Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 May 1889 — THE STATE CAPITAL. [ARTICLE]

THE STATE CAPITAL.

Secretary Johnson, oi the State Board of Health, returned, Thursday from a trip of inspection through Northern Indiana. He visited the Michigan City prison, the Logansport asylum and several county asylums. He speaks in high praise of the two institutions first named. fie describes the Carroll county poor asylum worst of all the bad places he has erisr seen. The buildings are old and dilapidated, the insane ward being “little more than a pen. There are six insane persons confined there, two of them are capable of taking care of themselves, and the others are not violent. Three of the Women are kept in a pen. One of them is a repulsive and indecent woman, but one was a woman whose face showed that she was not of the coarsest kind, and, she appeared t© be rather clean. The filth of the room in which they were kept, described in the only language that can be decentlv used, was simply horrible, and the odor arising from it was sickening. They are kept confined in the place constantly, and if thev were not insane, their surroundings would certainly make them so.

The State Medical Society met here Wednesday and Thursday. There was a very large attendance and much interest in the discussions and the various papers contributed. Dr. J. D. Gatch, of Lawrenceburg was elected President; Dr. 8. T. Yount, of Lafayette, Vice President Dr. E. S. Elder, Indianapolis, Secretary for the tenth consecutive term; Dr. T. C. Kennedy, Shelbyville, Assistant Secretary; Dr. Frank G. Ferguson, Indianapolis, ‘Treasurer; and Dr. J. F. Hibbard, of Richmond, Committee on Necrology. The attempt of Evansville to get rid of its Metropolitan police system is being watched here with considerable interest. There are a great many politicians aßd'Otlrerslrere who would not hesitate to go back to the old system, making the force partisan in every respect. It is not believed, however, any positive action will be taken at least until alter tbr fallelction. Stale Treasurer Lemcke regards it .s almost positive that the German Savings Bank of New York will accept the State loan, now that the Supreme G'ourt has decided the law under which action is taken as constitutional. « Superintendent Galbraith, of the Insane hospital, does not propose to resign for about a month, and .there is little inclination to force it earlier than that. The advertisement for sealed proposals from publishers for supplying school books under the new system have brought inquiries regarding various provisions of the law from publishing firms-in St. Paul, Chicago, St./Louis, Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Pitts- * burg, Cleveland, Danville, Ind., and Tyrone, Pa. There is some objection to the provision of the law requiring the publisher to ship the books into each county and wait for his pav until they are sold by the school trustees, in the meantime taking the risk of loss by fire or damage from other causes. Still, they seem willing to enter the competition for the contract. Circulars are now being sent direct to all of the 300 school-book publishers in the United States in order that all may be informed of the chance for them to submit their proposals if they care to do so.