The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-03-30
STRANGE sTATEMENrs,
IndiEent People said TO bo sold Like
BlAVesin west ViFginiA.


Indigent People said 10 bo sold Lik
Slaves In west ViFgInIA,
Special Correspondence Of PitIbuTEh Telegraph.
NEw CuMBERLAND, W. Va, March 90
The inhumAn practice Of selling paupeT
at public auction, which has been carrist
on for years, is just now attracting consld
cradle attention. 1t is generally supposed
that with the liberation OF the slaves BY
the War Of the Rebellion, slavery ceased
to exist in the United States, but this II
not the case, as slavery, or worse than
slavery, exists in this county to-day,
To overcome this aud provide for the
county's poor as civilized people should,
and as other counties do, the citizens ol
this county three years ago asked for and
procured permission from the County
Court 10 put the question OF poor farm
before the people, This was done and
the project was carried by several hun.
dred mAiority. The Poor Board, whose
duty It was to select and purchase o farm
for this purpose, however, quietly defeated
the scheme. They looked at several farms,
but took no action in regard to any OF
them, and so let the whole thing 20. BY
this meanH the decision 0f the people al
the polls was "vetoed," so to speak, and
since then, until this year, the regular
public sales OF ,paupers have taken place.
This year, instead ol the auCsioneer get.
ting up on his block, with list Of pau.
pers in his hand and crying them of to
the lowest bidder, II 10 being done more
privately, under a Rort Oi SEALED propo.
sal" plan. There are in this town and
county men and womsn-At least they are
clothed as suCh-who live of what they
get from the county for keeping ils poor.
They are too lazy to work, and do NOT
pretend to. Younger paupers, who are
able 10 work, they take at q low price,
about $50 per annum per head. They then
make them do tho hardest and dirtiesi
work they can 6nd, and find them Just
enough 10 keep soul and body together
Ot course they make Q profit out oil this
Tho oldeH paupers, men and women up
10 the eighties and nlueties, they get a
higher price for, from 500 to $500
per annum per head. They do not get q
chance to make money out Of the work OF
these persons, as they are unable 10 work,
But BY clothing them In rags, allowing
them to sleep In places where q brute
would refuse TO lie, and feeding them on
the most common food, they make o
very good percentage on the amount OK.
pended. Your correspondent eau can to
mind the experience oil men and women
who were once. respectable citizens, but
who, having met with misfortune, were
compelled to call upon the Poor Board for
help. Asking that body for help means
to be put up for sale on the auCtioneer's
block. which, nine times out OF ten, meant
living lie 10 which death would be
preferable. One could cite cases Of
men being compelled 10 live In holes alive
with vermln OF all kinds, but they are 30
many that 1t Is hard 10 pick them out.
The repectable portion OF the Country's
population Is becoming aroused TO the
onormity Of the barbarism, or crime, as
you may call 1t, being committed, and 1t
is probable that within short time steps
will be taken 10 remedy the evil. They
cannot be taken too soon, as no one knows
the amount oil misery which this custom
entails upon tho unfortunate poor Of the
county. +, A. E.