The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1867-11-28
From the Freeman.
The Poor House.
CARROLL Tp Nov. %. 1857.

CARROLL TP., Nov. 26, 1857.
To the Editor Of the Freemar,-I regret
that you lent the columns of your paper to
certain A. D. Criste for the purpose of
singing me out as one Of the Board of Poor
House Directors, and must avail myself of
the same columns as q medium of reply.
/ Having no personal hostility to any man
living, having eudeavored to live at peace
with all men, and having conscientiously
discharged my duty, under my oath, as Poor
Director, / am quite at a loss to conceive
why I should be singled out from the whole
Board as the object of personal abuse. Let
me say few W ords in reply:
In the first place let me assure you that
have no objection that the world shall see
and know every transaction that occurred
at the Poor House since have been mem
Der of the Board. And the records will
show, and appeal to them, that no other
Director has drawn less from the public trea-
sury than l have, during the year that l
| have been a member.
1t is false. then. IN the first place. that the
| Board ever visited Johnstown at my instance.
1t was proposed by my seniors, shortly after
| / became member, that a visit to Johns
| town, TOR the purpose of arranging the pay
| OF out door paupers, employing regular
| physician, and other matters, would be adj
! vanta9eous to the county. and l submit to
! my colleagues whether it was not SO. We
| received barely enough to cover our expen
| ses, and that amount was suggested by
others. and not by myself. AS to the pitiful
! falsehood that the party went upon u regu-
| lar Spree" l leave my colleagues to answer.
| 10 those who know me, no contradiction is
necessary. SO far as l am concerned.
| The other charge is that signed an order
| for friend for upwards of Forty Dollars.
| The friend alluded to is a certain Irwin Rut>
| ledge-a man whom had never seen before.
| The Poor House train went to the station for
! my colleague, Mr.. OrriS, and | went along
| to meet the train. Irwin Rutledge was with
him, and stayed all night at the Poor House.
l never had word of private conversation
with him in regard to any bill or order for
1t. 1t Is not my purpose to say whose friend
| Irwin Rutedge Was-he never was a friend
of mine, and had prejudice against him
! from having heard that he had undue
influence at the Poor House. Any orders I
| ever signed for him were made out by the
| Steward and signed by an older member of
| the Board first. Being the youngest MEM
| Der of the Board, | deferred very much to
the opinions of the older members. and never
signed an order that was not filled by the
| Steward and signed by my seniors. or one of
| them, if both were not present. l did re-
sist bills presented by Rutledge, and believe
at one time prevented him from getting an
|
! These are the two monstrous wrongs have
! done to the people, regards their money.
But this is not what's the matter | was
absent from one meeting of the Board. This
frequently happens, and as two Directors
form quorum for business, it does not af-
feet the public interests. But had salts
factory reason for not being present at the
meeting referred to. l learned that a new
Steward would be chosen at that meeting.
7 - 8. ~ L. {
bria county for Board to choose officers for
their successors. The proper course. as
believe, is for every Board to appoint its
own officers, as is done by the County Com
misSioners, and all other bodies of the kind.
II different custom has prevailed IN the
Poor House, it is bad one, and l hope We
have set good example for the future.
But A. ID. Crste having, by the vote of
living and dying Director, been appoint
ed Steward, l moved TO rescind the appoint
ment for the purpose of making a new one,
aud he claims that this is without precedent.
But it is not. Only few years since the
new Board revoked the appointment of the
old Board. and appointed the present Stew
, ard and fortunately, too, as the discarded
, | Steward turned out a murderer and the ma
tron prostitute.
At the first meeting of the new Board
did what L deemed my duty to the people
l did not knot1 A. d. Christie to be the pro
, per person for the appointment; neve
. charged him, as he seems to think, with be
D ing a gambler, incorporate, o: lazy" no
a did l find any fault with his family. l sim
, ply treated the question an open one
! doing what I thought my duty, but con
: fess that, elected by the Democrats, coul'
hardly, against an equally qualified person
appoint to a position who, wa
q credihly informed, had voted the whole Rad
: ical county ticket at the late election.
If paying my Communication for mlitar
e services to the Government was not snfficien
evidence of loyalty to my country, trust
:, have partially atoned for it by choosing ft
:, Steward one who. while he is neither -
gambler, intempeTate, or lazy" has dor
}. his part in the army of the Republic
u man who is not only deserving but compe
r tent, humane, and honest, and q man VIII
did not seek the Poor House as plaster
: heal his broken fortunes.
! But | must stop. l beg pardon for tt
length of this paper. and my only excuse i
e , that having never sought or held an ofhC
/. in the county of my birth but the humb
e position now hold, I deem the attack upC
me un just, uncalled for, and malicious.
Y HENRY BYRNE.
AVICTIM OF MISPLACED CoNFIDENC