The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1880-08-07
DIR. yOE's CHOLERA.PATIENT.

Manufacturer Hobbs was very
wealthy man, but he wasn't as stingy as
were many of the people who enjoyed
talking about his stinginess. But he
grumbled as naturally as he breathed;
more naturally, indeed, for he breathed
hard through his mouth with kind of
little snore. se
Though his fault finding was often
merciless, it had ever basis of justice.
He lived within supervising distance Of
the county poorhouse and when other
things failed he found in the manage
ment of this institution perennial matter
to snarl ut.
He growled when any insane were
lodged there. as was the case when the
county overran its quota to the State
Asylum. He growled whenever child
was left to the tender mercies of the
poorhouse; and as for the county doc
toring, he snarled and twisted his face
over that subject till, at times, all his
features seemed dislocated, thrown into
chaos.
"They auction it OFF, he would say,
all his features drawing together, as if
on elastic web; 90 let it out to the lowest
bidder, which means the poorest doc
tor. A brilliant set! Why, the SUPER
visor ought to elect the county doctor
by a unanimous vote; and he oughtn't
to be paid salary. He or any other
man should be paid for the work he
does, and for no more"
Mr.. Hobbs grumbled so persistently
for poorhouse reform that the pauper
matter came to be known as Hobbs
hobby. And the day came when his
fault-fnding on this line reached a
climax. This is how it was:
In the employ of Mrs. Hobbs was a
widow woman, the mother of five chill
dren. The haunting dread of her life
was that she or some child of hers
might come to the degradation of a
Judgment in the poorhouse; for this
serving-woman had q strong feeling of
self-respect. She picked for the hard
est places when engaged for service.
where the heavy work woulddraw high
wages.
As Mr.. Hobbs boarded many of the
employees of his large shoe-factory, the
work in his family was hard enough to
match the wages-the weekly three dol
lars fifty and the board of her youngest
which the serving-woman received.
1t was while all her energies were
strained to the utmost tension in carry
ing her burden, that one of her chill
dren.was run over by a railroad train.
One leg was so mangled as to demand
immediate amputation.
The surgeon went, Immediately after
the operation, TO the town supervisor
for an order sustaining the work done
and warranting a continuation of the
medical attendance. The supervisor
refused the order on the ground that the
child, if entitled to aid from the county
should be moved to the poorhouse and
treated by the poor doctor. The sur
geon claimed that the child could not
Be moved, except at great risk. The
supervisor persisted In refusing the
order.
II viii not order medical attendance
to any person outside the poorhouse,"
! Inoe I am pressed with work,
the to give AWAY" said the
RI <66h. As the county viii not pay
the surgical bill and there i no person
who can be made responsible for it, /
must retire from the case
Then there was grumbling that was
from Manufacturer Hobbs.
g That mite Of a mangled body must
be toted off to the poorhouse, must It!
As IL his mother was bcggars and
there isn't Drawer woman in the com
ty! But the child sha'n't GO there! he
sha'n't! And he shall hav(k0Od med