Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-08-13
MIR. GUTHRIE EXPLAINS.
Echoes from tIis Aimshouse-Nec
sity for the New Furniture, Spoons,
Forks, &c.-'Phe Trustees Ekespon-
sfbIe for the Extravanance.

sity for the New Furniture. Spoons,
Forks, &c.-Phe Trustees Kespon-
I sibIe for the Extravaganza.
Edit0r Gazette: Please say for me
that ! diselaim any responsibility for
furnishing the new almshouse. | have
furnished my own apartments with my
} own furniture, when first took charge |;
not only that, but furnished rooms for
some of the employees and my furniture
is still in use. We have many more en-
ployes now than formerly it is neces-
sarily SO, and have need of more
furniture. The new furniture fur
nished here, is about the same kind
as seen by the trustees of the poor
in other institutions that they have
visited in other states. There were 10
bedroom suits sent here and evenly di-
vided between both buildings, five in
the almshouse and five in the
insane building, and one parlor suit for
each building. There is not enough even
now, If had not brought my own furni-
ture there would have to be ut least four
more suits. In the insane building they
now do their own cooking and have been
furnished with dining tables and all the
necessary arrangements in the various de-
partnents. They are now treated like
human beings, and ms we'll taken care of
as in any institution of the kind in the
country. In making these changes, when
we moved here, it was necessary 10 pro-
cure many new articles in the
line of furniture, knives, forks
and spoons included. ordered, myself,
a lot of cheap knives and forks and
spoons, and somebody ordered high
priced knives and forks (but who do not
know, but just enough for board days
only, and they are not to be used except
on such days and are stamped ON the
handle "Trustees of the Poor" which il
right. 1t is unnecessary to say that the
more closely the superintendent does his
| duty the more enemies he makes, and
have no hesitation in saying that every
enemy have was made in the line Of
the discharge of my duties us
public servant The woods are full
of these kind of people, but | prefer
having only one ON II string TO 10000 dis
honest ones. | have frequently told some
Of these clamorous persons that do not
nor never did try TO influence the trustees
of the poor about the matter of giving
out supplies of any kind. They would
not believe me of course. They will still
have the doubt, notwithstanding that they
could easily find out by asking the
| trustees themselves. They do not believe
and are incapable of believing that
there are some few men thnt are above
| telling lie. | have not written this
article for the benefit of those clamorous
| persons and did not intend to notice
| them. l have written this for the infor- |
nation of the thoughtful, sensible people, |
who desire truth and fairness. ] am told
that an ex-trustee of the poor year ago
| expressed the opinion TINT il would cost |
500, 900 to furnish the new buildings and |
now, when they are furnished, am told |
by those who know that the cost is |
less thnn $4,000. The meat and |
butter bills, us fur as / know, are all |
right. If there is anything wrong / am |
not aware of il, and will allow il to rest
here until the next meeting of the board, |
when | will ask them to inquire into that |
and oil other matters pertaining to my
duties, and my friends will rest assured |
that have and am still doing my whole |
duty. JOHN GUT,uuE.
New CASTLE County ALMsHousE, Aug.
9Th, 1885.
TWO TRUSTEES TALK.
An interesting chapter in correction |
with the almshouse affair is contiii,ite0 |
by the Ne,os in what is given nt the |
statements Of Trustees LncRny and l'arra,
from which extracts are given brlow.
Trustee Milton Lnckcy "Thc news
papers have done great injustice TO the |
members of the board and especially |
the supply committee, by publishing |
things that they were not conversant with |
and presenting them in different light |
to the citizens. i have been q member |
of the supply committee for nearly IL |
panr
what | thought was right. The chairman |
of the committee, Mr.. Solomon, without |
consulting me or others of the committee, |
took upon himself the responsibility to |
have the furniture put in the building. |
Had | been aware of his intentions it |
would never have been accomplished |
with my sanction, as l think it an ex-
trhvngant freak. Mr.. Solomon did not |
consult me ON the subject, MS lie knew |
would not sanction it. think it is n |
waste of money, and we all have TO bear |
the blame of the matter for the nliscreet |
doings of others. / think the public |
should know the true state of affairs and |
allow those who are innocent to vindicnte |
themselves of the charges made against |
them. am ms innocent of the crooked |
ness, il there he any, ms n little babe, and |
nm not ashamed of my record rs M officer. |
Trustee Daniel Farra says: II have |
always been in favor of reform in the |
management of the almshousc, hut / |
have not been able in the past to have
things go ms / wanted them. / was
appointed chairman of the committee on
accounts AMI resigned because WIS com
PEELED to pass bills That did not
approve. l was always in favor of having
them present when bids were being
opened and ut all other times The public
has right to know what it is going on.
When the question of Voshell IL Solo
mons bidding for the contract for coal
came up l opposed. Solomon said that
Voshell was bidding md that he
had no interest in it md that
was contrary. / said that we
conld not make the public lelicve TINT
Solomon, II member of the board, had no
interest in the bid for coal put in by his
partner and to be furnished from the
company's yard. Solomon apolOgizcd 10
me afterwards for his hot words For
nine years have been member of the
hoard and have never been ON the supply
COMMITTEES. solomon came in II new and
young man and was made chairman by
President Bird. think Bird exceeded
his authority and it is time this thing
should stop. | propose to move for u
committee of Investigation ut the next
meeting Of the board, and propose to
insist that il not only investigate the
Affairs connected with the new allnshouSc
buildings, but that il also go back for
years into the management of the old
institution. Mr.. Williams is good
man and Jaquctt's reflections on him are
not just. ,Jnquctt held on TO his
position at the Office of the trustees of the
poor for months after he was needed and
he was backed up by his son-in-law, I'll. ID.
Hickman. II is useless for Milton Lackey
TO try TO get out of his share of the
responsibility now that the bomb has
burst over our heads and that the public
Indignation is aroused. lie says that the
whole board is disgraced, but want il
understood That there is nothing disgrace
fnl IN my record in connection with the
board. Lnckcy has voted for the ring
every time, lrls voted for the exclusion Of
reporters, and has repeatedly announced
himself in favor Of awarding contracts
for supplies only 10 Democrats. Some of
tie bills for supplies ordered by Solomon
without any authority of the committee
were simply outrageous"
PEACHES AND MELONS.
iIusciOns. JHicy Fruits Coming in
Freely and Selling We'll.
The Philadelphia Press of Tuesday says: