Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-01-07
he members of the County Court of David

escaped the CHOLERA entirely during the
Pestilence that ragged in the city and county
during the last summer. With the excep-
ton OF the cd chronic diseases, 1 do not
think there has been any other place with
the same number Of persons who have had
better health.
AS per report Of the superintendent here
with hled, there has been received during
the present year at the asylum, "a; dis
charged during the year, Sc; still remaining
Oh hand, 20. There has been during the
same period p deaths, of which were
white and 10 cOlOred. We would further
state that there is large number of those
now on hand, as will be seen by reference
to the report of the keeper, very old and
decrepid and diseased aud entirely unable
to do anything for their support and are
tit subjects for charity.
There has been raised on the farm and
slaughtered $500 lbs. of pork; lbs bbls. of
corn; 1000 sheaves of oats; $500 binds of
fodder; 100 bushels of wheat, and about
tons OF hay, besides potatoes, cabbage and
other vegetables.
Your committee would further report
that they have reappOinted L. A. Harris
Superintendent, at the same price hereto
fore paid him; also DR.. w. w. Searcy as
Physician at the same price he has formerly
received, and j. McGinnis to make the cof-
inns for the Asylum, to be made at the same
price as heretofore.
All Of which is respectfully submitted.
THOMAS t. SAUNDERS.
Justice Saunders said that the court had
made appropriations, and had ordered the
Commissioners to build, but before they
could do anything the order had always
been eountermanded. He had visited the
Asylum frequently, sometimestWO or three
times week, and he could not see that the
inmates were not well treated. There are
people who pay taxes who are not as well
cared for as they are.
Mr.. Harris (nterrupting)-There are
great many there that, if you should give
them pound cake and.turkey, they would
say they never had anything fit to eat.
Justice Wand offered the following:
Resolved, that the report Of the Commit
tee of the Poor House be referred to a spe-
cial committee of ten, which committee of
ten will examine into certain charges made
through the public press, as to the real con-
ditiOn of the Poor House, with authority to
send for men and papers, and report to this
court without delay, what steps are neces-
sary, if any, for the proper care Of the coun-
ty poor.
Justice Taylor said he had found places
for some of these people to work, and these
all seemed satisfied with the Asylum.
E Justice Walsh stated that he was one of
the five who visited the Asylum last Sun
day. -Four Of the party first visited the ne
gro quarters. They found them presenting
A HoRRID CONDITION.
Some of the inmates were crippled, some
blind, some with lOathsOme diseases. l
am not here to censure any one, but their
condition is certainly bad. They stated
that one-fourth of the lights were out.
The walls were black and smoky. The
majority Of them said they had not had
sugar in their coffee for nine months.
There is one case Of a hearty hale young
woman, apparently. l asked her what was
the matter. She said she had lOathSome
disease and could get we'll if the physician
would visit her, but he only came once q
week. These people seemed to have fuel
and bed clothing, but everything was III a
filthy condition.
We proceeded to the house where we
were cordially treated by Mrs. Harris. We
visited the white patients where We found
some old women nearly a hundred years
old. Some Of these said they got food from
Mr.. Harris table, others got only corn
bread. We found some of those people
lying on lion cots with nothing but a tick
beneath them. This institution had
BETTER BE WIPED OUT
entirely, than to have it conducted as at
present.
Justice Claiborne said our management
of the County Asylum was a disgrace. He
of
for the county poor would more than pay
the interest on bonded debt which would
provide comfortable quarters. He suggest
ed the appointment of a committee TO re-
port plan for the erection of a suitable
pOOrhouse at the next meeting ofthe court.
Justice Maxey wished to call attention
to the suggestions made. You have heard
the startling proposition to issue county
bonds. God forbid the State Legislature
shall ever give the counties of this State
authority to issue bonds. He was opposed
to going into debt for anything.
Justice Duling said he had refused to
vote appropriations for the poor because we
have a pOorhOuse to send the poor to. He
had gone on the visit to the poorhouse SIM
ply to satisfy himself as to whether our
| county Asylum was a proper place to send
these poor people to. He thought if Mr..
Harris could take care of the 176 acres of
land belonging to the asylum and the 76
patients, he was more of q fInancier than he
had ever seen yet.
Justice Maxey said you could not offend
a lady more than by strolling through her
house without invitation, as those magis-
trates had visited the Asylum.
The question being upon Justice Wands
resolution it was adopted and Justices
Cheatham, Patterson, Walsh, Powers, But
Ter, Paul, Spain, House, Haynie, and
Maxey were appointed said committee.
They will probably visit the Asylum to-day.
SCHOOL MATTERS.
The following report was read and ac-
cepted:
To the Hon. County Court of David
son County:
Your School Committee herewith submit
to the court the report of the County Su-
perintendent, as containing all informa-
ton necessary to submit to the court.
From Sept. l, 1872 to Sept. l, 1873 there
was expended for school purposes S77,700 !;
since the LIST of Sept, 1873 to Jan. l, 1874
the school fund expended has been S13,-
1915.
Having served as committee on common
schools for two years past and believing
that this committee, owing to the eXigen-
ces of the county, can be dispensed with,
all matters appertaining to school matters
can be referred to a special committee.
Respectfully submitted
JOHN II. BAsKETTE,
ISAAC PAUL,
WM. CURTIS.
REPORT OF COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF
SCHOOLS.
County Superintendent Weakley, pre-
scented report setting forth the following
facts regarding the schools of Davidson
county:
School districts, 26; schools organized,
white, So; colored, SO; pupils between six
and eight years old enrolled, $3.50 whites
and 2,2j0 cOlored; pubils between eighteen
and twenty-one enrolled, 20 white and 3
colored; teachers enrolled, white males, 43,
females, SO; colored males, "a; colOred fe-
males, 10; teachers employed, white males,
80, females, Is; colOred males, "a; colored
females, IL; Aver lge amount paid teach
ers, ST; salary of County Superintendent,
I,200; public school houses in county, y;
houses rented for school purposes, so; dis
tficts that have levied special tax, 2.
PEST-HOUSE.
The Pest-house Committee reported that
the expenses CT the pest-hOuse had been
materially decreased during the past year.
They reported that arrangements had been