Cairo evening times. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1865-1866, 1865-11-04
THE PEST AND POOR HOUSES.

The wolfish winds which howled and
| frolicked around us on Thursday, should remind
| usDof the fact that winter is close at hand.
Earth is arraying itself with all the tirts that
tend to beautify decay. The " red leaves" are
already falling, and soon the face of nature
will be covered with snow, lakes rivers and
rivulets be bridged with ice, and the unfortu-
nate poor stand defenceless before the biting
winds.
| Such were the reflections of the writer on
yesterday as he wendcd his way to the Pest
House in this city. We have in Cairo a
Pest House and Poor House. The former
like unto the latter, is supported at the ex-
| pense of the county, excepting that the city in
its corporate capacity pays the rent of the
Pest House, amounting to $3.50 year.
In the Pest House there are now fourteen
patients, of which three are women, two
children, one an infant and the other a little
girl of eight years, and the balance meu.
There are now no cases Of contagious disease
in the Pest House. One Of the men is a Grip
pie with frozen feet, and now upon the verge
Of the grave, from constitutional debility. The
from chills and fever, all strangers in our city,
and taken in from sympathy for their deplora-
BILE condition. One Of the female inmates is
young and rather interesting looking woman,
the mother Of an infant but few weeks old.
Her reason is dethroned, and she passes away
her time in sitting by the stove and babbling
unintelligible nonsense. The two other
women are sick with fevers.
The average expense Of the Pest House is
from $3.50 to 5000 per month-more than the
superficial observer would suppose. But the
amount of bedding destroyed each year is
almost fabulous. And here we NAV add that
but few of the female inmates leave the house
until they have surreptito,lsly converted sheets
into skirts, and appropriated some article in-
dispensible to the proper management and sup
port of the institution.
The Pest House is more difficult institu-
ton to manage than the Poor House, for the
reason, that it is fosnd impossible to procure
respectable women, T. e. women of good char
acter, to wait upon the unfortunate inmates
and men are untitled for, aud unsuited to tie
task.
The Poor House has thirteen inmates at
present The expense attending its support is
about the same as is required for the Pest
House.
There are greater number of deserving
poor who are supported at the expense of the
county outside of the Poor House than inside
it, but the expense attending is but about half
fha ,b,
have habi,ations of their own, but who are
unable TO support themselves, draw, through
the Overseer of the Poor, their monthly ra-
tions. Esquire Shannessy, who, for upwards OF
twenty years, has been Overseer of the Poor
House, and for three years overseer of the
Pest House, informs us that he buries, on an
average, two unfortunates per day.
The County Court will convene Monday
next, and we respectfully call their attention to
a suggestion we propose making them.
We are informed that the Sisters of Charity
have proposed taking the responsibility of pro-
vdng for the poor supplying their necessities
and nursing and administering to the sick, pro-
vided the poor fund is passed over to their
credit, or subject to their order. The tax for
$s, 900, which but barely covers the expen-
ses, and the poor are not properly cared for,
and many fall in:o their graves who might, un-
der the regime we speak of, recuperate their
energies and live many years. The Sisters in
accepting the fund, and the position of pro-
tectors of the poor, do not propose making
religious belief test of admittance to the Poor
House, but promise that all deserving poor, Of
whatever church or nation, shall be admitted.
They would furthermore be enabled to take
under their protection and guardianship many
of the poor girls who weekly find themselves
in orr city without friends or means of support,
and stand between them and the snares which
would otherwise entrap them into lives Of
shame and dishonor. A case of this character
came to our knowledge this week. A young
girl landed from steamer upon our levee, on
Tuesday last destitute of visible means Of
support, and was soon ens1ared by devil IL
human FORM The Sisters of Charity became
acquainte d with the fact and rescued the
fortunate girl, and provided her 4 place where
she can obtain an honest and honorable ivei-
hood.
Esquire Shannessy is exceedingly anxious to
be relieved Of the duty devolvlng upon him.
He has performed the functions of his office
satisfactorily to every one but himself, but he
is quite free III saying that unde" present ar
ra, gements much larger sum of money is ex-
pended than would be required by the Sisters
! of Charity and that the fruits Of the expendi
ture do not equal what they would were the
Sisters of Charity invested with the authority
| to minister to the wants aud necesS tiles OF the
unfortunates. Were the County Court I. make
this transfer, understand the Sisters would
endeavor to rent the Military Hospital, corner
of 18th street and Washington Avenue, which
will be vacated next week, and convert it into
an asylum for the poor.
We therefore respect ctfully urge the County
Court to make such arrangements next week a.
will enable the Sisters of Charity to consoli
date the Pest and Poor Houses, and pay sucf
attention to the sick and INDECENT as humanity
suggests, nd the prayers OF the untortunate
will reward them for their considerate action
The merchants Of Washington do not carr
enough for an exchange to attend a meeting
for the formation OF such an establishment.
The bedroom of Mr.. Perry, United State
consul to Tuns, who came over with the mem
bers of the embassy of that Kingdom, was rob
.111.~ al