The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1921-12-02

There are NO chess players in the
state asylum at Warm Springs. This
statement 10 made by the custodian
Of the mems department, Mr.. Lands.
There are checker players in plenty.
Cribbage II we'll represented. There
are some players Of the great Ameri-
can game Of poker and one of them
feels himself 90 proficient that In his
more rational periods he begs the
authorities to let him come up to
Butte 90 ! can trim few Of those
Holsters in . little game Of draw
He promises solemnly, II will come
right back after I have had q crack
ct those Wise Johnnies.''
Mr.. Lands does not attempt to-
explain the absence Of chess players
among Montana's insane. He merely
states the fact 40 he finds It. He
wouldn't hazard an opinion a. to
whether chess playing kept the facul-
ties alert and normal or whether It
'just happened that way"
There are 1850 inmates of the
state asylum at present. OF these
female children.
A number Of Butte people visited
Warm Springs recently and were ac-
corded the privilege Of inspecting the
institution from cellar to garrett The
ladies of the party, according to one
Of their number, were disappointed.
1--WE didn't find things at all as we
expected" she said. Gwen DR.. Scan
land didn't conform to our expecta-
tions. He doesn't have the 'furtive
manner that fiction has always as
ISOLATED with the heads of such in
stituti0ns. He doesn't wear a black
frock coat or string tie and his hair
does not hang down in his eyes.
Says He L. Bald
do you know" and she dropped
her voice to a whisper as If she were
tmparting something Of which she
was ashamed, 1.-The man is bald.'
According to the statements of the
visitors the institution is not an ag-
gregation of dungeon-like cells with
hoarse-voiced, horse-faced keepers
stridfng about with an OK goad in one
hand and bludgeon in the other,
driving covering inmates into far
corners of their cells with kicks,
curses and blows.
Anu VOA4NAu6 UOI0 u resemblance
to hospital rather than a place of
detention.
A large, high, white-painted cor
ridor extends throughout the length
of the mems building. The floor is
Of Dutch tiling. ''The best kind of
floor for a place of this kind" said
the custodian, because it will show
dirt quickly. It is hard to keep
clean and therefore we are always
at 1t. A place like this demands alb
solute cleanliness"
On the lower floor there are rooms
with single beds, rooms with double
beds and in some instances, small
wards. Every room 10 an outside
room with Montana sunlight casting
yellow patterns on the floor and the
autumn breezes blowing gently in
through the screened windows.
There Is an operating room, the
finest in the northwest, and labora-
tory said to be one of the best in the
country. These rooms have rounded
corners $50 that any dust that hap
pens to blow in will blow out again."
Every instrument known to surgery
and every device that makes for
cleanliness and efficiency is on hand.
A vocational department has also
been established by the federal gov
eminent and rs ex-service men who
are suffering from shell shock are
enrolled. Twenty of these are fed
eral; six are state. The government
provides an assistant instructor.
High Compliment from U. s.
DR. s. OF the federal government
has paid us high compliment" said
an official. HE has charge of Iowa,
the two Dakotas and Montana. He
has stated unequivocally that Mon
tana is the best institution in his dis
trict. We appreciate the compliment
because this medical inspector is one
OF the most thorough we have ever
seen. He Is so exacting that he runs
his pen knife along the creases of the
butcher knives where the blade Joins
the handle to see If there is any dirt
In the creases.'
The United States medical men,
after making complete inspection
of the asylum, It is stated, had but
one recommendation to make. This
was that all radiators be screened so
that an epilepttc may not place q
hand on hot radiator during an at
tack.
On the second floor there is a sun
porch and a number of wards, in
some of which there are beds for 20
and In others 40 patients. On the
porch a crowd of men were standing
and sitting about, quiet and we'll be-
haved enough. The gathering looked
like so many working men resting
after dinner. Some greeted visitors
politely, some seemed absorbed in a
brown study, while others looked as
II they were tired from hard labor.
Thessic are in the hospital quar-
ter In bed. The whole atmosphere is
one OF peace, Quietude and content
ment.
1T is remarkable fact" said Mr..
Lands, as he stood in the center of