The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-03-25
y, 4. p6tiao. S.aihel.
f'0irtnge Comfy IAlnrlhnfY

Mk. EpEToR:--In your issue Of the 18th
inst, observed an dtiisIe headed SThe
County Iufirmsry-w hat shSll be done with
IT," and signed, taxpayer" That there
should be conflicting opinions in relation to
the best method Of supporting paupefs, b not
surprising; especially SO, as large proper
ton Of the citizens Of the county have not
30 far investigated the subject as to be able
to form any correct judgmentin relation to
the comparative praetCability and expense
Of the system; BY county or township.
1t is not my intention to discuss the ,con-
purative merits Ol the two plans Ofprovidiug
for the poor. We have on Infrmary in Por-
tage county. that has been in operation some
twenty years, and now the question is asked,
"whut shall be done with it." "Tax puyer''
insinuates that the best method is TO sell
most OF the farm; retaining only enough to
keep few cows, and for gardening purpos.
es, &C., and as reason for such conclu-
sions, we presume, he makes certain state
mel nts in his article, some OF which we will
notice. >r;
Tns uaragrsrh to which | would first call
Of tenticn, Is that in which It is asserted that
} the farm "is worked mostly BY hired help, no
pauPers being able to assist except in the
vegetable gaftsn, and other light, nnimport-
ant work. Aman who can chop, drive team.
NOV Or pow, does not belong to the Poor
1 House" II is pity that the Tax payer did
not acquaint himself with facts before he
penned this paragraph. We feel bound, in
candor, to suppose that the misstatements
in this artfcle are the result Of ignorance
and not ON intention to misrepresent.
The facts are, that, pside from the work
Of the Superintendent, the labor is princi-
Ptlg performed by pSUpers; and there are
paupers In the fnstitatiSh Sho "can chop,
Dive team, 4nc% Or plow, )" and work at all the
Heavy Branches of furming; and who, after
all do "belong to the Poor House," Men Of
this class, in consequence OF partial insanity,
require superb tendent constantly with
them, to control and direct their Efforts
They are, generally more available as farm
hands, than as gardeners. .a
Ina previous paragraph Tx payer says:
apartments Of but few feet square contain
three or four beds, and as many or more in
mates" The Superintendent informs me
that there are not more than two beds in any
room in the Infirmary. We refer to this
l because it is not in accordance with facts
r and not because there is not on imperative
D necessity for better accomo dations for the
n inmates Of the Institution. j.,
There is one more paragraph III said sr.i-
Gle to which would refer particularly
which begins: "lt may be partly done b,
i ropriating S4.o 600 or S. 900 in repairiet
o and patching the present buildings" Gu
$ objection to this is, that it issentireiy calcu-
j. lated TO mislend the vo,:rsbfihe county -
e No person, We presume, ever thought Of ex-
!. pending $4,000 or S. 600 in .patehine', thu
old buildings. We. are informed by on,
o wei! posted, thata proposition was made
and plan submitted by the Directors of tn,
9 Infrmary, to the County Commissioners, 70
a new building house 40 by 10 feet, twt
stories high. This plan has been passec
on by competent builder, who we are in
formed, estimated it's cost at four thousant
8 five or six hundred dollars. This estimate
leaves four OF Ave hundred out OF Ave thou
eand for repairing the old buildings Thi.
would be amply sufficient to put them in
order. -
There ere other m ,tterJ in the urt;clt
, which are calculated TO give false impres
. sion Of facts, but we have not time to notice
them. s .l-s
o We will now, for the inform nl!on of 70
ters, and as explanatory OF the business op
J.. eratlons of the farm, give brief statement
ofthe amount of help hired and the princi
pal items Of labor performed during the pas
year, ns taken from. the Book Of the Infirm
ary, and statement Of the Superintendent.-
j.. There has been one man hired as an assist
ant TO the uperintendent-an but one at
time. ....... -.-
Grnes cut. II acres -.
Wheat harvested, 40 Goa bushels,
+. Rye, 10 1850
E Oats, 20 "l,O3S
The above ninety five acres of grass and
D grain were harvested by the labor of one
hired man and the paupers, 1--WE include the
help OF the Superintendent.)
' There wos cultivated twenty Ave acres o.
Corn, Potatoes and Beans, with the sumt
) help. The produce Of the twenty. FIVE acre.
was as follows: --s at5
! Number bushels Corn In the ear, l,4oo
3 Potatoes, 400; Beans, %; Garden vege,a
3 OIes raised by the paupers, aside from the
: amount used before time harvest them; Rut
abagas, 1888 bu.; Carrots, 20 bu Beets, le
/ ou.; Onions, II bu.; Parsnips, Is bu.-
: There was slaughtered on the fsrm, Pork
= 4,4o4 lbs; Beef, 3,lo3 lbs; 1863 yards o.
: Cloth manufactured, (weaving hired -
There is now on the farm, sowed last Fall
;, fifty.seven acres Of Wheat und three ucres
of Rye. &o. gg g. oss
, There is about twenty thousand feet o.
, Lumber on hand; 6ty Logs at the mill
hauled there this winter; and from one hun