The Portland daily press., 1871-06-21
Terms $500 per annu,o a, na,,onna

". Jews were given the same claim uno,
pubic charity as poor Christians. and tbe
oe"s NeIe no iosser Obliged by law 10 live in
one quarter of the city. He introdncaI IN. IN
we're ecoromyinto fis oWh househoid aboI
lsled useless t. xes, t@yed the priests ami 70
iglous orders, and thus made the reyenne
less unequal > the ex, 'hditrre. He fonnd-
ed some schools Tor mechanics, took measures
ior establishing system of universal educa-
lion, and promoted the culture of rice in Ihe
useless marshes of his dominons. Railroads.
nhich Gregory XVI. had prohibited in The
lapai States, Plus TX. pc. .nitted and encour-
a Talk v ifh the nnebriates ON Wards T..
land.
writer in Appeton's Journal describes a
'isie 10 the temporary fsylum tor iaebriates
on Wards Island, as follows:
The building, ostensibly the Soldiers Pa
treat, is also q public asylum for inahriates
who can pay, or whose friends are willio" to
gay, for their keeping. 1t is under the con-
troll OF the Commissioners OF Charities and
Correction, but as all the inmates, except The
soldiers, have to pay or be paid for, it cannot
be truly called charity institution. There
are none OF the class called common drunk
ards here. A man found intoxicated In the
street aud committed Tor drunkenness, is
sent to Blackwel's Island and compelled to
Work. None 90 to the inebriate asylum but
tho e who can pay or be paid for, as has al
ready been said. Those who become pub
lic charge are placed on the same level with
convicts, and requiI ed to labor as they DO.
And If an inmate of the asylum runs out of
funds before his teim expires, and no one
comes forward to pay his weekly board, it is
rule that he, too, shall be sent down 10
BlackwelPs Island, put on prison fare, and
oDllged 10 make return for it in work The
enforcement of this rule is frequent, but not
invarable.
Each man pays his way as he would at an
hotelor bearding-h house, and is entitled to
privacy II he desires it. No visitor is allowed
to pass beyond the reception-room-at least.
he cannot enter any other apartment, though
he may view several others at distance suf-
ficient TO prevent possible recognition of some
person whom he may know, and who may
prefer to be unseen. We drop into conversa-
tion and learn much that interests and sur
prises. The substance of it is noted in MEM
ory
"A pretty comfortable place, isn't it?"
"Yes: capital. We have everything we
want. 1t would have been well for most of us
II we had come here long ago. Nothing to do
out to amuse ourselves aud pass the time as
pleasantly as we can."
"How DO you manage that?"
II here are various ways. Down there, YOU
see" (nodding toward the end of long cor
rldor, leading to spacious, well-lighted
room), lis the library. After breakfast we 90
there to read the papers. All the city papers
are on file, and we know what is going on
everywhere better, perhaps, than you do; for
you have little time to read. while we have
enty. The library is well supplied with
books besides,a and we have free access to them
all day. We could not be better supplied with
reading matter by the Mercantile Library
than we are here"
"You have recrea ms, too 1 suppose ?,
Certainly. There is the billiard room.
Those who wish to ple7 may do so any time
they please. You cS1 hear the balls now.
They are hardy ever still. When we tire of
billiards, we have dCminoes, checkers and
chess-almost every game, in fact. 1t is easy
to hll up the day in the library, playing bill
iards and checkers, or stroling around OUT
side."
But You cannot leave the island"
"No unless the Doctor gives a pass, and at
any rate we are better off here. Those who
do go to the city occasionally, gain nothing by
it,"
"Do all pay the same amount?"
"Oh, no. Those who pay S. week sleep
in ward-abOut dozen in one room. Some
have rooms to themselves, and pay $40. The
rooms are well furnished, and as comfortably
as hotel parlors. A few bave rooms en- suite,
and their meals are taken to them. These
pay $40 or $25. They would not be better off
in a fashionable horse n Filth avenue"
"They must have means TO pay so much."'
"Meansl Why some of the men in this
place are rich. But they can't cont d their
money. Before any man comes here, some
one must make an affidavit that he is mca-
pable of mans gipg his affairs, and the person
must be one who has direct interest in him.
While he remains here, his property is under
the control of those who have him committed.
They pay for him unless he has money in
hand = pay for himself. And if his property
warrants it, and they are generous, he gets
the best accommodations, and fares a great
de" better, perhaps, than before he came."