, 1863-12-09
THE COOK COUNTY POOR HOUSE,
Visit. Of tAs Board of surerv1.ors,

"
Visit. OF tAs Board Of Supervisors.
The Board Of Supervisors met At the north door
| potutuent, and paid vislt to tho Poor House at
Jefferson, about eleven miles from the city, The
object Was to Inspect tbs house, and see to the
| treatment and condition Of the inmates.
| EeTeu carriages, cach containing four persons,
started at o'clock hsm tho Court House square
gates on Clark street. and after pleasant dtTe OF
| two hourz, arrived at their destination
The Poor House is situated sone little distance
from tho road, and the drive from the entrance
gates to tho door Of tho house, IL between two
large fields, part Of the aboriginal prairie.
ThepaEty was met At the door sf the Poor House
BY Mr. Benjamin Chace, the Warden, who ordered
the carriages 70 be t7kea csre Of and led the
Here they remained haf an hou1, in conversation
aAd thsn preceeded to visit the diaerent depart
1S9sa to se ras w. rns
tied, whlch consisted OF three rosma, In which
were number Of aeatly furnished beds, scrups-
were citing, either nursing little children, not
more than from three 10 eight weeks old, sonae Of
,Ss sssse ~ saaRa
From this room Of tncipieut manhood, the
loana fex negro Women Of 81 ases sn assem- wsc
which cheap and faded colored cotton fabrics
and % nsde = notable contrast. oae, was young young
person Of some twenty yoare, whose head was
bound in a white shawl and the upper part Of
a rery thin under dress, completed her rigging.
Her Mce came to a. near glow rs the heated
stoye could euftuse upon It. Her iarce DARK eyes,
eet-and her tremendous mouth, laughed unspe.k-
able lanrhtera. The other, was an old woman.
gray headcd. wrinkled, with broad forehead, and
Hn.xv c$&1S 1S3fYa hAft t1nrk hou
the coa1scel, and her whole appearance reminding
m Of tho old.superannuated aunts Of the South.
A clothes line hung from vail to wall Of this
negro, very old and near him, on the adjoining
bed, young girl not out OF her teens. and n6
doubt Ead;,s vc5y ,Sss goo ase9s !oS9kng: 1S:.
which were IN the incest possible trim, and were
really examples OF cleanliness and good order. In
the men. there wsre people with various
man with the same-haring& boz Of sand, and 4
TN cup beside him; conva1escent reading 1t 4
neat desk BY the window; :; nine beds in all IN the
Then was visited the cid lady's ward: curious
acene andtntensely interesting both to student Of
hu1na1Ity and to painter nttle, old. fat wonan,
a ives Nttle dnmpty fnt womani In whose poor old
body there was neither shape nor make, nor pro-
poritcn-being swaddled ur IN Dutch suit Of wo-
NINA :sss asn memorable fa5 and puffy checked
her neck downwasds T. her waist, envcIoped III
q cotton garment, and blne petticoats coming
down 10 Inc tMck 11oned stockings On her thick
anklea just above her broad ahoes. Long while
shs talked In her native hngo-altogcttef an IN
known tongne-1emark2ble for nothing, as It
seemed, but its fncessant sabble.
On the other side Of the room lay Door old no.
nan-so old that, as Thomas De Quincy says, ..she
might hare stalked oser tho fields Of mortality for
thousand centqricsr" There she lay, under that
blue guilt, perfect oliye color her face neck and
arms ba1e, aud Ill witherodi SHRINK n3 like roll
Of parchueut-anl there she will lie until she is
+ne hwsy atrc ,9r 'a SFef Mst gazing
c1eut dxne, such rs were Of old, In Dutch Courts,
scvond humau memsry-made her appearance up
Sc1pe T!e
uni gf1mace- sandy, half gray hair-thick lips,
and nose rudy Is With the 1ees Of the wine ut.
listing kuishable Dnich, her head dress bas hood,
her outer covering dress, corded at the waIst and
Ike 3decph's coat, tull Of many colors,
dfty and sixty, weaving fax into cloth, In JAG
guard loom; doing her work well, and with skill
fal bands: Vesy particular sa7F vas she e make
IN corner, at The other end Of the room,
sat woman with her hands oycr the lower
It,. What for, soon appeared. She had. on both
Thick hristles. which invited the razor. 4 few
| inte the Mad< ef II0es which the other part Of
the house contained. 0.....-.
This uas the Lunatic Asylum. saddcst Of all ssd
wor1di In the mems ward. scores Of hapless
wretches were assembled come half naked, with
only shirts and pants on; the big, hairy walls Of
the chest quite bAIe-the eyes vacant, and staring
meanln.]eaa1y. Others sqnatted the ground, hnd-
died Together, in direst physical ana mental conia-
having % strong 1 pa padloels attached to them, M % ana
each contained single bed, lighted b. solitary
cho]y sight Of ALL In tho main lobby, where they
sit5ssis sses.s Old ts1eIsss, Sep:ies.. yo@sa. .
thellght Of the eo1l all gone ont OF every one Of
them, were mingled promiscuouslJ. One Of these
was asleep between IN old woman with dreadful
face, and yonng Woman horribly marked BY
disease. This unconscious sleeper had been here
for three years, md had 1eEez spoken word, or
girsn any sign Of intelligence. Another, bright
looking, merry girl. although with ackfustre eyes
began 10 sing melancholy ballads, and then fell to
dancing, her feet keeping time to the song
s6s aseeb bet Ss.1 ass'sd M
that ahe must rent It in some artculate WY, such
a. that VIC hare spoken Of Presently ws came
BE-
had taken from It jewels costly enough to pnr-
chase kingdom-
was large gard, enclosed BY high boards, with
tall trees in each. Here tho saner persons were
allowed to walk. One man there .was pacing
his head bent to the ground, from which he never
raissd it. Another drew senseless drawings on the
SOL.
There Is no room for more. The house is well
protected from fire. large tank In the door, near
The roof contains wnter which ie conveyed by
pipes all over the establishment, and on each
landing Is smaller tank and buckets ready for
use,
An the linen, shirts, quilts, sheets, are sprn
from dax grown on the farm They make their
own cheese and butter. They possess seventeen
COWS, five calves, twenty pigs, and raise all the
food and fodder for them.
An immense Improvement has taken place In the
establishment during the mast THE tuaStNf
and matrou received, and deseIsed the highest ap-
p9oyal Of the 6uperTieors- Twenty-Hevcn new
rooms have been added for the accommodation OF
patients in the asylum. Surely, however, u new
building separate from the Poor House, ought to
be erected for these unhappy people.
After the house had been Thoroughly Inspected,
the Supervisors eat down to an excellent dinner Of
and ssinanfte pastry cooked in the best manner,
and ser'ed uP With delicious coffee, and ten.
The following a1e the number and natlona1itics
Of the inmates Of Cook county Poor House:
1fiEh. Welsh.
ia