The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-01-13
HOME MATTERS.
Board of Supervisors.

abstract of proceedings ana TINS VIC AWAY
have done, but frequently debates ana ihc'uen''
arise that do not occur in the dry official record,
and Of such mainly we make up the Items tla'
foli0w.
BUSINESS.
The first business on being called to order was
to parcel out among the various committees
larre bundle of bills and accounts That FAD oeeh
bondad IN the clerk. and which the committees
are expected to scrutinze.
1ysuRISG THE PAUPER PALACE.
On Tuesday rather interesting debate occu.
pied large portion OF the session, arising out OF
n resolution offered by Supervisor Pickens, to
insure the county poor house
Mr. Flaherty did not believe in squandering
money for such apurpose. The poor house had
been constructed with special reference to safety
from destruction by fire. All the walls were
of brick, and the building was heated by steam
No fires in the inmates rooms; no matches al
lowed them, and an abundance of water from an
artesian well continually flowing.
Mr.. Nichols also approved the scheme. lie
knew of no stronger insurance company than La
Sale county. Superintendent Jackson, by re-
quest, said he did not consider the building haz'
ardous; it was an extremely safe one in respect
to fires; but we have here most dangerous class
of people many Of whom would not hest.
tate to set fire to the building whenever the in
sane fancy might prompt them Many of them
smoke. They are not allowed matches, getting
their pipes lighted at the engine room. They
smoke only in the daytime, at night they are
locked in early, and every prccaution taken to
keep them from doing harm, but still they are
insane or feeble minded and liable TO escape the
strictest vigilance.
| Lynch favored a reasonable insurance at a low
rate-say per cent. per annum for three years
This he thought a matter OF common business
precaution. If we refused to insure and the
building SHOULD burn, the people would curse
the board
Flaherty,-Would they curse us any more than
they did when we built it? (Laughter)
&c. Lewis did not much believe in insurance,
situated as the poor house is. Insurance gener-
ally is precarious as matter OF security for the
value of property. Insured property burns and
the first thing the companies does is to charge
you with setting the fire, the next to offer you
fifty cents on the dollar for the pocy,or drag you
into long expensive law suit
Flaherty quoted figures showing the falsehoods
of stCo,n statements of insurance companles-the
Lamar and American in particular.
Klove believed that insurance companies did
business to make money. Let the county insure
her own property and make the profit.
/ Tower agreed in favor of insurance. A vote
resulted for insurance, against %, So insur-
ance companies were frowned down, as it were.
THE COUNTY SUED FOR DAMAGES.
T,,a 1ap tIn
reading to the board of the summons, "at the
suit of Charles w. Smith VS. la Sale county" in
the Circuit Court. Action of case-damages ten
thousand dollars Bull IL Blake attorneys for
plaintiff. This interesting plaintiff is colored
citizen who thirsts for $4,000 of La Sale coun
tvs money, claiming that while in Jail he con
tracted nameess disease, and he wants dam
ages-excuse haste-repairs, we mean. He got
into Jail year ago-inadyertently, so to speak
having been engaged in a row at a certain MAJ
soa de joe in this city, where he shot young chap
in the leg with pistol.
When the clerk had finished reading the sum
mons, there was a stare of blank amazement de-
pictcd upon the couutenances of the rural mem
bers.
Stout-to break the spell-moveG to refer the
case to the county physician. Laughter
When the names of the attorneys were read
Dull Il BlakeD some one said this was another
case of bull.dozing. Laughter The matter
was referred to the committe on Court House and
Jail.
INSANE ASYLUM At ELGIN.
:; Another subject OF some interest brought be-
fore the board was the unearthing of certain
frauds which have been discovered in the man
agemeut of the Insane Asylum at Elgn La
Sale county has a number of insane paupers al
that institution, whom the county furnishes will
clothing. The number Of persons in the asylum
from this county from year to year and the an.
nuol amount of expenses had not varied until
/, last year. The bill Of $3.50 last year suddenly
more than duublcd-jumpng to $500. The last
board sent Mr., Flahcrty to see why this was thus
He reports loose and very irregular way of do.
ling business there. The Superintendent could
not explain there was the bill.
Some Of the inmates had been charged with
having worn out clothes to the value OF fourteen
dollars per month. One man had apparently
tramped out boot leather to an eXtravagant eX
tent. He was charged on the books as follows
June %, 1875, pair shoes, $3.50; July TO- l pair
boots, "A 80; July 2s pair boots, $3.50; Aug Is,
pair boots 81 So in all SIG worth of boots in two
months. The Superintendent declared that the
patients were perfectly quiet and did not des
!, troy their clothing or boots. Mr.. Flaherty dis
covered that these goods charged had ne,tr redch
ed the paupers, and the Legislature will ask this
> Superintendent,who more than one OF the mem
bers OF the board denounce as pious fraud, to
= rise and explain. 1t appeared from The debate
that La Sale county was not alone in having
grave charges against this pious, loyal republ
can superintendent of the Elgin Insane Asylum
p CITY CALABOOsE.
The board on Tuesday instructed Sheriff Ste
yens to allow the city for the present to use O
portion ofthe county jail as a City Calaboose.
An ASSESSMENT PROBLEM.
l On Thursday morning the board bad a lengthy