Chat
|
Daily Search
|
My GenForum
|
Community Standards
|
Terms of Service
|
|
|
Leon Reporter, Leon, Iowa
Thursday, April 8, l897
'A Visit to the County Farm'
On Tuesday we accepted an invitation to accompany the Board of Supervisors to the County Farm on their regular inspection trip. We started early in the morning, but such roads. The heavy rains had washed out numerous culverts, and at other places we can testify to the poor condition of the roads, as the team had to pull our carriage through long mud holes where the wheels sank down below the hub. A trip to the country now will certainly impress anyone with the necessity of good roads.
On arriving at the County Farm, we were cordially welcomed by Steward Sam Grayson and conducted through the new building which the Board has built for the care of the paupers and insane of the county. Everybody who has passed the County Farm knows what a dilapidated old one story building was formerly used. Now a handsome new two story structure greets the eye, and we are safe in saying that Decatur County has the best and most comfortable county building in the State of Iowa.
The main building is 26x60, feet two stories, with a north wing 3lx38 feet, two stories, and a south wing l6x40, feet, one story, used as a kitchen and dining room. In the building there are 30 sleeping rooms each l2 l/2xl2 feet, the ceilings in the rooms on the first floor being 9 feet 4 inches high and 8 feet in the second story. From top to bottom the building has been constructed with a view for the comfort of the inmates, each room having large windows, hung with weights so they can be easily raised or lowered, and a ventilating transom over each door. It is warmly built too, the best Washington fir being used, and the walls are all lined on both sides of the studding with inch lumber, then weatherboarded on the outside and plastered on the inside, a feature worthy of note being that this method makes every wall solid and the plastering is as solid as if it was on a brick wall and can not be knocked off. The floors are all of fir and oiled, and a large hall extends
through the entire building north and south and east and west. The rooms will all be heated by steam, a complete steam heating apparatus being in the basement, and this does away with the danger of fire. There are no nooks and corners in which to tuck away dirt and the entire building can be kept neat and clean.
The Board, wisely as we think, did not contract the building, but employed Mr. J.W. Sells as Superintendent, thus securing the best of material and workmanship throughout. The total cost of the building including the $800 heating apparatus is a little les than $4,000, making the cost of the building proper about $3,200, and when the size of the building is taken into consideration, it has been built very cheaply, and we believe for less money than if it had been let on a contract. With this new building the Board can carry out its plans of caring for all paupers at the County Farm, and in place of allowing so much per week for their support all over the county, will order them taken to the County Farm. And right here we desire to state that they will be much more comfortably housed and fed than they are under the present system. Then too, several harmless insane patients who are now kept at Clarinda will be brought to the County Farm, where they can be kept for much less than $l5 per month which the county now pays for their support at the asylum. By the expenditure of this $4,000 the Board will save that amount to the taxpayers in the course of a very few years.
After partaking of a splendid dinner prepared by Mrs. Artt, the very competent Stewardess, we looked over the large farm of 240 acres and found everything in tip top shape. The farm is well-stocked with horses, cattle and hogs, all raised on the farm, and quite a large sum is realized each year from the sale of stock. They now have about $l,000 worth of steers and hogs ready for market. The County Farm is certainly efficiently and economically conducted by Mr. Grayson and his sister, Mrs. Artt.
Leon Reporter, Leon, Iowa
Thursday, April l5, l897
'Decatur County's Insane'
It will no doubt surprise many of our readers to learn that 26 persons from Decatur County are now confined in the Clarinda insane asylum, besides the insane patients kept at the poor farm. Those at Clarinda are:
Mrs. S. Smith; Joseph Needham; Volney Dorsey; James M. Harrow; James L. Wilson; John Taylor; H.E. Warner; John Kirwin; Frederick Wilson; Holley E. Kelley; Frank Baxter; Newton Judd; Samantha Swan; Beatrice Parr; Rebecca E. Tharp; Clara A. Dibble; Martha Stephens; Fanny Humphries; Lucy Boswell; Nancy Gore; Lucinda Riggs; Elizabeth Cozad; Alice Brann; Ellen M. Perry; Viola Warnock; Louise M. Warren.
Each of these patients cost the county $l5 per month for their board and care in addition to what clothing is required for them. The County Treasurer has just remitted to the State for the quarter ending March 3l, the sum of $l,l70, so that taking the expense of the officers in conveying insane persons to the asylum, the fees of the insane commissioners, etc., it costs the county something over $5,000 a year for the care of its insane.
At the last meeting of the Board of Supervisors, a resolution was passed requesting that seven of the most docile and easily handled of the incurable insane at Clarinda be returned to the county to be cared for at the new County ( House) (sic) just finished, where all necessary preparation has been made for taking care of them. If seven persons are returned, the county will have $l,260 less per year to pay to the asylum and we know they can be kept at the County Farm for one-half the sum.
Leon Reporter, Leon, Iowa
Thursday, April l5, l897
'Resolution by Board of Supervisors'
The following order in regard to incurable insane was made by the Board of Supervisors: The Auditor is hereby ordered to notify the insane commission of Decatur County that the County( Hospital)(sic) is completed and that the county is prepared to take care of seven of the incurable insane patients and that said commissioners are requested to demand the return from the asylum at Clarinda of seven of the most docile and easily handled of the incurable insane from this county.
The following order in regard to paupers was made by the Board of Supervisors:
It is hereby ordered that no further aid be furnished George Huntley and family, J.D. Bennett and wife, Peter Hinds and family, Moses Williams and family or Teresa McGovern and child except at County Farm.
No further business appearing minutes of today's proceedings were read and approved and the Board of Supervisors adjourned to meet Monday, June 7, l897.
[Attest] J.G. Springer, Chairman.
George W. Sears, Auditor.
Leon Reporter, Leon, Iowa
Thursday, May l3, l897
'Insane Returned'
Deputy Sheriff Brown and wife, member of Board Chas. Rudibaugh and insane commissioners, Dr. Layton and S.A. Gates, returned last Thursday from Clarinda bringing with them eight incurable insane patients, three men and five women, who will be cared for at the new county building at the Poor Farm. The patients returned are: Joseph Needham; Sherman Smith; John Taylor; Rebecca E. Tharp; Fannie Humphries; Martha Stephens; Nancy Gore and Clara Dibble. It has been costing the county $l5 per month for each insane patient kept at the asylum, and by bringing these eight patients home, the county is virtually relieved of an expense of $l20 per month, for they can be kept at the Poor Farm for a nominal sum. In the course of a year the saving in this line will amount to a large sum.
The committee found all the Decatur County patients at Clarinda doing nicely. Newton Judd has recovered so as to be able to return home and he came last week. Hollie Kelley is in good health and is able to walk with the aid of crutches.
Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
"With permission from the Leon Journal Reporter"
November 20, 2002
Notify Administrator about this message?
Followups:No followups yet |
| http://genforum.genealogy.com/brann/messages/245.html | ||
 |
Link to GenForum Add Forum |
|