Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-01-08
Hospital at Warm Springs Is Montana Largest incorporated
Community Gagged Number of Persons Within It's Borders
FROM THE STATE DIVISION or PUBLICITY

M ! - 5:ssS: ..SI5 4 e S Ss%ssE
4W4 the state hospital at Warm
Springs, operates under the
complete Jurisdiction Of one man. DR..
John @. Dunn, superintendent of this
largest Of the states institutions, has
the physical well being Of more than
1909 persons In his sole care. No ether
community Ia Montana operates under
such individual management. No other
community Incorporates so many per-
sons In such few dwellings. There are
perhaps two dozen buildings that house
the whole population Of this institution
and village.
But because this is the institution
that the commonwealth Of Montana
has created as a haven for those I'M
fortunate persons who have lost the
light Of reason, it receives scant atten-
ton from the citizens at large, and
particularly no constructive under
standing from the legislature which
conVenes every two years. A joint COM
mittee on institutions from the house
and senate is named. This committee
makes a round robin visit Of all places.
Warm Springs offers few interesting
attractions and the committee makes |
a hurried visit, returns to appropriate I
as little as its conscience permits and /
is likely to forget the 1880 patients /
DIR. Dunn Named
When Dr. John G. Dunn was APP
pointed superintendent Of the state
hospital for the insane by Gov. Roy
E. Ayers, he found at Warm Springs
Just what might be expected from an
Institution that is the orphan child
in the family of state Institutions. He
found, not neglect of the patients, but
needed rehabilitation of the physical
plant and the buildings the patients
are housed in.
Take for example, the various activ-
tiles of the place. At the swlnery, the (
hogs were eating their heads off in {
grain purchased in carload lots at mar !
ket prices. When DR.. Dunn took charge, {
this hog farm wasn't even producing ]
enough fats for the bakery and the {
kitchen of the hospital. He made some (
personnel changes, introduced econo- {
mics and better management, ana re- {
Gently the farm sold several InouSa nl
pounds of surplus lard to a nelghbor
Institution The leaks and losses have {
stopped.
Then there were the unpaved streets 5
full Of ruts and always dusty. IneSe
have now been surfaced by the state {
highway department. and paid Tor.
RenOvate Bakery !
The institutions bakery, producing !
sufficient bread, cakes and pastries Tor {
over 1000 persons, is located IN danK I
and drafty basement, the ovens heated
with wood. Dr.. Dunn began moving [
this department up to well lighted. !
well ventilated ground-floor room; :
hoped to replace the wood nreboxeS :
with natural gas equipment, but ne ran 7
smack into a financial deficiency and ;
the bakery remains in the basement. Z
That brings up the way the lnstitu-
ton Is financed. The legislators, Win c
- y. n
take the budget estimate Of the super +
lntendent and arbitrarily pare 1t down.
That Is the custom. The last legislature
was asked for s400, 900. 1t cut the figure
TO S350.O00. This is supposed TO provide =
So cents a day for each patient, but 8 s
the number OF patients mas incT ,.sSl I
from $3.50 to 1880 and there is always :
an annual net increase in the patient :
population every biennium. The cost =
Der day. with the steady increase in
prices the last two years, has advanced &
from So cents to So cents day. Prices =
on all commodities have gone up and 4
the higher per diem expense OF the =
hospital reflects this increase.
Laundry Is Old y
The institution has a large laundry 3
operated by competent hired help aug {
nented by the work OF patients, VINO 1
enjoy the diversion. But 1t is woefully Ii
run down; the entire plant is antlquated s
and inefficient. 1t needs a general over
a new mangle, new electric s
wiring more room. These improvements !
require funds and the legislature must {
provide them 3
The institutions dairy farm supplies /
it with milk, cream and butter. The
herd is probably the finest in Montana +
but It, too needs requirements; Old !
cows must be butchered and additional !
heifers added This replacement Is be
ing made from the hospitals own Hol-
stein stock.
The garden truck was woefully de-
ficient, but this year the. storage BINS
are crammed with enough potatoes TO
last the wear. If you don't think it takes
some potatoes for such q place, just
consider that each day ton and half y
OF spuds are cooked and eaten BY the
patients and the help.
Most interesting is greenhouse,
warmed by the flow from the natur Id
hot springs, at a temperature OF III
degrees, that gives the township It's
name. Under the glass roof at this
time tomatoes are turning RED ana