The daily gazette., 1880-01-31

1
over the stones
| He only apauper whom nobody owns"
| The public mind has associated the
idea conveyed by Hood IN the above
lines with public institutions OF charity
In general, aud many seem 70 think that
the inmates are no better cared for than
he has painted. The fallacy Of this inn
preston with reference 10 the New Cas-
tie county almshousc must be apparent
10 every reasoDable-minded citizen, but
IL cannot be more clearly demonstrated
than by u visit TO the place itself. Stand
ing high aud in bold relief upon the
| West Wilmington hills the building
presents an imposing appearance at dis
lance, with its whiJe-washed walls
showing through the giant trees that sur
round 1t. IL is house Of many gables,
for additions have been built from time
TO time, but though rambling, 1t Is handy
and substantial. High walls run around
the yard TO prevent weak-mlnded in
mates from escaping, an before you can
enter you must knock al the gate. An
old man will admit you, and Superin-
tendent Malachi Barlow will receive you
with kindly greeting. TO gain a good
idea OF how things 20 on INSIDE, personal
observation is the b, st medium. Come
through the place In imagination, as the
writer did in person, accompanied by
Drs. Ogle, Springer and Enos.
| TnRoUGH THE ALMsHoUsE.
Everything looks neat and ciean ill.,
side. The most scrupulous neatness pre-
| walls evel ywhere. Go from top to bot
tom and you will lind the whole ar
rangement orderly, aud the gloomy
house in many places really attractive.
The house is one Of four stories and Is
divided into north and south divisions.
In the north wing the coloIed people
are quaItered, and the whites have more
roomy quarters In the rest Of the build
ing. BY u plan that works exceedingly
| we'll the sexes are divided, and there are
| sitting rooms for the different classes as
regards age, sex and condition. In one
room may be seen grouped together some
eighteen or twenty old men. They are
ALI iDtirm and decrepit, and as they sit
about and conduct a tagging conversa-
ton, smoking all the Whine, they seem a
woe-begun lot. Some of them have seen
better tunes. One OF them Was pointed
out as man who had once stood
high in lite and had influence as well as
property. But he encouraged i'll luck by
ndulging in dissipation, and at last the
doors of the almshouse opened TO him as
a last resort, aud he entered To go out
no more until he is carried away to the
POtLer's field in The county undertaker's
cart. There are two old fellows here
who can never agree. They quarrelled
when they were school-boys, and contin-
ued tue contention wien they were men
walking the streets Of our city; now they
hght their battle over in old age In the
almshUuse. "Doctor," said one Of them
as the party entered the room, ''see
where Jimmy bit my finger of. .""Certain
| ly bit II OIL" answered the accused, "he
| would pull the window down when IL
was showing" 1t is always 80 with
them. They ciLnot be reconciled.
| BABY FARMISG.
There are quite "A number OF babies In
the Ia, ing-in department now, but moth
ing like " hat Is on hand some times.
This is feature vt the Aims house that
| Is little understood. Often enough un-
| fortunate and destitute women who
have "loved not wisely but too WELL" or
whose fall, perhaps, Is more 10 be blanI-
| cd upon them than on mans perhuy,
Ask 10 be taken IN, aud they are seldom
turned away. Ifthe father can bs found
1
compel him TO pay The expenses incurr-
80. Quite often the mothers take the
children with them, but some go away
and leave their offspring behinC. In
,ome instances respousibio people adopt
the babies, and W nen such Is the case
they nea, ly always fare better than they
would have done had their mothers re-
tanned possession of them. Upon this
| peint Doctor Ogle related an Interesting
case. al remem Der Que child born here
under doubtful circumstances" said he,
| whose mother deserted II, and lett 1t
| mere. 1t was a boy, and handsome
Guild, at that. The father, happen TO
know, was noted criminal, and the
mother was not much better. 1t was not
long before wealthy couple of Will
lnlngton adopted .he lad, and he is now
almost young man. lie Ii cared for IN
uis adopted home as we'll as any Child
n Wilmington, and his foster-father
| and mother love hun as though he we're
their natural offspring. The hoy seems to
| DC naturally bat, aud he lies and steals
but the old couple don't know 1t or It
would almost break their hearts. He
seems to be taking after his real father,
aud the old adage, blood will tell is
| plainly illustrated in his case"
In the old wOman's sitting room life
| must be monotonous indeed. Scarcely a
| word Is ever spoken, and the aged pau
pers sit ana pass quiet and uneventful
| existence. they smoke from morning
| tiii night, and that is all the solace they
| ever have. Some of them are very old
| indeed and appear about ready to drop
nto the grave. But they have seemed
Just that way for years, and deaths sell
| dom occur among the old people, con-
sidering their numbers.
Ii was the hour OF the MONDAY meal
when the negro quarters were entered,
and in the first room a long row of plea
ninnies, eating soup on the floor, hastily
scram bled out OF the way of the intruders.
A curiosity in the way Of Longevity is TO
be- found here in the person ut Mary
Rogers, aged 1l5 years, so 1t ls positively
stated.
"How old are you, aunty ?" asked the
reporter.
"Lor' bless you yourg massa, I'll neb-
Der tole yo'. Pears to me dat I've libbed
I a wonderful long while tho. Mos long
I Az dis Yer world got any use for de chilei
, guess"
Mary was born at Mount Pleasant, and
the records of her first master show thal
she came into the world much before the
beginning of the present century. She
| was at one time cook for Thomas Clay.
ton, brother of John M. Clayton, and
, , after she got her freedom was knocked
> | about from pillar TO pos: until she was
{ | thrown ON the tender mercies of the
, | county. She looks as though she might
s be as Old as report says. Her hair Is al
! white as snow her teeth are gone apG
!, : | and her cheeks sunken. Her memory IL
= not very good, but she loves to talk OF
| old davs and tells about The noted peo.