The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-09-17
Board Of Supervisors.

"
%eryisors began on last Tuesday afternoon a
= O'Clock. Nearly all the members were pres
ent
The first business was enrolling the name
of Henry Worlhcim, as assistant from Ii
Sale, appointed to I'LL the vacancy caused by
the death of T. L. Singer.
Then came the everlasting Isaac Il. Hit
and swamp lands, aud swamp land record. liz
only wants Sl06. The communication wa'
referred to the pauper committee.
ELECTION.
Mr.. Gilbert then began his plan OF proc, ed
ings whereby 10 get decision from the Su
preme Court on the yexed question OF election
this fall tor certain county Offices.
Miller introduced resolution that the board
proceed to fix the compensation Of county
Judges probate judge, county clerk, probat,
clerk, and treasurer.
Mr. Gilbert then explained the steps desir
ed; that this motion bc voted down. that an
other be- passed refusing to fix salaries, the
board insisting on following the law on the
an, iect Then a writ of mandamus could be
asked for compelling them to fix the salaries
II the law he declared unconstitutional He
called attention 10 the variation in opinion on
the subject, aud the special necessity OF set
Element of the question IN the light Of the IN.
teres,s of this county, which is liable without
a decision to IA conflict OF jurisdiction in pro.
bate aud county court matters for such "A
thing is possible rs an election even If the
board and clerk refuse to call one
Bellinghausen and Armstrong were opposed
10 the whole movement Armstrong in par.
ncular saw job in it-bg bills, confusion,
&c, and wanted the question referred.
Mr. Gilbert insisted the suit would cost the
county nothing; and rs in all the steps he ask.
ed 10 be taken the board would be strictly fol.
lowing the law, he could not see how any one
could reasonably offer technical objections. In
any event the proceedings could do no harm,
and would certainly prevent much confusion.
Further, men could talk and lawyers could
argue, yet the fact remained that we don't
know what the law Is aud cannot until the
Supreme Court decide what 1t 49,
Miller thought Armstrong little too pre-
else. and would himself like to have dccls'
ION.
The motion 10 refer was lost; when the reSo
luton also was voted down.
Gilbert then introduced resolution that the
board decline to fix the salaries of county oil
GERS This was adopted.
He then asked that IN case writ of man
damus Is applied fer the county attorney be
instructed 10 enter the appearance of the board
To this there was objection, and IL was referred
until Mayo could be heard.
ASYLUM
Beard, from the pauper committee, read the
following, from the report of the State Board
of Charities:
La Sale county Is under township organza-
ton, but the poor are supported by the county.
The county owns a county farm and ina ntains
tue largest poor house IN the state. The poor
house is maintained by regular appropriations
made by the county board and an agent Is ap.
pointed by the board, who il given authority
10 draw against the appropriation in sums not
exceeding five hundred dollars at one time.
The county has adopted rule requiring all
paupers to 90 TO the county farm, but n0twth-
standing this rule the amount of outdoor re-
lief annually ~ about SIX thousand seven hun.
dred dollars The annual cost of the aims
house IS about nine thousand dollars. Mol
change has been made in the building slnccI
our last report, but II large Clstern has been
added aud fifty feet Of hose pipe have been
Placed in each ward for cytnguishlng fire.
The number Of inmates present when inspect
ed was one hundred and eight, of whom ouy
two were children. One OF these children isl
ilegitlmatc, aud the daughter OF girl aged
fourteen years. The number of insane inmates
was siGtyOne, namely twenty-five men and
thirty nine women, OF whom twenty are said
b. be unclednly IN Their persons and habits
Eight were found in seclusIon, but none wear
ing restraining apparatus Of any sort Thcl
condition Of the building for the care Of ,heI
insane il horrible The impression upon Il
spectator is inexprcssiby Disgusting. Six OF
them, most at whom are cnlircly naked, are
confined in an ou,hOuSr, where they lie Upon
the floor In their Own filth, without care or at |
tentlOn other than that which an aged paupcr
is able 10 give them. Their appearance re
minds one OF hogs upon the floor Of pig sly |
AT the time of our former visit, two years ago, |
the officer representing this board was prevent
ca from going To this house by the county
agent, who falsely Informed him that all the
insane inmates had been seen by HIM. Since
that time the agent has been changed. Thel
county employs two county physicians, both
residents Of Ottawa. The salary paid Tie
keeper Of the almshousc is eight hundred dol
lars. The oycrsecrs of the poor make the re-.
ports and return the lists required by law, but
do not keep The accounts required 10y section
twenty nlnc of chapter one hundred aud seven
of the Revised Statutes. The account required
of the keeper IL on file IN the office of the
county clerk. The county has provided the
keeper with ii register.
Beach said the report was untrue and unjust
Maj. Gibson, agent, SAID that when the man
Gan underlingJ was here he was shown every
thing, and expressed himself pleased with
everything except Tue clubhouse. lie was todl
that was only temporary structure But II /
was untrue that even III that clubhouse there
was filth rs stated in the report.
Miler-"What re you going to do about
it,"
Hoffman suggested that the committee pre.l
pare an answer. Matter referred to pauper
committee
Wednesday,
On Wednesday morning Mr. Donovan, of
Adams offered u resolution Inslructing the
clerk when accepting the assessors books from
the assessor 10 allow them to make aill iavit of
wha, rate per cent. they had assessed
Fox called attention to the law.