Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1853-02-02
County EsaarHra ary.

The Star OF last week IS down upon the County
Commissioners quite severely in reference to the
In6rnary Buildings. That is the second article
it has put forth upon the same subject within a
few weeks, and it promises to recur. to it again.
Before it does so we hope it will take the pains
to obtain information from the proper source, that
it may speak from therecord, and not predicate
its charges against the Commissioners upon mere
rumor, or suppositon. It assumes that the Com
missioners determined upon sserecting new mfr
mary Buildings, at a cost to the County of from
eightto twelve thousand dollars and that they
have done so without tcendescendiRg s'to enlighten
the public on the subject Now this is all pre-
mature, for if we are correctly informed, the Com
nissioners have come to no determination in the
matter-they have made no appropriation of mon
ey to construct said buildings, nor have they ex-
pressed any intention of doing without consult
ing the interests and wishes of the people, as is
intimated.
Upon the representation of the Directors of the
Infrmary of the condition of the buildings of that
institution and at their solicitations the Commis-
soners proceeded to visit it, and took with them a
competent mechanic in order to ascertain what
repairs were necessary,to make the buildings con-
yenient and passably comfortable. On inspec-
ton the mechanic decided that the buildings could
not be so repaired, and that it would be waste
of money to attempt to patch them up. Two CT
three visits, in which they the young and old,
the SICK halt, idiotic and insane all mixed togeth-
er in the same apartment, satisfied the Commits
soners that those whose misfortunes had made
them public charge were but poorly provided
for, and they determined to ascertain what would
be the necessary expense of buildings for the pur-
pose. They accordingly employed Mr.. Skinner
to draft plan ola suitable building, without die
tating to him in reference to the plan. When
his draft was completed it was submitted to the
Commissioners and others for inspection. Thus
far and no farther have they acted. They have
taken no hasty, inc onsderate steps in this matter,
and none which the unbiased public will not fully
approve. The insinuations that the Commission
ers appropriating thousands of dollars in the
dark to useless objects, that they are doing this
thing in a corner, and that they are unmind-
full of the public interest, are all gratutous and
without foundation in truth, and for which their
action has furnished no ground
Since the above was in type the following COM
munieation has been handed IFS: "a
Mn. EDITOR: | would most severely sympa-
thize with the County Commissione of this coun-
ty, suffering as they do, under the late castgaton
inflicted on them by Mr. Editor Hall, of the Ohio
STAR. Their crime, as charged, is, that they pre-
sunfed to contemplate" Contemplate what!
it may, perhaps, be asked. Why, the sage Editor
says, they contemplate erecting new Infrmary
Buildings at cost of from eight to twelve thou
sand dollars and he queries whether the scheme
originated in favoritism, speculation or patriot
ism, apparently not once suspecting the Comms-
sioners could have been actuated by motives OF
economy or humanity Economy for the interests
of the tax payers, or humanity, or sympathy, for
the unfortunate paupers, ifty-seVen ofwhom it is
understood, were crowded, the last summer, into
that one ordinary sized dwelling house, built for
one family of ordinary size. There were the I'M
fortunate aged and the young, the sick, the lame,
the idiotic and the insane fty-seyen of them, to-
gether with the family of the Superintendent and
hired laborers living in that one house, excepting
perhaps, few small clubhouse prisons for the in
sane. / hope it may not be the lot of Mr.. Hall
or myself to be under the necessity in old age to
depend the charity of public led by party ed
itors who takes not Humanity into the account,
while harranguing the populace for political effect
against providing comfortable shelter for the un-
fortunate poor and insane.
BUTT is suspected that MIR. H. is a little sort
on account Of loosing hunk he had expected
from the public crib in shape of advertising pat