The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-10-29
MISEEIES OF SNAKE HILL.
pIlIN JTEHS or mr. ~ ONE or mud
son LOLhTY's INSTITUTIONS.

what j. Given them for Food aud Mcdi-
cine sanitary Care Very sadly Lacking.
Almost in the centre Of the great swalc
that stretches for miles westward from the hasc
ofE.e..h Hal. the rounded conc OF Snake llill.
,,.nl Wooded rises like an island from the
.,rf,.s,of % soa. On its western side il an
al,0.-, inaccessible prccipicc. the summit of
ul,.n IS covered with tangled thickcts and
er,,r-. 4 forrest trees. The northern aud east
t..I,- slope gradually away until the upland
.nk- into the marshes. On the eastern and
northern -hios are the public institutions of
uud..n county the pcnitrntiary. the asylum
trthc in-ano. nni the almshousc With its nu-
M. rous ou'huidings. Tho almshousc. With It's
nany cayy painted stories. hs swelling roof.
ami Il. ..inm nding situation. is the most con
snienuu- object on the HILL smooth. hard
road stretches down the eastern hillside
,o,lr swamp. and then solid artificial cause
Va, winds Through the tall scdgc grass a quar-
rrafamHrto the little Snake Hin Station on
the Huou'on branch Of the Delaware and Lack
aw.nna Eai.road. only few way trains stop
aths station and tho scclusion OF the inmates
O the Snake Hill institutions is complete
within few days the attention Of the public
la- la,u specially directed to Snake Hi by
ue inspection of its institutions by the Hudson
county Grand Jury. n report " whose visit was
puii shed in THE SrN. On last Wednesday
moti.nE the jury went there uuhcraldcd. each
man paying his own expenses. and ut noon
cglt,Dn oi them mot before the aimshou-e.
" Id,n Patrick Warren had gone to the city.
AMI thc iurymcn ut once entered the dining
room of the childrcns department. They pre-
sem tbs picture OF the condition of tho inet'tu-
uoa. ~ uc dining room were about eighty nm
cun uuh,mW children from four 10 twelve
ycs.- of a-c. eating their dinner. They sat
arnAnd long rough board tables. and in front
oi oa.h was tin basin illed with plain boiled
cabbage uu-easoned and tast"lcss. and half
se. God SUR black bread. This alone composed
their dinner The cabbage they picked from
the basins with their fingers. rs no knives.
forks or spoons were provided. Two women
at aided the tables. one of whom. as soon as
shc saw the visitors. began 10 distribute among
tlo little ones great iron tablespoons Mr..
Merecin asked whether spoons wcrr not
furnished at every neal She rcpled.
Mo- only on soup days-iwico week."
Tho children all looked sickly. ralc. and weak.
In the dining room Of the adults the visitors
found exactly the same dinner served Co. an.
rom rhildrr ot four V"urs to the OLD women
Of ninety. Nlthius better WINS given a., any ono,
even Ia the SICK. For hrrakia and supper III"
unNarying dict is sour black bread and a wruk
solution that IL called tea. You ran seo what
II.
persons for zach meal" The onlition of TIE
Children under four years was even worse than
thai 90 th" older ones. Each woman having ana
infant Is given one pint OF thin mix iur It
n M morning. and another pint az night.
tn" mortality Is grcut among the infants and
those who are strong enough 10 sustain This
regime are pecNlsh and lretful. The entire
building was unrcan, ana the atmo- sphere IN it
wa foul In the extreme. The sick are crowded
into the same rooms with the well. and So limit
cd i the medical attendance that one sick
woman 'rted that the physician had not
visited her. Tor five days Other patients cor
- rated her assertion. The ply stefan said
That he was ovrrworked. amt could not pay
proper attention IT, his patients. The jurymen
found u" other Institutions in line working
order Th"s" are the bare outlines OF the pic
ture that fhc Grand Jury prcs.n, Of tho man
4 rsi"rter for THE SvS visited all the
d,larlm,ut- Of the almshouse on saturday.
with bowed forms and vncant faces. lotcred idly
IN the grounds. The wind suddenly died out
m 'irhi ma dying leaves II the trees fell limp
ana moyelcS-, and r few drops Of rain paltercd
On Tue Stone llags. The old men tottorei into
Me hou-. and crert around the great coal
frs. .t-'rei'hing their wrinkied hands 10 f.ol
ih' vcic"m" heat The scene WIS utterly Ion sly
AMI de~oiat", except that a few LITTLE children
wiih naked feet ana legs. and cold blue faces.
Nlniy -irovr To- be merry as they chus.l each
ouNr over the damp grounds. On "a door post
N irant. that glistcnci with fresh grain MS
r.n Ward'r' Tia ono. wa, on,,'ty ,"I
hr' burn 'd brightly IA one corner: the Moor
WIS hands iicy rarpotrt: the walls w.rt drll-
carN tinted; the furniture wH- tasteful; on tine
" were many pi,tur = in one angle stood
douH.' -bairslrd shotgun, and Il clock tickrd
MON tnousy on "a shelf. At length an old
nN. with trembling leg~. approached. He
tua 40 broken tones, half Eis li~h. hulf Ger
nhl. Ga. I'm so cold. I'm shoo-t dead wild
d. -unNs. Can yer gif me somciIng boz
to- ilni n seen HIM for Elm week. In re-
! f 'n il" question. Win re l. the warden -
l. er'-uierei up and answered hriskly: " !
". TAX" uio him, rid away" With the aid
q DE u'HNf piS,n STAN he s,unpcd N to the
T.. .'n' m the rear A. h. ho9nied on
L'd tNpcfdntly, then dropped il again. aud
p 1T himself In "A foreign tongue. Here
70 If suez, sand ~, ~ he rapped on the
y"h l- 90 door az the rAtr.ne rear Of the
W. AA- ~ now. tnats all
ST. '' 1..r T.s 9..ned' Inc Of raupcrs
tff'i "ni tn warden was Il distributing anon.
!, ia ,.il.as ARTICLES ii clothing, according 10
'"A' ~ here AMI SIT down" he said Il
an d .lu.g lsy d w. hut III lnn be- at i.h-rty,
w. m NJ .. s', 1,y s,u r"9nr w trinscs ana
~ if l'} iuiy or not ii re- you TO one OF
H. aii 'ania what d. you want ?"
WA '..,,. 'N .4,i -W'il-M suffered the man
.r@ll, Fred. give n m one Of those small
. -Hi Va. Warren. and then the man tot
t''' u "- "f.. satisfied ~ though he had re-
.H' +" "' rly'll purple.
l"a' pair 20 socks" cried another. and
:. seq, AZ n p4ir. OF brnd.ed
= - 'lHf iil" rlork handed him.
. "I.' N.'' i' }uu want f' wAs siil 10 pale
!" "H hung tne side 81 tho door ana
g. 'i '-'i- uhrtslly ~ she looked out
u .i = l.r "yrlp!-.
H' " ~ h"ly. Nlr may 1t llilze YOU an
'.u An' sure its over "a twelve
~ N ~. 90 -ran uur: an | wants under
\ ..i'-' .,' i."i ings On but this light irOck.
o.. $50 MARY Kely from IIobokcn. amt
'"'"ie ha.nt I'm Mary Kelly. and that's
h.r went away. laughing over u new.
'u"NW AMI cotton drawers. On
N.l-.i w're printed IA lur.c black
~ I~Nn county AmehOurr. Then
m'n. -'Mr luiMytc. somr cpl-
'.'i- HilHg II ola age, pi IhcuIna-
d. "~i', 10 "NhsImldl Each man
. i-". rUr CO.. trousers. a pair II
''' '... iur blouse ana trousers -rcAcrs
IL. ...'- t'HiiIhD supplied. bal those who
ae w'rc turned away. as the STOCK
$50. 10 .Ii.u-t.l
'l '.,t go i- aMl." said the warden.
N-- Nfnr go" Iuild ls
l"-- tfr.a th. -furrrn,n into.n lony dirk
w. .l nhu4 q liIgli IF stair, the wom.n's
81 were reached. multitude OF
n ."i "hy ,u cnrap ,ur irorhs and
ittli.' Iin. p .Aluptrrl oyer the iluur
O. '' Alei i!" house yitA their shrll
f" % the alm~Aou-r.' said Mr. War
persons. HuH OF tn,s,.,iuu are rhllirru
a. ne number that wo ought h.
T. Is p chamber about thirty ly twerty
" -t.N-.N lf. ,u su"f1r.r WIZ r.
e. .'' NNt sldr Of "a half upYnn hrd~. WIN n
H. l'itllrhl 70 a. uiu.n ~ riIarty.
b., lI4rl"i lld Wniurli sat W'H,Iu.
b. D fN.Hf ftf4. B. . Al ..f4