The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-10-27
COVER TIE IlILLn
To The roor House tho Reporter Takes
HIS Way in Company with the County
Cnnlmittee-An Inspection Tour-rile

Cnmmittec-An inspection Tour-rhe
Ns,iidinzs, Etc. R 1gT
Time and time again, during tho existence
Of the present Board Of Commissioners, has
Squire schul,ze, the heavy member from
Richie district, and chairman OF tho Com.
mlttec on Poor House aud Farm, extended
an Invitation to the reporters Of the city
press to go 10 The country with bis commit.
tee and inspec. the county's home for the
poor ind destitute. Why his cordial invita-.
tlons, seconded by the other members Of the
committee, have not long since been nc.
cep,sd |. Is hard to imagine, unless It DO
.hatthe "n'oulders Of public opinion" have
been firmly impressed with the thought that
in their present business they would soon
enough land nt the Poor House and have
therefore deferred making the acquaintance
OF that institution until such mo.
mcnt as they should 10 obliged to.
q BE that as II may, an ISrg.I!yxscxa re-.
porter with desire to breathe pure country
alt, md ret glimpse Of the hills now dre.sed
In oil their autumn YorgeousIess, while on
his rounds yesterday found Commissioners
Schulize aud sten At the i. 4 0. Depot wait.
Ing 10 take the l:S0 llempileld train, and,
growing bold, decided 10 Join them aud visit
Capt. Plankey's domains. AT O'Clock last
evening he returned to the Office more than
pleased with his afternoons trip. The fresh
air was appreciated, the hills seen and nd.
mired, aud tho Poor House visited. 1t Is I'M
institution that the county may we'll 10
proud OF. mud one that 1t will pay any one 10
visit. W.. @
. At Elm Grove, Commissioners Atkinson
md Ttrriti, and Commissiouer.eiect Max.
we'll the Republican victor from Liberty,
joined the party from the city, and expressed
pleasure that the farm was TO be touched up.
Said Mr.. Tarril!: ~ hasn't been written up
for several years. and i.worthy Of Il; besides
we country people occasionally like TO roati
about something In our part OF the county, A
short walk and the objective point was reach.
Cd and the purity cordially welcomed by Su.
perintendent Plankey, who was found about
the county hospital, now ab3ut completed,
nj the north oflhc main building. It Is q
very neat two story brick structure, with
the way around. 1t contains eight rooms.
has bath tubs, running water and numerous
hthpr cOnvenences, and Is something the
county should haye possessed long since.
Heretofore all county Un.eg huve been sent TO
the North Wheeling Hospital, at Il cost OF
about 81 200 per year. In two years the
building now being erected will have puld
for itself nnd thereafter be u saving to the
Ea'hty.
appearance Of !Le Poor House Is not IL
foreh0dtng one by any means, itiaa brick
building about 5Uxl30 feet and stands due
north aud south. II was built In 1910 From
the center rises tower, which sets out a tit.
Ne from the building proper, and Is used for
the resiusnca ct the Superintendent family,
the rooms being finished OF very nicely. The
building Is three stories high and underneath
is 4 high.light mud dry basement. The house
IL approached by q widegrayelcl avenue Dor.
.ertd w tFcea, which sweeps past the build.
Ing and on OIL 70 ne s;ahles. 'apfeading opt
In front Of the building is II we'll kept lawn
with ghrnbhcry aud walks, aud beyond that
an extensive uorn field. Everything ia neat
and cleanly both inside and out.
After short time spent In the cosy office
the party was escorted through the building
under Capt. Plansey's charge, commencing
Il The basement. AT the north end are four
rooms on e.ci: cile q the corridor, used MS
store rooms, while ons Large lnl Il Gi;;deI,
one.half being occupied by bath.lub, lie
other az lodging place for the occasional
tramp that drops in. 7 at purt OF the base
private No. ~ isle south end Is big wash
iron tank for water used In washing. THe
water is leatcd by steam. This occupies
9ue.half Of thut end, the other half Is used
for the bo,lcr and coal rooms. The building
IL headed by steapi. 4 uaW boiler way re-.
Gently put In and il works to . charm. TAe
heating apparatus Is In good shape all over
the building.
On the first floor proper, at the south end,
ls the dining room, Aitchen and bakery; con-
tlnuin4 alqpG The corridor store room and
The office ARD pascal, Oal Ihpn the north
hall Is reached, which Is DEVOTED 10 rop,us
for the inmates and occupied exclusively by
men, The second story Is devoted cfclu.
siyely to the Inmates, there being twenty.
three rooms, a large iron gate dividing aud
kreping the men in the north and the women
IN the soEt4. IN the third story, which is
part OF the tower, a.e tireezfamily rooms,
all OF which are occupied, one Ey ;aEiiy
OF five, and two by families Of four eack,
Above this is the cupalO containing the
water tank, an affair Of thick boiler iron
lOx3S4 feet.
: A. pseaeEl lllers are eliminates, and OF this
numbrr not over 10 are able 10 do work
Of uny consequence. The idle on0s are mostly
children and old men. these latter walk
n bout the grounds and sit in the halls, ana
silently Illuminate over the days, that.are past
end gone. The rooms occupied by the in
lnales ase Hight and airy, and each hold four
'lngle beds, Iron hedsseads are nov haina
been In use gince the building was completed,
The bedding, while ooarse. Ii good und there
is plenty Of It. The floors IRE almost white
sand and soap and water being literally used,
and the ceilings and walls ARE as bleak and
l,sre o. whitewas!i can make them. In each
rU0a in adattion 10 the beds are four chairs.
In the south end pf lhr srnonl story are
two rooms set apart for special purposes. The
first Is the nursery. where about hslf tlcxen
babies are taken care OF. They arc nearly
lll OF doubtful origin-little ones left
on door steps or brought there by crring
mothers. The other room is used rs i,
lliHg:iH hospital and was occupied by q
young yomdn With 2 seek;pil bsbe in her
arms. Right here il might nat bs s 'a,aiss 10
state that never hus there been breath OF
scandal conncaled with TIE management oil
I his plnce. such ~ there has heeli in other
cities and In sou,e Of the counties OF Ohio.
not far from here.
The inmates are. on the whole, pitjable-
looking objects, especially the old ones. Here
one HndG tho halt, the MANNED, the blind, the
paralytcd, thp !d!atiQ. They are not prepos.
spssIng IN appearance, 1ni dns docs not care
To guxe long on them. The men were feeling
very comfortable yesterday, and were spryer
than usual, for II was 'loGacca day. Ahout
forty OF them use the weed. and once In two
weeks they receive their allowance OF Mug,
Nearly all OF them smoke 1t in their short
hluck pipes. The daily routine Is about as
follows, The TIaipg bell rings at and the
breakfast bell att dinner at i. and supper
ats. At0r. N. all must be in bed aid! III.
lights are turned down half way. The
~Gtchman at 9 tolls the hour on the bell in
the cnhu!a, gFt| also at IL, 3and o'clock, In
this way i Is ascesiasnsd whether be Is at.
tending to his duties. : 'S'"'. ~
All that arc able TO sit ut the table cat in
the dining room, where there are sir tables
seating fourteen each. The table ware n
heavy china. Breakfast consists Of bread.
coffee and bacon, the latter alternating with
fried potatoes every other morning For
dinner, soup are furnished twice week.
Every DIV lnrnips, cabbnge and potatoes
and fresh htsf u iHrniehel. The beef il
delivered every morning md il rs MOI s.any