History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan, Part 21

Author: Durant, Samuel W. cn
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia : D.W. Ensign & Co.
Number of Pages: 772

USA > Michigan > Eaton County > History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan > Part 21
USA > Michigan > Ingham County > History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan > Part 21

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The labor of a large number of the inmates is required to supply the wants of the institution ; many of the boys are employed upon the farm, others in the tailor- and shoe- shops, manufacturing clothing and shoes for themselves and companions, others in the laundry and kitchen, and others in such branches of industry as the board can find a market for. The manufacture of cigars for several years gave em- ployment to a large number of boys, and assisted materially in paying the current expenses of the institution, but the contractors for this class of labor discontinued the same at the close of the year 1875, and the only work for which there is any demand at present is the caning of chairs. The introduction of such labor as will benefit the boys by acquiring a knowledge of its operation, and at the same time relieve the taxpayer to some extent of the burden of supporting the institution, has been the object of much study and inquiry on the part of the board of control of this and kindred institutions, and the problem still remains unsolved.

The number of inmates at the commencement of the last fiscal year-Oet. 1, 1879-was 327. During the year 139 were admitted, and 159 discharged, as follows : 116 were discharged as reformed, and returned to their homes, 7 were returned to their parents to reside out of the State, 19 were discharged on ticket-of-leave, for 14 places were found with farmers, 1 escaped, and 2 died, leaving 307 in the in- stitution at the close of the year. The average number during the year was 3202.

The library contains upwards of 3000 volumes of books, carefully selected and suited to the wants and tastes of the boys. The privileges of the library, reading-room, and art-gallery, the latter containing a large number of paint- ings and engravings, the most of which have been generously

STATE INSTITUTIONS.

donated to the institution, besides a collection of house- plants and other attractions, are highly prized and appreci- ated by the boys, and many hours are here pleasantly and profitably employed that otherwise might be devoted to what is not very uneommon with boys of like ages,-planning and perpetrating mischief.

The farm stock consists of five horses, thirty-two head of cattle,-mostly thoroughbred Ayrshire,-and forty-nine head of swine. The horses are employed upon the farm and draw to the premises all supplies purchased, besides delivering manufactured work at all the railroad depots. The cows supply all the milk required, and a considerable revenne is derived from the sale of calves and pigs, while everything required for the sustenance of the stock is pro- duced upon the farm. The benefits derived from the opera- tion of the farm are varied and important. The productions of the soil being consumed at the institution save the large expenditure which their purchase would require, while a large number of the inmates are supplied with health- ful and respectable employment, and thereby prepared for a field of usefulness upon their discharge. In this connee- tion it is proper to state that in some cases the boys have acquired such proficiency in the various branches of labor in which they have here been educated that upon receiving their discharge they have been employed by the institution to carry on the work for which they have shown themselves so well adapted.

CONCLUSION.

A thorough investigation of the subject, a visit to the Reform School, and an examination of its conduct, of the boys in the school, in the work-shop, or on the farm, in the chapel, and on the play-ground, the thorough system of order, regularity, and discipline pervading the whole, the physical condition of the boys, and the general appearance of contentment, cannot fail to impress the visitor with the wisdom of those who projected this great charity, and its successful working in every particular. As an investment, viewed from a purely business standpoint, it pays well ; for the little waifs who are just about to enter the broad ave- nues to crime, which, in most cases, are the only openings before them, are rescued, properly trained for useful life, and transformed from expensive consumers to industrious producers, greatly lessening the number who are to occupy hereafter our prisons and almshouses.

Each successive change in the office of superintendent has been accompanied by some good result ; for each new incumbent, having before him the policy of his predeces- sor, and viewing both its advantages and faults, has been able to introduce some new feature in the conduct of the institution which experience has demonstrated to be an im- provement. The most important change of stripping the institution entirely of its prison garb has been effected by the present superintendent, and its thorough trial for more than five years past has proved a triumphant success.

In the report of the board of control for the year 1873 the opinion of the board was expressed in the following words :

" And we cannot think any person can carefully inves- tigate the character and condition of all the cases we have to deal with but they must come to the conclusion that for a

portion of those committed here we must either have im- passable walls or an immense increase of overseers and watchmen to prevent escapes, which have a very deleterions effect upon the discipline of the school, as one snecessful escape always has the tendency to induce the attempt on the part of others."

Superintendent Johnson, in his report to the board for the year 1872, said,-

" The wooden fence around the boys' yard is greatly de- cayed and liable to fall by the force of the storms. Would it not be prudent to commence the erection of a PERMA- NENT WALL of sufficient strength and stability to resist the action of severe gales, and remain a substantial fixture for the future ?"

In accordance with this recommendation of the superin- tendent, the board of control, in their summary of needs for which appropriations were recommended, reported :

" For the erection of a permanent wall around the yard and shops, in place of the dilapidated board fence, which was only erected as a temporary affair, and which has often been blown down, and cansed much extra trouble and care in keeping the boys in subjection, we need at least five thousand dollars."

The present superintendent, upon assuming control of the institution, demanded not only the removal of this high and unsightly fence, which had previously caused so much apprehension in consequence of its insecurity in preventing the escape of boys, but that it should be replaced by a neat pieket fence of usual height, and the further removal of iron doors and bars, contending that the boys could better be restrained without resort to such precautions. The board, with some hesitancy, consented to these suggestions, and find as the result of the change that attempts to escape have become exceedingly rare.

The boys no longer regard themselves as convicted crim- nals, nor consider their residence at the institution a dis- grace.

Efficient teachers instruct them daily in the more im- portant studies, they acquire habits of industry, cleanli- ness, and regularity, and go forth upon the world better prepared to meet and overcome its difficulties than a large proportion of those whose entrance upon the stage of life was attended with more promising surroundings.

BOARD OF CONTROL.

D. B. Ilale, Chairman, term expires 1883; E. H. Davis, Treasurer, term expires 1881 ; George A. Smith, Clerk, term expires 1885.

Officers .- Frank M. Howe, Superintendent ; T. R. Waters, Assistant Superintendent ; J. W. Hagadorn, Phy- sician ; A. L. Bours, Bookkeeper.

The following interesting paper upon a subject compara- tively new to the great bulk of the citizens of the State has been carefully prepared by Dr. Baker, at the solicitation of the writer in charge of this work, in the hope that the people of Ingham and Eaton Counties may read it atten- tively, and thereby understand the magnitude and impor- tance of the great work which the State Board of Health is undertaking to carry ont,-a work which, though more

HISTORY OF INGHAM AND EATON COUNTIES, MICHIGAN.

or less technical and scientific in its modus operandi, yet vitally concerns every inhabitant of the State.

Many subjects of a scientific character are frequently treated with indifference by the general publie, which, if better understood, would command widespread attention ; and we know of no means more effectual to the enlighten- ment of "those who sit in darkness" than the printed pages of a popular volume, which we sincerely trust this work may prove to be .- EDITOR.

THE STATE BOARD OF HEALTHI .*

State Boards of Health seem to be a result of a growing belief that much of the sickness and many of the deaths which afflict mankind can be and should be prevented, this idea being joined with the observation that as a rule, and except in large cities, local Boards of Health do not seem to have succeeded well in the prevention of disease, apparently because of their lack of knowledge of the cause of diseases and best methods of restricting and preventing sick ness,- knowledge which can be gained only by extensive observa- tion, experience, and scientific research, usually beyond the power of any single local Board of Health to secure.

By means of a State Board of Health the entire public- health service of a State may be systematized, and knowl- edge gained in any part of the State, or even outside the State, may be utilized for the general good, the effectiveness of local Boards of Health being inereased, much as is that of troops in an army, by means of systematic organization ; and as in the army much of success or defeat depends upon the character of the general who commands, so in the gen- eral sanitation of a State much may depend upon the amount and character of the information which the State Board is able to gather for the guidance of the action of those who heed its utterances.

Though this State was not the first to organize a State Board of Health, the organization of the Michigan Board in 1873 was a new departure in public health legislation, in that the State Board was relieved more completely from actual conflict with those people of localities who disregard sanitary laws than was any preceding Board of Health, so far as known. It was assumed that local nuisances should be abated and local work done by local authorities, and that the State Board should systematize and aid in every way possible. There are now many State Boards organized on the same principle, and this is true of the National Board of Health, except possibly as relates to quarantine. This State Board is thus left free to collect facts, study their relations so as to learn the causes of diseases, the best methods of prevention, and the trne principles of the ap- plication of these methods, and to do this for the people throughout the State without that bias which might be due to local influences if the actual work was local.

For its researches in ascertaining the causes of discases, the Michigan Board receives the contributions of a large corps of " observers of diseases" in different parts of the State. These observers are as a rule the leading physicians, and every week each one makes out and sends to the office of the board a report of the sickness which has come under

his observation, specifying which is the most prevalent disease, and giving other details of the diseases actually existing in his loeality. The State owes a debt of gratitude to these philanthropie men for their gratuitous and very valuable contributions for the public welfare. Similar re- ports are also required to be made by the health officer of each city ; but it has been found that as yet the cities do not all make adequate provision, and they do not represent all parts of the State, so that the voluntary reports by leading physicians are a very valuable addition to those made out and sent in at the expense of the cities. At the office of the board these weekly reports are compiled in such ways as to show the relative sickness from each dis- ease in the different localities ; the localities are also grouped in eleven divisions of the State, and the relative proportion of sickness in each division from each disease is shown. Tables, diagrams, ete., containing the combined results are made and published in the annual reports of the board. In the report of the board for 1879, page 471, is a short statement which embraces, in a few lines, a summary of the tables for the State for the year 1878, wherein is shown from which disease there was the most sickness, and, as regards all of the prominent diseases, the relative amount of sickness from each. Such knowledge as this is essential to the most effective publie-health service. We need to know the nature of danger to be overcome, the partieular diseases which cause most sickness, then to search out their causes in order to be able to prevent them if possible, and to avoid what cannot be prevented.

The consolidated reports for the year 1878, just men- tioned, showed that the disease which caused most sickness in Michigan in that year was intermittent fever, commonly called ague ; the next most prevalent disease was bronchitis ; the third, was rheumatism ; the fourth, consumption ; fifth, remittent fever ; sixth, influenza ; seventh, diarrhea ; and the eighth, pneumonia, sometimes called inflammation of the lungs. Each of the above diseases appears to have caused more sickness than the average of twenty-two of the most common and important diseases.

The Michigan State Board of Health has not as yet been intrusted with money sufficient to enable it to enter upon very extensive investigations in the way of special research involving expert ability in the use of the micro- scope, chemical analyses, etc., though it has collected much evidence on the causation of intermittent fever, and upon the causation of many of those diseases which create most sickness. Inasmuch as the people of this State are taxed, or at least have to pay, millions of dollars in every year be- cause of sickness, the money losses make this a subject of great consequence; and the money consideration may be supposed to be of less consequence than the suffering among the people caused by the sickness and deaths.

We have seen that the State Board of Health ascertains what diseases cause most sickness, and those which seem to have caused most sickness in 1878 have just been men- tioned ; the State Board of Health has another extremely important source of knowledge respecting the relative dan- gers from different causes, so far as relates to deaths, in the vital statistics, which are reported to the State department by the supervisors and assessors. These statistics are com-

· Prepared by Henry B. Baker, M.D., secretary of the board.

STATE INSTITUTIONS.

piled by counties, and consolidated for the State in ways to show the proportion of deaths from each important disease ; and from a study of them it is found that the danger of death is greatest from consumption, a disease which does not seem to cause so much sickness as does intermittent fever, while the deaths from intermittent fever are not very many. These statistics seem to show that about one out of every eight persons in the State dies, sooner or later, from consumption. Stated in this way, it seems plain that time and money spent in gaining a knowledge of the causes of this disease are spent in one of the most important labors which can engage the attention and support of the people. Lately much light has been thrown upon the subject by expert investigations, principally in Germany, where it has been proved to be a communicable disease; and if it shall be shown that it is caused in no other way, its prevention will soon be quite practicable. The Michigan State Board of Health has collected and published much evidence as to the climatie conditions coincident with the greatest amount of sickness from this disease; and, in the vital statistics, much evidence has been published relative to the deaths from the disease, with reference to climatic conditions, and also the influence of age, sex, etc. For the determination of the whole question, however, special expert investiga- tions are much needed, and if legislators will see the im- portance of appropriating sufficient money for the purpose of carrying such work forward to completion, the State Board of Health will undoubtedly undertake to so enlarge its labors as to accomplish the work. Much can be done, however, by a State Board of Health in the way of utili- zing such work done elsewhere, and it is quite possible that the enthusiasm and philanthropy of those physicians who have talent and leisure for such investigations may cause this particular work to be done before the slower movement of the people, as represented by governments, shall have made adequate provision therefor. The Michigan Board has in several instances taken advantage of knowledge con- tributed to the common stock by independent and volun- tary investigators, and has published and widely distributed among the people of the State small documents giving spe- cial information respecting the cause of and best means of preventing scarlet fever ; also one giving similar informa- tion respecting diphtheria. One similar paper concerning the cause and prevention of glanders was published in its annual report for 1879, but not otherwise distributed. The board has elaborated, published, and widely distributed a method for resuscitating persons suffocated or drowned ; and cases of the successful application of the method have been reported.

One interesting line of work by the board deserves espe- cial mention : it is the extensive meteorological data col- Jected by an able corps of observers throughout the State, aided now by the observers for the United States Signal Service within the State. Each observer makes and re- cords, three times in each day, observations as to tempera- ture, humidity, cloudiness, force and direction of the wind, ozone, rain-fall, barometric pressure, etc., and reports the results to the State Board of Health, where clerks " reduce" the observations of the barometer, psychrometer, etc., add the results by months, compute averages, etc., and the facts

are put upon record for immediate comparison with the reports of sickness and with those of deaths, which have been mentioned, as also for use hereafter whenever new knowledge shall make a reference to such data important in establishing the causes of diseases.

In studying the diseases, and comparing with them the meteorological conditions, the secretary of the board has adopted the plan of concentrating the statements of the consolidated reports of diseases in the form of diagrams which shall enable one to see at a glance the rise and de- cline of the several diseases by months, and of similarly picturing the several meteorological conditions on diagrams on such a scale as that the total range of the average monthly temperature, humidity, cloudiness, etc., shall cover about the same space as does the range of the sickness from the diseases reported, so that any coincidence between the rise of a certain condition of the atmosphere and the rise or fall of any given disease may be seen by comparing the several diagrams with each other. Some of these diagrams are published in each of the later annual reports of the board. By such comparisons much has already been learned as to probable causes of some diseases and conditions favor- ing the spread of other diseases, and, though it seems rea- sonable to suppose that what has already been learned is only a foretaste of what may be learned when the system of observation has continued long enough to permit of studying the subjects for series of years, the study is already one of very great interest and promise for the good of mankind.

The meteorological observers do the work gratuitously, the public spirit of some leading them to supply their own instruments, the State Board of Health being able to sup- ply from its appropriation only a few each year. With the exception of the secretary, whose time is wholly given to the work, the members of the board serve without any compensation, and their individual work in connection with many subjects has been of very great value. Mention may be made of a few of the subjects, including that of illumi- nating oils, which has cost Prof. Kedzie and other mem- bers of the board much effort and anxious thought, but on account of which it is believed many lives have been saved, and under the consequent enlightenment of the people it is not probable there will be a return to the old-time slaugh- ter by dangerous oils. The subjects of poisonous wall- papers, draining low lands, ventilation of schools and of dwellings, school hygiene, scarlet fever, diphtheria, and other communicable diseases, are a few among the many important subjects upon which members of the board have contributed valuable papers, which have been published in the annual reports of the board. The annual reports of the board have also received valuable contributions from other workers in the field of sanitary science than members of the board, and aside from the regular correspondents of the board which have been previously mentioned.

Probably no other interest which the State fosters has so many earnest and faithful workers thoughont the State, who, without fee or reward, contribute so much to the publie welfare, as has the interest of public health; and it is well that this is so, for the State itself as yet pays very much more for objects of infinitely less consequence than

HISTORY OF INGHAM AND EATON COUNTIES, MICHIGAN.

this, notwithstanding public-health work has to do with the chances of life of every man, woman, and child in the State, and with the life, health, and happiness of those who are to follow this generation of citizens.

STATE PIONEER SOCIETY.

An act to provide for the incorporation of State, county, municipal, and other societies was passed by the Legislature at the session of 1873, and approved by the Governor on the 25th of April in that year.

On the 2d of June following Mrs. 11. A. Tenney, State librarian, issued a general circular to the press and people of Michigan, calling for donations of everything which might be of interest in any department of knowledge to the citizens of the State, including general statistics, books, sketches of the lives of eminent persons, collections and specimens in natural history, paleontology, etc., with a view to making up a collection for presentation to the State Library.

The passage of the act mentioned and the circular of the State librarian called attention to the matter, and on the 11th of March, 1874, a meeting, composed of delegates from various county societies, convened at the library-room of the old Capitol, in Lansing, for the purpose of organizing a State Pioneer Society.

The meeting was called to order by J. C. Holmes, of Detroit ; Judge Albert Miller, of Bay City, was appointed chairman, and J. C. Holmes seerctary. It was resolved that all persons having resided twenty years in a county be admitted to seats in the convention. A committee of nine persons was appointed to draft articles of association. The following-named persons constituted the committee : Witter J. Baxter, Levi Bishop, Henry A. Shaw, Ephraim Long- ycar, J. Webster Childs, Oliver C. Comstock, E. Lakin Brown, Ralph Ely, John N. Ingersoll. This committee issued a call for a meeting at Lansing on the 22d of April, 1874.

At the appointed time a society was organized under the name of " The Pioneer Society of the State of Michigan," and its objects were stated to be " The collection and preser- vation of historical, biographical, or other information relative to the State of Michigan."

Under the rules adopted any person forty years of age who has resided in the State twenty-five years may become a member of the society, and counties whose organization does not date back twenty-five years may be represented by citizens who were residents at the date of organization.

The first officers of the society were as below : President, Judge Albert Miller, of Bay City; Vice-Presidents, one from cach county having a society and represented in the State Society ; Recording Secretary, Mrs. Harriet A. Ten- ney, of Lansing; Corresponding Secretary, Ephraim Long- year, of Lansing ; Treasurer, A. N. Ilart, of Lansing. The present officers are : President, Hon. If. G. Wells, of Kala- mazoo; Recording Secretary, Mrs. Harriet A. Tenney, Lansing; Corresponding Secretary, George II. Greene, Lansing; Treasurer, Ephraim Longyear, Lansing. Exee- utive Committee, H. G. Wells, Kalamazoo; Albert Miller, Bay City ; F. A. Dewey, Tecumseh ; T. D. Gilbert, Grand Rapids. Historians, H. G. Wells, Kalamazoo; J. C.

Holmes, Detroit ; M. HI. Goodrich, Ann Arbor; M. Shoe- maker, Jackson ; Oliver C. Comstock, Marshall; Mrs. II. A. Tenney, Lansing.

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History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan, Part 21

Author: Durant, Samuel W. cn Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Philadelphia : D.W. Ensign & Co. Number of Pages: 772

Author: Durant, Samuel W. cn
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia : D.W. Ensign & Co.
Number of Pages: 772