Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 December 1884 — INDIANA STATE NEWS. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA STATE NEWS.

—The American Starch Works, at Columbus, have reduced wages 10 per cent —Four men broke jail at Indianapolis by climbing on a ladder to a ventilator in the roof. —A fire at Lawrenceburg destroyed the shops of the Bauer Cooperage Company, valued at $50,000. —Miss Eva Esham, a schoolmistress at Medora, was fined S3O for whipping a boy until the blood came. —lndianapolis seems to have a peculiar and annoying affliction. The Journal of that city says: “ ‘The smoking hogs’ have again token possession of the late street cars.” —Ted Carver, son of Morgan Carver, residing near Florenoe, seriously wounded himself while placing a cocked revolver in his pocket. The ball entered the right thigh, and was extracted near the knee. —The Board of Commissioners of Montgomery County have effected a settlement with the bondsmen of J. G. Dwiggins, the defaulting Treasurer. As settled, the board accepted two notes signed by the bondsmen—one note for $7,000, payable on or before March 1, 1885, and one note for SB,OOO, payable on or before Dec. 1, 1883, with 8 per cent, interest after maturity. This settlement fully and completely releases the sureties from further liability on the bond. —Prof. John T. Smith, a prominent Republican, of New Albany, was astonished a few days ago by receiving notice of his appointment to a $1,500 clerkship in the War Department, which he had never asked for. It appears that he had been asked to prepare an article for the Century on civil service, and in order to gather data for it he applied for examination when the commission met in Louisville. He passed with so much credit that an appointment followed; but he will probably not accept. —The best iron ore and the largest quantity that has been found in this part of the State, says the New Albany Ledger, is on the old Tabler farm, west of the city. The iron is what is known as the kidney ore, and is found in a stratum of ironstone outcropping from the knobs. It exists in large quantities and the ore is the best of its kind—superior to the ore found in Perry County, and fully up to the standard of the same ore found in Martin County. It is estimated to be 60 per oent. in purity. —The State Board of Health made its annual report. Of its annual appropriation of $3,000 the Board expended $4,993.69. Every county in the State has a local Board of Health, and each has sent in quarterly reports with commendable regularity, In a few counties the Commissioners permit the positions of local health officers to be filled by the lowest bidders, regardless of qualifications, thus making the quality of cheapness the ruling, and, possibly, the only cause for his selection. Referring to the survey of county asylums for the poor, the report says; “Although they have no maniuc patients, yet in 83 per cent of the asylum restraints are used upon these poor unfortunates. Many of them are cribbed, many tied, others chained—some in dark cells, others in strong rooms; some fastened to the floor and wallowing in their own filth, others in pens and stalls; many are confined in strait-jackets, and in one asylum for the poor, situated in a county adjoining the capital of the State, an insane woman spends her time in solitary confinement in a cell or coop of iron. True, the erection of new insane asylums will relieve this distress; but, under the care now received, this class must suffer greatly during the time required for the erection of the new hospitals. ” Considerable space is devoted to the survey of county prisons and school houses. The entire report will make a book of over three hundred pages, and its infor. mation will be useful.

—The thirty-fourth annual report of the hospital for the insane has been submitted to the Governor. It shows that there were in the hospital at the beginning of tbo fiscal year, 600 men and 496 women; 403 men and 505 women were admitted, making a total of 908; there were 284 discharged from the department for men, and 89 from the department for women; 112 patients died—Bl of the men and 31 of the women; the whole number under treatment during the year was 1,003 males and 1,001 females, making a total of 2,004; the average number daily was 1,207, and the expenses per capita $177. A year ago restraints by cribs, straps, anklets, handcuffs, collars, chairs, camisoles, leather mittens, were generally discarded, and gradually both patients and attendants have learned to do without them, and “all parties,” the report says, “agree that the hospital is more homelike and comfortable in their absence.” The report of the Board of Trustees is brief, but substantially the same as that of Superintendent except the financial exhibit. The estimated value of the real estate is $1,407,150, and of the personal property $164,744.63. Of the $745,000 appropriated for maintenance $213,665.47 wa3 used for that purpose, while $7,628.75 was expended for permanent improvement. The total expenditure was $221,294.22, leaving a balance of $23,705.78. Of the repair fund, $7,500, the sum of $10.20 was unexpended; and of the clothing fund, $12,000, there remains $2,776.85. Other small balances are reported. —J. Q. McHvaine, Trustee of Jackson Township, Marion County, has disappeared. His accounts are short $4,000; which he lost in grain operations on the Chicago Board of Trade. —Charles Hale was carried home at Lafayette with a broken leg, which so frightened his wife that she fell in a swoon, and died in a short time. —Typhoid fever is unusually prevalent in New Albany aud vicinity.