Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-07-02
County Hospital.

MLA,Hs, EDIroEs For tho purpose of correcting a
wrong impression, very insidi"usy conveyed in an
article "f June stlI. signed Another Tax.Pavcr,"
ash Won 10 favor me with space enough to submit
few facts in cin,ravrniiun to lis statement, and
fr ia" general rdIticatiun Of tine TaxPaycrs 81 III
Dorado county, in regard to the amount expended
upon the Cou"ty II"si it'll under the contract sys-
ten.
H. the first place. Another TaxPaycr'a" dis
Ccrnmrnt is such that lie "-ccs through the mill
stone" aud discovers that the Communication Of
" Tax Payer - r. IA &" an unsuccessful bidder for
tie Hospital conirIc; rmrr the present system for
i'ur successive years Which is untrue, and the
pardon granted for the "evident spleen is
thereof premature. As for the unjust attack
upon til" lI ard "f Supervisors" he should first as.
certain whether the SUI er' SorH so considered it,
hrfr;c he vuluntctra OS Their champion. The OK.
rrc>-iIUS which iarirulariycd as nauscating tn
the person # "Anuthcr Tax PAYER" in their ap.
plicaion lruc in fact, every intelligent gen.
,cmHn in this or any other State will admit. Ny
stAtci NJ, in regard 10 the amount il had cost the
county, is st, ed loose nni incorrect" will pre-
mise this article by ing that everything herein
stated is true, and ncontrovertbc, and therefore I
rciterae that the county has paid account 0f the
Hospital ~. iGo,al the past four years. the
counts on file in the office Of the County Clerk will
bear witness; also, that no year Of the number
excepting the present year, has average Of even
twelve patients inhabited the institution" "Anoth.
or Tax Payer" should keep truth on his side, and
not make II statement, the reverse If which can be
SO readily proven. He says. do not know the
average number If patients the first two years; but
for the third year, the average number constantly
in the Hospital was l6,-for the fourth year 2l."-
To cnlightcn him would state that the ply sicans
in charge through their quarterly reports, duly
sworn to the Board Of Supervisors. certify that the
first year ending June goth, 1856, the average num-
Der Of patients was IN; for the year ending June
81, the average llH.; for the year ending June
IS. ?lS; and for the year ending June so, have
been unable to ascertain, as the quarterly reports
are absent from the Clerks Office showing = dis
crepancy Of G2 between the sworn reports above re-
fcrrcd to and the statement Of Another Tux. Pay.
er," for the third year The assertions and concu
sons Of the entire article referred to are equally US
untrue as the above. If the writer knew anything
Of the first Hospital lettings, what was file in
the Clerks Office, he would be aware that when the
present parties holding the contract first secured the
same their bid was 100000; but the immaculate
Board Of KnowNothing Supervisors gave them an
opportunity to examine all the proposals. aud they
selected the lowest one i. E. &l5, 1000 and had it
copied verbatim, rs the original still on hand will
prove. "Another Taxpayer" assumes the average
number of patients for the past year to be I'll;
probably with rs much correctness he did for the
third year. and proceeds to state what they provide
for said average Of 81 patients for the paltry sum
Of a. 900.
First-They furnish a building and grounds,
conveniently situated and well adapted to the use
Of the sick.
"Second-Thcy furnish all the beds, and bedding.
wood, stoves. crockery and glassware cooking uten.
SiS, 6xtureS furniture and oil the things necessary
for the comfort and convenience Of the occupant.
"Third-They employ and pay nurses and AsSiS-
tants sufficient to take care of the sick, who may
be ln the Hospital.
Fourth-They furnish all the provisions of every
kind aud medicines aud see that the one is properly
prepared and the other properly administered.
"Finh-Ihey furnish oil surgical implements
and appliances. and give their professional atten.
ton and services to the sick under their care.
Six;,-They bury ut their own expense all who
die in the Hospital
We will proceed to answer each section in proper
order. First the original building with all outlay
thereon, with all the appurtenances thereto, EN-
braccd in the second section, with all fu' ire addl-
tons and improvements, has not cost the prUpre-
tors $4,000. Thirdly-ths purses and assistants.
being generally one man, who acted % m'jcr.domo