Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-02-28
BOARD On PUBLIC CHARITIES.

! y
the Board of Public Charities of Mort
Carolina, and we publish some extract
therefroln, as compiled by the Raleigl
Ners, containing valuable information
in regard to the charitable and pena
institutions Of the State.
The Board consists of DIR. c. Tat
Murphy, Senator from Sampson
Chairman. DR.. Eugene Grissom, Super
lntendent Of the Lunatic Asylum. ant
/ DR.. G. W. Blacknall.
The purposes and objects OF tn,
Board are stated to abe the growth
and development Of true public charity
hunnnely, intelligontly and economi
+ cally administered, and these object,
! are classified as follows:
! ]. The government and management
/ of these institutions.
! 2. Official conduct of superintend
ents, trustees, directors, officers anG
employees Of these institutions.
3. Condition of the buildings
grounds and other property.
4. Financial management, economy
! and wisdom in the expenditure ot
! moneys appropriated for their support
3. The efficiency and usefulness oi
each institution TO all parts OF the State
alike.
6. Compliance or failure to comply
with the general aud special laws re-
latiuG to each.
7. Who have n claim 70 relief?
:. What is the basis OF their claim :
.. What i lis extent?
-. How. anst by whom should tho
''>'irE he. administered?
II. What are the best n ct hufl9 OF aJ-
Irl'l5stration III a,j these departments !
IL. Many other matters pertaining
II the usefulness and good manage
lnci2t Of tl!e institution under the IL
spoctloA OF the Board.
The Report gives an explanation OF
tho creation Of the Board, and the pro-
gress it hes made since itz organiza-
ton.
The Beard of public Charities was
created under a law passed by the
General Assembly OF 166S-'69, and the
terms OF service of tho members first
elected wero to begin on the first day Of
July 1882, and 10 hold one, two, three,
four and fyo years, respectively, Tho
Legislature elcoting Successors to each
for five wears from the date Of such OK
piring terms.
DR.. Murphy was chosen President of
the Board il March, 1872, to succeed
Rev. @. y. Wcllzcr, whose term had
expired, and leo was requested by a
resolmtion adopted by the Board to visit
"a many oS the prisons and poor houses
OF tie State as practicable, and report
their condition. III accordance with
this resolution, Dr.. Murphy visited
"Cu;tc Number Of counties, and the
poor houses and iails were examined as
thoroughly IS possible. These counties
were IN the western, central and east
ern portions OF the State, giving, it is
believed, Il fair average Of the accom-
4odations and treatment OF the pau
pers and prisoners Of the State"
The results Of DR.. Murphy's observ-
ations ard Investigations are given in
detail III the Report, and a part OF the
history OF tho tirno, aad as embodying
useful ane: interesting information or
the subj cts discussed, we give the fol
lowing extracts:
In most OF the western counties the
poor houses were found to be mere
novels, built of legs and daubed with
clay CT lined with split boards, some
low, leakv and badly decaEed, both IL
the roofs and floors; some filthy: bat
few clcanlv OF ut comfortable. IN the
more central counties, frame tenements
we're generally occupied, and Of these
oillv the oyerseers' buildings, and oc-
caEioDaliv not even these weTc either
comfortable, c'eanly, or ct ali suited to
tho purposes of an altnshouso. In
brief, tjto 300" houses IS class arc
proporlv and appropriately named
they arc ''poor boIlses' indeed. The
bcdsteads and bedding are in keeping
with Tho houses, old and dilapidatcd
the bed clothes and mattresses &c
filthy and ioathsone rs 10 suggest the
idea of 4 sort Of poor house h:y!roph0-
Jiu, and greatly deficient Of either hay
OF straw. and instances were noticed
where, on account of the want OF cloth
ing, the inmates were compelled to cut
up the ticking of the mattresses for the
purpose cf covering their nakedness.
This condition of things wes found &c
exist il counties where clover, hay,
/ and he grasses are successfully cult
| waited, and prosperity aud plenty n
! other prospects prevails.
! In two o. three counties only HcTt
: brick houses found IN ono oi these
. tic i1o0vs we're badly dccayed. and ii
ono only did we find n building wei
: suited TO the purposes of On aims
house. This was the county of Gull
ford, and uas erected under the super
vision of that noble patriot and states
! man, Ex-Ciov. Morehead, who, in this
respect as well rs others, was far in
/ advance of his State and times, ano
+ whose bcnevolence and sagacity i'll thus
. providing for the poor and destitute O
his county, ought surely to be initiated
by others.
! We found como sort of medical at
tcnti0n allowed by most Of the Count.
Boards, but was let out generally by
contract to tho lowest bidder, enc
awarded sometimes to ircompeten
men, In certain counties this poo
6o1,, was denied even where the II
mates suffered severely with 10Th acut'
and chronic diseases. In cne count,
VIC found IN a filthy room q woman
suffering with an extensive scrofulou
ulcer, covering almost the entire neck
shoulders, and ono side of the face
and emitting the most insupportabl
eltiuyia, was dom1ciled in the sam
room with an aged paralytic, unabl
to raise Il mself in bed, and no treat
ment was afforded either and no phys
clan had visited them in the poo
) house for two years.
We found but in two counties med
cipes kept in the poor house, and n
such thing as dispensary or anyrool
, set apart for the physician, where h
could weigh or dispense the medicine
needed Ior the inmates. It is needief
, % State to any one, ever within ii
: wards OF hospital, the Importance
this arrangement.
Asa class, we found the overscers e
the poor) either i7ebccites or soulle.
1nercenarios. taking the positions
I