Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-07-03
(By Ora Williams.)

!
which neither he nor his immediate
associates were responsible. 1t just
happened that way. Now, both MI.
! and Mrs. Houston were ambitious IN
| their newspaper aims. Mr.. Houston
| did not have experience then and he
| did not make good. He was consclen-
tious and showed marked ability ana
| had capacity for great deal OF nara
| work. He was victim Of circum-
stances and a hoodoo. The latter was
q peculiar thing. There was, at that
/, time in Sioux City group OF remark
able preachers, including the late DE-.
Darling, who begat cartoonist of
world ia me, and DR.. jenkins, great IN
Presbyterian publication circles. There
also was DIR. Strickland, now deceased
/ "a magnificent preacher, big, POM
pous southern gentleman. The i've or
! six central church preachers used u
| be quite familiar around the editorial
| rooms of the Journal and frequently
met there after Sunday night sermons
(, for a friendly chat and to smoke
sood cigar. DR.. Strickland had be-
come possessed in some way OF lot
of pocket knives handsome pearl
| handled ones. When he got to liking
| a new reporter he made him a present
| of pocket knife. They We're all alike.
After while it was discovered that
/. all the boys that had received Strick-
/ land pocket knives had been let OF the
paper. Pretty soon it became a joke
about a gift Of pocket knife signaling
| a discharge. The boys quit boastins
| about their fine knives. 1t was too Sc
rious. Mr.. Houston was jus. the kind
| of fellow that Strickland would take
to quickly. He got knife. Jack Ell
| lott, later of Waterloo and Des
| Moines, now high in Associated Press
| circles in the east, got knife. he
never was completely in the service OF
the paper, but that settled it and he
couldn't catch on. Houston moved on
| in due time and to higher work. Jud
Wellive- got knife but was too mean
| for the hoodoo to feaze. And DR..
Strickland never knew of the trouble
he caused. He drank good whisky and
preached eloquent sermons and long
since went to his reward. The writer
was never favored by a gift Of one of
those pocket knives.
But for the pocket knife hoodoo, Mr..
Houston might never have quit the
task Of making newspapers to engage
in convincing advertisers they ought to
spend more money. But he deserves
all his success.
There is not only an apparent but
an actual increase in the number OF
insane in Iowa. The aggregate Is
larger and the proportion is larger.
That increase is going to continue for
many years. 1t is inevitable that there
must be facilities for caring for more
of the insane. The epileptic colony
hospital will relieve the situation
somewhat and for time. because
there are some classified as insane
who are really epileptics, and perhaps
others who are both who may go to
the colony
The aggregate Of insane at the state
hospitals In December, 1870, was D.
$50; in 1904 1t was 1886; in Deem
Der of 1909 it was 4.1S9. Last De-
cember it had increased to 1864. an
average of more than 100 at each one.
The number Is now about 400.
Yes. there Is actual increase in the
number Of insane in Iowa." said DR..
Witte. Of the Clarinda hospital, than
whom there is no better informed man
on the subject. The increase is real
and not apparent More Iowa people
become insane than in former times.
| Nobody knows just why, but soma
facts may be stated bearing on the
subject. 1t is the rule that an older
community has proportionately more
insane than a new one. The pioneers
in any state or country are the eXcep-
tionally strong and rugged persons
The weaker ones are left behind. The
first generations are less subject to
breakdowns. Then it is probable. also,
that social and other conditions
change as community becomes more
settled SO as to favor mental maladies
| We know that in the older states OF
the union the proportion of insane is
| larger than in our state. Instead OF
! being about one to every 300 it may be
| in some cases as much a. one to every
200. In European countries the pro-
| portion s higher than in America So
we may fairly expect that there will
continue to be for many years an In
crease in Iowa. No, the increase is
not in any one class of persons or
! from cities or the country, nor has it
relation to ancestry or to occupation"
! It may not be generally known, but
! it Is true that nearly one out of every
| three sent to a state hospital is re-
| turned TO the family and community
| either cured or substantially improved
| It is the belief Of every one connect
| ed with the institutions that there was
a psychopathic hospital where a much
larger number would be placed under
investigation and be given the right
kind of care at the very commence
| ment Of their breakdown, the proper
ton restored to normal mental condi-
! tons would be vastly greater.
Arthur J. Small, state law librarian,
believes in making himself useful to
his employer wherever he goes, and SO
while at the Panama Pacific exposition
at San Francisco he made collection
that enriches the reference department
Of the library. He gathered up and
brought back, or had sent to the Ii
brary, most Of the booklets and othsp
printed information that has been pre-
pared by states and provinces and ma
| TONS and by private interests, to be
given to exposition visitors. OF course
! it is all advertising matter. But it Is
good. Many of the booklets are real
works Of art. They are filed with in
forming pictures and maps and tables.
They stretch around the world. Many
Of the states are represented. There
is much statistical matter not easily
obtained elsewhere. The Australian
countries and Asiatic are represented
For instance q booklet on India has
fine new Cooks railroad map Of that
country One on Burma has the same
Dutch cities are well repreeented All