Vicksburg weekly herald., 1877-07-20
The County POOr.MOuse.
WARREN COUNTY PooR-HoUsE,
July 0, 1871.

will hereby let you and them know all
that l know about the Warren county
Poor-hOuse.
The property, 100 acres Of land, was
bought by e. Lehman from Jesse Fer
gusou, for the sum Of $500, and
short time after, sold again by &. Leh-
man to the county of Warren tor $S,-
500. The reason why such q high
price was paid Mr.. Lehman Is because
the taxpayers was sold along with the
property, or in other words, the above
property and the taxpayers were sold
by Mr.. Lehman for the sum
OF $500. Our present penurious Su-
pervisors would not pay such sum
for one hundred times more than the
above-thc land at the above time con-
tained the following improvements A
Clubhouse, with gin-stand, corn mill,
and press, all old frame house, with two
large and two small rooms, about 800
worth Of oulbuildlngs, large cis'ern,
and garden containing about two
acres Of land, with some old fruit
trees, all inclosed by a rotten picket
fence. Some quarters had to be put up
to hold the thirty or forty inmates, for
that was the number that made the
Poor.house their home, about the
time It was opened. Il think 1t
was in lS7l) Some baboon, or q
number of balloons, built q house
about 20 by 25 feet. II this house had
chimney II would be somewhat like
the Irishnan's palace-you could reach
down the chimney and open the door.
Windows it has none, but II has three
doors. The said doors are rough
planks nailed together. The hinges
are old shoe soles The locks or bolts
consis: Of old pieces Of rope. A piece
of rope will hang a man; why should
It not do to hang door? The roof Of
this house let's in the rain, and there are
plenty Of cracks in the walls to let air
through-some large enough to throw
a dog through (the Board has ordered
me to repair and put the quarters In
good order before Winter) New
quarters were to be built this year, but
Mr.. Gould, after considering the cost,
thought that the county was not able
to so to so much expense at present,
and therefore no new quarters will be
built. The old ones after being repair
ed will do. Besides the above inn
provemenis, there is q pasture Of about
forty acres, inclosed with q rotten rail
fence-abOut 80 acres of the 100 are
cultivabe land. There is no fence
timber on the place. There is
enough fire wood for the use
of the place only. am often
asked, "by what road one can get 10
the Poor-house, ,etc. 2" The Poor-house
is about five miles southeast of Vicks-
burg by the roads. On an air line II ID
only about three miles. The public
road 10 out Grove street to the two
mile railroad bridge. On the other
side OF the bridge the Baldwin's ferry
road and the Poor-heuse road fork
Baldwin's to the left, and the Poor
house road TO the right. The Poor
house road has not been psssable as far
as the Poor-house since took charge
of the place. l and my neighbors
have to thank Mr.. Basinsky for
the use Of his private road. Our thanks
are also due to Mrs. Ferguson for per.
mission to use her private road as faI
as to where the Poor-house road ID
passable. Go out Halls ferry road as faI
as Mr. Wrights, three miles out, then
take tie left hand road, Chat is BAs'
zinky's). Two miles over this road
unless you break your neck, on the
way, will bring you 10 the PoOr.house
making five miles out from Vicksburg
But the most direct road is, drink Ilen'
ty of whisky. If YOU have sou, and
daughters, don't teach them to work
let them know while yet young thai
work is q disgrace for such high.
born people-and all will be on the
most direct and surest road to the Poor,
house. Thoughtless people often ash
me II make the paupcrs work. All
the work YOU can get out Of paupeI
at the Poor-house you can put in your
eye. Ii they could work, what busi'
ness would they have at the Poor.
house? They are 100 mean or too lazy
or both, to do the least thing for eacl
other. Unless { mpelled to do 80
they will not bring each other q drinl
Of water.
From the 22d day OF January, 1876
up to the 22d day Of January, 1877,
had on an average about seven inmates
from January 22d, 1871, up to July Let
| had on hand on an average 9s5 in
mates, and from July lst to date, IL in
mates, viz: Five colored females, lou
colored males, one colored female child
one white female, one white femal,
child, one white male child.
Strange to say not a single person ha
taken sick on the place siuce | tool
charge. had one man last year il
perfect health to drop down dead from
apopleXy. Five died last year sllogelh
er-four OF them came iu dying con
. ditiOn-three females aud two males
all coored.
: What the place needs most is a goo,
. fence. The land will pay better as
, pasture, than for culture. The plac
. ought also to be surveyed. All th
neighbors Except Mr., Basziusky) CLAIM
that their lines come nearer to, or ol
/ the present Poor-house lines. Mr.
G Basziusky is satisfied with his pipe All,
!, the liLes. It he would come ueare
with bis line he would have ions
I string OF dead UauDers on his side. ~