The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1859-10-20

Len II the County Poor H9use-.1 Por
House a,rd Pio.c Shop.
Correspondence Of the Cincinnati Gazestel
RIcHMoNU, Wayne Co., Ind, ,
October 10th, 1859.
The first inquiry 1 made upon reachin!
this city Of the Hoosier State. was as to it
public buildings, and its manufacturing in
terests. l was somewhat astonIshed tha
the county offices are away off a little farthe
in the interior | suppose that for this ther
is an alsutiicient reason, 10 be found perhap
in the inconvenience Of persons living at tht
more remote edges of the county, having bu
siness to transact at the central point. Thi
being The case trotted out to Centerrille il
the hopes of becoming acquainted with th,
several interests of the city itself.
Ccntervlle is the county town. Here i:
the Court House, a square building of brick
and alongside OF it are the county offices, IN
none of which is there much to describe.
| More interest attaches to the poor house
I or County Farm, which is still further on the
road. Through its center the cars Of the In
diana Central Railroad run, lis other side
being upon the National road. The fam
occupies one hundred and forty-seven acres
of fine rolling land. Upon it have been cree.
ted buildings as follows main building
Win Wig, each cast d.tI west UdFuS anu
other out houses.
Within the limits of the farm itself, almos,
the entire amount requisite 10 the conduct
Of the establishment is raised. That which
is not produced primarily, is purchased from
the income accruing from the sale OF surplus
age; So that independent of the Warden s
salary. there is nolhing 10 be provided by
taxation.
| found considerable pleasure in wander
ing over this fine properly, through ;he vege-
table garden, by the wheat fields, and over
the pasture land; AMI the more so because OF
the evident marks of economical and sue
cssful management.
The Poor House found to be clean and
neat, furnished with proper necessaries. and
after no wasteIdl or ext.avagant notion. The
number of inmates Is now twenty, which IS
by all odds less than any time within the last
several years. This number if | iudge by
eyesiSht. includes iast such persons, as nal :
ing application, should be allowed the PRIV
ilege and OF this charity. Among the wo
men | saw several unfortunate insane per
sons. One. who by incessant walking in a
circle round the yard had worn ring upon
the ground. This woman, perfectly harra-
less. is insane beyond hope OF cure. She
whles away the tedious hours in the monot-
onous wax OF by singing snatches Of songs,
not untrequently OF a ribad character. One
devoid Of the sense Of sight, must
attract the attention Of every visitor. Her
beautiful hands would take the eye any where.
There are three other crazy girls in durance-
a negro girl with just about sense enough
TO find her mouth when she IS hungry, and
some very ancient danes (hye of them make
up TIE compliment in the female department.
ba hay rlv OH oil
men. ,otferinr through this s~orGa each w'th
one foot almost in the grave- While [ was
on the ground poor cripple who had never
walked step in his life, fell down III fit,
cutting severe cash on the head. The
alacrity with which those of the household
tended to the wants of poor Stephea,' show
ed how in this country the poor not affic
ted, but are really cared for and protected.
All the inmates are brought into the fra
tcrrlity of the short haired, causing the fe
males to be of a peculiar appearance, which
is not taken from by The oddity of the fit of
the blue uniform cotton dresses which they
wear. The men wear tIicl canvas or
duck pants. with blue SHIFTS. But few OF ei
ther of all these able To give any assist
ance upon the farm, and vet their little is
made to tell. But one hand beside the war
den aud bis family being hired to work.
| returned TO the city in time to commence
a tour of the manufactori which seem to
consist in the main of agricultural imple
ments.
First. | came upon the establishment o.
Beard Il Sinex, which firm has, few days
since. carried about ail the awards for plows,
exhibited at the Indianapolis Fair. The
firm occupy three buildings. in one the first
is 50xI01; aud the second is triangular, OF
about 90 feet on the sides, and the third is
i5xlOo feet Ga the frst floor is the ware
house for the goods ready Tor sale; adjoining
this is the grinding room. where tw, stones
hung after Gibbs patent, are almost con-
stsnlly kept in revolutionary motion. on
ot this we enter the snnithery, and find fifteen
fires in full blast, and current OF ali being
kept about them by tie action Of rotary ian
which supereedcs the use OF bellows, &c.-
The wood shops are above stairs, and con-
tain all the modern Improvements for the ex-
peditious turning out of completed wo.k.
All the machinery of This establishment is
kept in operation b. means o. an upright en-
giue OF Is. en.y horse power, having ten inch
cylinder and eighteen inch stroke. This en-
yine has quite history attached to 1t 1t Is
no common engine. for beyond The fact of II
having been the first steam engine erected in
this ctv. the record of existence would
show efficient service done for short time
in Cincinnati and for much longer time rs
the doctor OF boa: which premsturely came
to its end by being sunk iu the Gulf of Mex
leo.
Nv attention was especially called TO new
thinr ia this shop IN the shape Of a moulded
steel share. Mr. Beard. l believe. IS the per
fector Of this notion which he is carrying
out with considerable success, as l am as
surcl.
In this establishment there ere employed Is
blacksmith and wood workmen, who aver
age TO earn about Zen dollar each man per
week.
crossed over TO the pork packing estsb-
lishment Of Mansur * Reid. o. course il is
not now in operation. The building occupies
40 by lis feet os laud. and is two stories
high. The cars. when needed, run by a side
track right into the yard of the cstabIis hment
- that the barrels manufactured at the e5.1r,