact.
we are about the only people among
whom every young man thin he must
give a diamond ring to his sweetheart to
seal the promise of marriage. This is so
much the custom that many prospective
grooms are now buying such rings on the
installment plan, and there is regular
business of selling them on long time, at
so much down and at SO much per month,
until paid. Diamonds are also used large
ly as wedding presents and as birthday
gifts
I'm what shape do the diamonds go to
the United States, Mr.. Williams?" I
asked.
1.-The most of them are first cut in Eu-
rope" was the reply. I'VE have duty
of 10 per cent on cut diamonds which
is levied to protect the American dia-
mond-cutting industry, but the fact that
more than two-thirds of the importa-
lions are in the shape of cut stones
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-11

and In groups, or sitting OF the benches.
smoking. sewing and chatting gayly to-
gether are hundreds of persons who seem
more like sojourners at an elaborate
country resort than the unfortunate c-e a
lures they actually are. Occasionally
one or more of them will approach the
visitor and ask him questions usually
of decidedly personal nature, but NOR =
often they content themselves with curl
Gus glanceS. following the stranger with
their eyes as long as he remains in sight.
According to DR.. NJ. ]. Stack. the act
ing superintendent of the institution in
the absence of DR.. White, they invariably
suppose the visitor to be newly ar
rived patient, for they are convinced that
nearly every one In the world, the at
tending physicians included, is mentally
unbalanced. Ample proof for which idea
they find in the. to them. fact that they
are kept In confinement while they are
perfectly normal.
Following the gravel walk for a few
hundred yards, the receiving department:
for men is reached and here the SUNNI ~
large brick building in which the new
patients are received, examined and their
pedigrees taken Every fact relating t.
the past history of the patient is care
fully noted and filed away for future
reference. The doctors and their families
live in this building, which also stretches
out into two wings. in which the newly
arrived patients are placed for a short
period under the closest observation
New Home for Employees.
A new building, erected for the use of
attendants and nurses. was opened during
the past week. Heretofore a majority of
these lived either in the receiving de-
partment or in isolated rooms in the pa
tents quarters. The necessity for a
separate building for these employees has
hoa FOL 1nnc hAr
while not laborious, is nerve-wearing in
the extreme. 1t is interesting to note
here that in spite of the righteousness of
their duties and the paucity of their re-
Enumeration there is a peculiar fascina-
spite of the many drawbacks. many in
tell1gent young men and women A
number OF the present employees have
been with the institution for many years,
and this experience makes them practi-
cally invaluable to the attending physi-
clans.
AS one leaves the entrance to the re-
cefvtng department he is invaria bly,
hailed by scores of voices issuing from
one of the adjoining wings. Pacing rest
lessly about the wide porches and huge
windowed rooms. which are reinforced
with great iron bars. are scores of those
'on whom God has laid his finger; some
silent and mOrOSe, others laughing others
crying. not few praying, and still others
declaiming at the top of their voices. AS
the stranger approaches there is a mo-
mentary silence. which is followed by an
outburst louder than before. These are
some of the remarks which greeted the
ears of recent visitor:
why do you keep me here?' shouted
one gray-haired man. why, l ask you,
must 1. who have given eighty billions of
dollars to this government in patents be
restrained in this place? Would you drive
me crazy. like the rest"
II am a white rose,' shouted another
Come near me. Feel my petals. Don't
be afraid. there are no thorns on me- I
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-11

shows that the tariff is not high enough
for that purpose In 1906 the United
States imported about $34,0O0.0O0 worth
Of diamonds. and Of these only &c.
100000 worth were in the rough, while
S24,000.000 worth were cut stones. Rough
diamonds are free of duty
But, Mr.. Williams, are the American
diamond cutters equal to those of Eu-
rope? Can the stones be as beautifully
shaped and polished at home as abroad?"
Yes. Our diamond cutters are MAIN
ly from Holland and Belgium, and the
most of them learned their trade be-
fore they emigrated. AS it is now, we
have over 400 such workmen in and
about New York. which is the center of
the industry. This is a small number
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-11

all polishing must be done with diamond
dust. In the cutting establishments
this is done on fat wheels of soft iron
as big as a dinner plate, which are so
moved by machinery that they go around
at the rate of 1000 revolutions a min
ute. These wheels are covered with a
mixture Of diamond dust and water. and
the precious. stones fastened into cement
are pressed upon the wheel and ground
off into the facets which so increase
their brilliancy. The splitting of dia-
monds is done by other diamonds. which
might be called diamond knives. The
latter are fixed in cement. and are used
to split the diamonds at the flaws which
the stones frequently have. There are
something like 10000 men and women
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-11

present state he would probably do a
lot OF damage; he's powerfully built
fellow. But the next time he sees me
he will have forgotten all about this little
occurrence. and will probably have the
same thing all over again from the begin
ming. They all want to get out.
Il have some queer patients here. See
that young chap walking around by the
walls of the courtyard? He thinks he's
an automobile. driven by a crazy chauf-
feur, who runs over everybody he can.
When we first let him out there the
others would get in his way and would
Now, however. they humor him, and let
him have his little track all to himself.
He keeps going all day, never stops, and
never gets in any trouble. You see. every
one Of those fellows think that all the rest
are crazy, and SO they are inclined to toll
crate each other with pretty good grace.
There is one chap, though, that have
to have locked in his room nearly every
day. He thinks he's prizefighter. The
rest don't mind that, except when he be-
or some other noted pugilist. He's little
bit of a fellow, but he usually picks out
the biggest men in the yard for illustra-
ton purposes. AS result he frequently
manages to get good licking before the
attendants can get to him."
AS the doctor led the way out Of the
building his name was called from room
after room. the inmates of which had
HedIO MS VOICE, ana seemed TO KNOW Dy
instinct when he was passing their door.
All were begging to be let out into
the courtyard. If they were. they prom
ised, they would ''be good" but as he
passed on their pleadings invariably turn
ed to threats and the most horrible pro-
family. One and all they vowed to kill
him on the first opportunity.
By actual count. during that one trip
through the various wards, DR.. Schwinn' 8
life was threatened thirty-eight times and
this. he said, was decidedly below the
average.
The Amusements Provided.
In direct contrast to the cursing and
shrieking of the inmates of this depart
ment there is. not fifty feet away, a
We'll kept base ball diamond, where every
fair afternoon in the summer teams
chosen from the patients. and sometimes
reinforced by the physicians and attend
ants, participate in the national game
Several hundred patients who are allowed
the freedom Of the grounds constitute
the spectators. Among them are many
fans who take these games quite seri-
ously. cheer on their favorite players,
and jolly the umpire with as much en-
thusiasm as could be found at the Ma
tional ball park. In the winter this field
is converted into a gridiron. on which
foot ball elevens struggle for supremacy.
There are other amusements. too. Three
times week during the summer there are
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-11

it's floors, and it has been able to reduce
it's expenses without any danger of being
unable to supply the demand of the near
future. Today the mines are running
with a much decreased force, and they
will be operated on very conservative
basis until the times improve.
The American Market.
In talking with Mr.. Williams about the
American market, l asked him what kind
of stones were purchased by us. He re-
piled:
1.-The very best. The finest and purest
of our diamonds go to the United States,
and within past years that country has
been by far our best customer. For some
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-11
Rock Drilling in the De Beers Mine,

compared with the thousands employ ed
in Antwerp and Amsterdam"
Saving and Polishing Diamonds.
The business of diamond cutting has
materially changed of late years." con-
tinued Mr.. Williams. I'VE have now
diamond saws by which we can cut
pieces from a diamond and make two or
more diamonds out of one Here. for
instance, is the kind of saw which is
most commonly used"
At this point Mr.. Williams handed me
a copper disk about as thick as my
thumb nail and as big around as the
bottom of a teacup. The metal was
comparatively soft, and I could not see
how 1t could cut a diamond, which is
harder than the finest of Steel until Mr.
Williams said that the wheel was dipped
in diamond dust and the dust did the
cutting.
1T is on this same principle that all
diamonds are ground and polished" said
Mr.. Williams. The only thing that will
cut diamond is diamond itself, and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-11

few diamonds on hand. The people were
everywhere prosperous. and they were
buying diamonds as never before. This
was especially so in the United States,
which was taking almost three-fourths of
panic came. and our demand dropped.
Fortunately the De Beers company had
an enormous amount of blue ground on
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-11
UMAN happiness is, after all, a
relative quantity. To appre-
ciate this fact fully one should
visit st. Elizabeth Hospital

for the insane. where the poor
wards of the government, bereft of their
reason live a life that is to a large
degree pleasant and satisfying to them.
There consciousness is lost and they go
along pleased to all appearances with
the conditions that surround them. They
laugh, they play, they work, they eat.
and many of them read. Their world is
contained within the boundaries of the
acylum grounds, and they do not often
look beyond it.
Sometimes the call of the outside world
drifts into the dim recesses of one Of
those unfortunates brain, and he revolts
and becomes violent. 1t is possible that
the strain on the nervous forces may
be such that murder is done, as in the
case of Charles Lightfoot, who, a cou-
pie of weeks ago. killed two persons and
seriously injured third. Lightfoot had
been allowed the freedom of the grounds
almost from the date of his entrance to
the institution some three years ago.
He had been considered harmless and was
listed on the books as a "truSty." But
the dim spark burst suddenly into fame
and the .esults were disastrous
Passing through one of the two massive
gates which mark the entrance to the
grounds of the asylum. the visitor sees
nothing which calls to mind the previous
ments of an asylum. Stretching in an al
most endless vista before his eyes are
well kept lawns, blooming flower gar
dens, broad graveled walks and here
and there a playing fountain. All about
are great shade trees. whose spreading
branches bend over numerous rustic
benches.
Scattered about the lawn, walking singly
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-11
WI HERE the Government
w Cares for Over Two

WI HERE the Government
w Cares for Over Two
Thousand Mentally Unsound
Patients-The B eautiful
Grounds and Pleasant Sur
roundings at St. Elizabeth
Yet, Still Even Here Con-
tent Can Spread a Charm"
Some of the Hallucinations
That Affect the Inmates
The Base Ball Games, the
Concerts, the Dances and
Other Ways of Making Time
Pass Happily-The Happiest
Man in St. Elizabeth and His
Commercial Enterprise-The
Department for the Criminal
Insane-The Physicians Who
Have Charge.