[DL] asylums

["Jeff Shoffner" <shoffner@esper.com>]

Sorry it has been a while, but I wanted to chime in a little on the asylums
of the era thread.

Can't recall the exact years, but I recall watching an excellent PBS
documentary on Nellie Blye, a woman reporter of the late 1800's (probably
the first "get yer hands dirty in the trenches" woman reporter) who's first,
BIG story was her stay in a New York insane asylum.  She had heard the
horrible conditions of the place and decided to do a story on the subject by
having herself committed for a few days.  Big story for the time if I
recall; seems a lot of these women were in there for the crime of not
speaking English (immigrants) and not having a place to stay.  Anyway, I
just wanted to drop this in here in case anyone wanted to actually research
Blye's story for a period piece.

Jeff S