The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-06-05
THE UNFORTUNATE.
Uow they look and live mt the County Po"r
House.

House.
One day last week our Beemus drove to the
county house 10 see the poor people there
Jo fonnd about sixty men and women in all
S,o,os Of mental condition. from total idiocy
and insanity, no through all intermediate
s,oces n perfect reason IN old age and deere
,;t hodies. As he went without previous no
It,ce or any hint to the excellent keepers OF
Tho establishment, Mr. and Mrs, Arnold, two
as worthy people as ever bore so heavy re-
sponslbiity, it is evident that the general
nea,ness cleanliness and good order of the
place he met are of every day and not Sunday
or holiday occurrence.
!, The grounds around, garden, &c, are IN
spendid condition, and everything about the
place is in tip top order, showing that1Mr'
land Mrs. Arnold and their son, who assists IN
managing the affairs of the place, know their
several duties and have the necessary hrhi
ness, Judgment and skill to do them properly
In fact the poor house and farm have never
been IN better hands than those of the present
keepers, who, of course, are guided by Mr..
+ Giles w. Jackson, the superintendent
We found the following persons there, IN
reference to whom We elected the following
information, from themselves and keepers;
las Smith. born in 1875 came from Earl;
Cant Reed, over 90 years of age; formerly a sea
f captain and still likes to read.
u Dr. Rboades of Ottawa, has been there snort
time: has few bills to collect, with proceeds
bo has ohnut concluded that ne can
prepare "a remedy that will remove the Spots
from the sun-yOu know. orr
Willie King, from La Sale; idiotic; fifteen
, years old. , 49,. .,,oro .
Pat. wilkins, from ROCK lslahu' peeh 'hcie
} months; so years old.
Luke Burroughs, from Peru; been there TWO
wears; Is years old; sane pauper ,,o
Chas. Higgins from Ottawa; IS years old; sane
, pauper e,,,,. 20 ,oors old .
VIM Bndd. there 6 weeks; aged %; insane; has
&, had small poX; came from Dlmnck.
Jas. Downer, aged about rs years.
Micheal Shade aged % years. =,
G f. II. Cone, formerly OF Marseiiles; aged RI
wears: had both feet amputated at the nstep ~
wears ago; been there three months, but thlhhs
he can earn his own living this summer; is sane
Dan. s. Abbot, IA years old. From Cataract IN
Ibis ewes, and an Imperfect operation upon the'h'
i is slowly but surely becoming blind
yUltl ', i'oH' ~S'N''-' -
t John Jud, from Belgium; 80 years old; is able
0 to do some work and chores about the larm'
q Jas Handy; 20 years old been there II years
came from Freedom in this county; does chores
|. and is boss of twenty three chester white pigs
which the old man says are bully" The ~
3 sounds as u in null
+ Fred Pike, an Englishman; S. years old. Came
/, from Peru; in five years.
:, John b. Hays, 81 yrs, Old; from ophir; in five
months.
l. Thomas Fletcher, from Marseilles; 20 years
Henry Smith, in years; blind; came from La
C Sale. .
p John Dunn, Rom ottawa 30 years old; in
years. ,
V Adam kuriz idiot; violent; tears his clothes
80 rieccs and is covered with sores and wounds
which, though his hands are tied behind nm, nc
S manages to inhict upon himself. He IS most
l. melancholy spectacle, but the keepers VINO iluht
the law Of Kindness and forbcarance The rule
J. find no other way to manage him than to protect
q him against himself by tying his hands.
Michael Mead, the man who makes the soar
r for the establishment. He is neat, quick, anc
apparently intelligent, yet at intervals his upper
9 story fails him.
II Dan. Crowly, aged GO years; IA years boarder
/ insane. =. 80
= John King; paralyzed and insane. 2S years.
VIM Biltner, ID years in the house; 30 years
$ old insane very wild at times,
q James Welch, yrs. III the mouse; % year.
old; insane.
/ 1t was sad to go into the women's department
C Mrs Arnold of course, has personal charge ant
, a hard time she has Of it, for crazy women are
~ much worse-harder by hundred .old thaI
crazy men. Among these were found
Emma Conan, so years old; Il years in Thu
l. house.
/ Hannah Goodrich, of Brookfeld; aged % years
l. there & months.
n Mrs. Shultz, aged 65; insane; there months
- Mrs Bridget O'Day, aged d5; in years
r Caroline Thompson, aged "a; in five years
n diotic; willing to marry
Clara Inman, from Ottawa; So yrs. old; insane
II Anne Byrnes, in Il years; 20 years old.
Y Lizzie ShutZ, aged II; idiotlc; works well AM
N deserves better fate.
I Mrs Craven and her handsome daughter, Fan
IS n.y. are there and have terrible craving for tag
\. (tca), which they want every minute.
Anna Cancy, from Streator and vicinity; age'
u IS years; is boardcr.
y Mary Welch, aged ~; from La Sale; is an in
!, mate.
IL Kate Flynn, aged 81,
Bridget Hanna, aged Is years; quite willing t
n marry.
IL Jcnnett Cohcen, French, aged so; isn't willing
s. Elizabeth c. McCouts, born in 1872.
q Hester Thomas, OF South Ottawa, aged So.
Phebe Carpenter, aged 90; paralyZed; fror
T. Mendoza; screams and cries till she exhaust
&c herself dozen times every day and night III
- saddest case of all. Once wealthy, now paupc
" and fearfully insane.
e There are others, but want of space forbid
D. a more lengthy mention. We saw the poo
u people at dinner. Their food was plenty
substantial and good, The sick have col
C. slant and careful attention, tea at every mea
> and everything that is needed. The well hav
milk and vegetables in abundance, and med
"a only once each day as that is sufficient 10
lit people who do no hard labor. The few VIII
ed do ork,-and strangely enough they are tn
n. parly deranged, as the sane paupers refus
w to work-have as good, strong food as an
ii laboring man. The house in every depar
II. ment is neat and clean, and to conclude, Mr.
of and Mr.. Arnold are in the right place a
ut keeper of our poor house and deserve well {