The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-02-17
CITY INTELLIGENCE.

VISIT To THE AIMS HoUsR.-In compliance with
the invitation of the Trustees of the Poor, both
Branches of the City Council visited the Aims
House yesterday morning at II o'clock. They
met at the entrance and cordially welcomed
by Mr.. John McCoum, who at once showed them
into the house, and then left them in the charge of
the Board of Trustees.
Under the guidance of these gentlemen they were
conducted through the various departments of the
institution. That part of the building under
ground, or rather the basement cells, in which
were placed the female negro paupers, was first
visited. Many, if not all the inmates of this de-
partment are insane or idiotic. Their insanity,
however, is manifested, with but few exceptions, in
no violent manner. Nothing but the vacant stare
or monotonous rocking to and fro of the body
would give any indication of the absence of intel
lect. One negress, who had become a little
refractory, chained to the wall with her
hands manacled Some of the visitors stopped to
take a look at her, when, notwithstanding the in
cumbrance of her chains, she ''put down. a good
old-fashioned Virginia jig in the genuine style
The remaining rooms of the female department
next visited much to the satisfaction of the
visitors. The various dormitores dining rooms,
&c, We're inspected, and found to be kept in the
most orderly and cleanly manner possible. The
sleeping apartments provided with iron bed
steads, ranged in four rows, extending the entire
length OF each apartment the bedding and bed
clothing made of course but clean and substan-
tial material. The rooms themselves well
ventilated and the atmosphere is pure The in
firmaries are fitted up and furnished in a manner
exactly similar to the dormitories. Some of them
entirely without patients, while others had
only few sick occupants. The nursery is large
apartment very clean and well supplied with fresh
air. Each child has its own cradle and nurse. The
little things were dressed in their clean bbs and
fuckers, and seemed to be merry crickets.
The carding and spinning department presented
quite busy spectacle. 1t occupied almost en-
tirely by old women.
Leaving that part of the house occupied by the
females, the visitors and their hosts crossed the
and ont tho, a1aA don
presented quite different In one apart
ment sat, cross-egged, the tailors, plying the nee
die with busy fingers while their foreman was en-
gagged in pressing out pair of pantaloons The
tailoring department contains about twenty men,
who cut and make all the clothing worn
| by the male paupers of the
institution Opposite this apartment, in the same
passage is shoemaker shop. The workmen arc
all paupers, and do all the manufacturing and cob
bling required. Outside the main building, but
within the back court, erected blacksmith
| wheelright cooper and carpenter shops The work
men are most always engaged in these places in ex
| ecutng some OF the branches of their respective
! trades, while a number, quite a large number, o
the diseased, weak and feeble or aged, loter abou
beneath the shade of the trees, bask in the sun
shine as is most comfortable, watching the black
smith make the sparks fly, or looking at the pro
gress the others make in completing their respec
tive tasks. In the basement story Of the male de
| partment placed the insane mendicants
! Here, too, is dscoverable all the vagares o
tnat terrible malauy. strong men ana weak,
aged and young, with idiotc stare and low mum
bling of unintelligable words excite the compassion
of the most har dened, and leave all impressed witt
fe elings of sorrow. One of the parties here con
fined is at times raving maniac. He has terri
BILE cough, and is so emaciated and worn by disease
to look like living skeleton. 1t is said that h
was once Catholic priest, and that in his raving
he recites a great many prayers in the Lati
tongue. Upon inquiring his name of some of tn
by-standers, we were told that he went by the cog
| nomen OF Dennis, none knew of any other nam
that he bore. The mess-rooms and sleeping apart