The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-11-24
THE COUNTY'S POOR.
How Paupers and Insane Persons ar eCare'
for by the Community.
A Shocking Portrayal of the Incidents OF a
Single Visit.

A farmhouse in the shape of the letter |
but no fields of golden-tinted grain in the dis
lance "a house which seems old and weather.
worn, bleak and as unnviting as the barren
land about it where the perfume of flowers
never ladens the air and the ivy never creeps
where the barking of dog, the creaking of
wheel, the slightest sound, arOuscs Il peculiar
interest place in which groans and laughter
are cOmmingled, Oaths and screams are heard
and sqllalor and filth are apparent-yOu see the
home of the county's poor. The place Is also
used for an asylum for the insane but has few
of the distinguishing features of a modern in
stitution of that character. Revolving IN APP
pearance it alone is almost sufilclent 10 set the
wits of man wandering. Yet mere IN small
stone building apart from the man structure:
in chilling cells, irOn-barred and destitute OF
furnishings, the worst phases OF insanity are eX-
pected by an enlightened community to dis
appear. ...
at the pOOr-hOuse, including four who
are afflicted with violent insanity. Two
Of these are separately confined IN IN
is a small quantity of bedding on the floor. In
each room are two windows across which iron
bars extend. One of the two is kept closed
with shutters, except when visitors are
come Through the other is obtained view
of dreary stretch of country unmarked by
aught of interest. The grimy walls, the bare
| floor the bedding, the scenery beyond; THESE
are all that the eye of the maniac can discern
Horrible indeed must be his lucid moments
When the monotOny or his secluded ne Is
broken he halls the circumstance with II
| demonstration of eXhubcrant joy. Breakfast,
dinner and supper are important events ana
conversation with chance visitor thing to
ever remember. And they do remember. They
| treasure such incidents and picture them al
forwards, distorted, exaggerated, scarcely
| recognizable but still effective.
In the same little building, the stone build
ticnts are kept. Two rooms are used by them
| each twenty by eighteen feet in extent: One
is the counterpart of the other: Enter
Here are eight little k, wooden den be, bedstea n1
thin spread. In each lies q man
whose clothes are ragged and dirty. The tool
is bare, the walls dark, the atmosphere Oppres
sve and impregnated with nOxious OdOrs. NJ
chairs, no table, only the beds and mantel OF
which are numerous bottles of various sizes
all labelled. \ fire shoulders in an old fash
hucnce of the biting wind which blows throug
the open door. The door closed, ugh thu
stencil is unbearabe; better the wind than il
Some one coughs anda purple froth dyes nj
everything yet at nothing, his eyes geamln,
with the light Of that prescience which is be
lieved to sometimes come before death, Will
others groan, and above their gr0ans they hea
the shril laughter of Il crazy woman, and tn
: hoarse shouts Of Il crazy man Some dress oil
: wounds, sickening sores, at which the other
Il
versaton. The place is not conducive to rea
| SOning.
The main structure is occupied by pauper
and by the super'n.ndsnt' Mr. H. q; Symns
. twelve small rooms for paupers, tw
| rooms for the superintendent, kitchen
y and Il dining hall in the middle-whch is Ope
u on two sides and something similar to pOrc
. | such an one as is often met with in farmhouse
:. The superntendcnt'S rooms are fitted up nea
" ly. The paupers' rooms contain few Trims
4 li,t
|. hall On these are Oil-clOth covers and t
II platters. Here in the morning meat, bret
and coffee are served; at noon soup, meat al
, bread; in the evening bread molasses and te
| The insane sometimes eat VOraciOuSly Il
| others have little appetite. Occasionally pc
sons are put at the poor house who have BET
sentenced to Jail for misdemeanOrs. These a
employed during the day in gardening SIN,
IN spot of ground some distance from the bull
to ings. There are no prisoners now at the poo
n house and the garden receives little attentlC
&c City Physician Menger, the acting cOun
physician, visited the poor house yesterda
When he arrived several of the tractable
e. 'mented stared vacantly at him, other persOl
IT, clad in rags, slowly moved to obtain bet
no | view of the new conner, and the sick watch
at anxously. He examined the patients in
he hospital wards and gave directions for tn
Treatment to Mr.. Albert Huppertz, the pc
p some time. Both were suffering from chro
VI ulcers, one caused by the bite of Il centipe
These cases DR.: Menger is treating by a n
method, anu tnliS lar tnc results nave W
Ia most favorable At first he transplanted
Is, man skin, but as he was unable to
tain sufficient, material he had
.te course TO skin from wv, rabbits L.: i.
re- were used the healing process became too s.
nc- and so Dr. Menger abandoned their use
adopted instead finely chopped meat, VII
when placed on the sores is soon absorbed.
Are YOU the cook asked DIR. Menger 0
short, stout, young woman with short hair,
m tired in blue calico, who stood in the din
Is hall, broom in hand and grinned as he
~ passing.
et- mo. sir" she calmly began, and then
'he some reason becoming excited, she turned
in the face, her eyes flashed and she eXclaiI
the phan girl You've seen me before. |
at the sisters They brought me here,
he know My names Mary Welsh and, and
10 all that you know" Then she laughed
oe ran away.
ex- Not far distant sat Cooley Mann, 80 year
age, stopped and with white hair. He
v;s, rocking from side to side and grooming il
vs. attempt at some old plantation song. NJ
'aS- was once quite wealthy. At one time he
him connected with the Vance establishment W
rom was before the war one of the largest in
on south. Wine and women were the meal
lon , his ruin. Among his debts is one of or
sual for ring he purchased from Mr.. David
u the jeweller, to present to a woman OF Il
pute. Beside Mann is Mariana Gomez,
can with classic features, who was once q
mes, liceman in Austin. All day long he sketch
,,a, cOlOrs and illuminates letters. Some o
'hei work is really creditable. The sketches al
trip uminations he OCCASIONALLY sells to E X,sl
baccO. Most all his subjects are of u reli.
character. He is afflicted with st.
own dance.
'the Here we are, set 'em up again." y
Cox David O'Lafferty as the shutters
81 his cells we're opened. He had II
Cox aPlfng e. sy% SEole sm,n said Mr. syr
IL or tom etO keep him handcuffed FOL
the he W. image. He has been in this &C