The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-04-03
THAT PAUPER PALACE.

! The Earlylllc Transcript having laOOIeu
! for "a month or two past TO create the impress
sion that the appropriation, at the last meet
ing OF the county Board of Supervisors, OF
$50, 900 to erect "a county almshouse, was an
inexcusable piece of extravaganza, w. w
Gilman, Esq, of Mendoza, one of the supervi-
sors more Immediately responsible for the
"eytravagance," with a condescension winch
we fear the editor of the TRANSCRIPT is wholly
untitled to appreciate, takes the pains to ex
plain the reasons that actuated the Board in
the matter OF course the action Of the Board
is shown to be judicious and correct, as in
deed most people of common intelligence
knew il TO be without this explanation. Says
Mr.. Gilman:
From the comments made respecting the
new Poor House contracted to have built,
am sure the subject is not generally under
stood, and rise to explain.
The county has poor house built some
twenty wears ago capable of holding some 81
patients, with close packing. The number OF
paupers have been for many years largely in
excess of the capacity Of the poor house to
shelter and rapidly increasing every year
and the only way to meet the demand for sup
port seemed to be to let each Supervisor pro
vide for the poor of his town as best he could
and bring IN his bills to the Board OF super
visors; and right here will insert some fig
ures. The Earlville I'raRscript of last week
says, "the whole number of paupers in Coun
ty House was So" Now the bills audited al
the January term for expense of County
House since September session was 81 ,559.12
For the same period, the County poor sup
Il nd
paid out of County Treasury was 6,442 81.
So alarminly has this pauper expense IN
creased, that this one item now exceeds the
entire expense of the County ten years back
and from the nature Of our industries must b,
increasing constantly.
Taking the whole subject INTO considcra
ton at the September session, the Board wa,
unanimously of the opinion that new Coun
ty House was needed, and n committee o
seven was appointed (of which was one) Il
examine present farm with reference Il
drainage and water, and provide such add
tional temporary room as was necessary t
meet most pressing needs; and it present farm
was found unsuitable, to purchase another o
not less than 80 nor more than 100 acres
We have examined the present farm anC
found drainage impossible, and water in suf
ficicnt quantity out of the question. w,
contracted for a one-story, cheap building
with one room, capable of placing II double
beds, in which to sleep portion of the male
people; and Immediately advertised for pro
posals for a farm IN the vicinity of Ottawa
and after examining ten farms, made our Sc
lection. The journal of the Board failed tC
show any authority of the Committee to pur
chase, and special meeting of the BoarC
was called or Nov. 5th, to consider the mat
ter, which they did, by going on the farm ant
examining the soil with post auger; anC
voted almost unanimously, to purchase III
acres at $65 per acre, and instructed the
same Committee to perfect plans and let the
contract tor building, not TO exceed, with
farm, $50,00O.00
Three of us visited Knoxville to see the
Poor House, SAID to be the best in the State
and although they only put up the main
building and one wing, it cost about $4,000
and have it full and many outside. Knox
County cared tor her poor for many years as
La Sale County has been DOING by promis
cuously scattered relief, and when dscour
aged with the rapidly increasing bnrthen
adopted the plan of building a suitable house
aud concentrating the needy where some SUI
pervislon could be exercised in caring for
them When our Committee had got the
plans and specifications for the Poor House
matured, we advertised for proposals to build
the same, and had the bids ready to submit
to the Board of Supervisors at the January
meeting and the Board, by vote of 80 to Z
instructed the Committee TO let the contract
to the lowest bidder, being Messrs Colwell
Il Clark, of Ottawa, Although | was not
present at this meeting of the Board, (belng
at home sick,) | took as active part as any
one on the Committee in carrying out the
purpose of the Board, and wish right here
to say that l most willingly accept my full
share of the responsibility, and believe il
will save the County $4,000 a year The
County has many insane paupers, and when
we send them to the Lunatic Asylum, as
soon as they discover them incurable they
are returned on our hands, and if turbulent,
the County Jail is our only place to secure
them. Our new County Poor House will
have single wards for near 40 lunatics and
over 1850 paupers, by putting two IN room,
Sx10 feet So much for the "Pauper Palace"
| To recapitulate. Fifty eight poor on the
County FaI m, cost the County, from Sept.
to Jan, 1859. Poor outside CT the County
House for same time, $6,442.
| Included in the above is medicine and at
tendance at the Poor House, Sis. Medical
attendance outside the Poor House, 5000
From the above it will be seen that the
support Of the poor under the present system
costs the County about $4,000 a month; less
than One.fitth of that amount is required to
pay the expense at the County Farm where
SS paupers are cared for.
VIM. W GILMAN