Omaha daily bee., 1886-08-22
THE COUNTY SARDINE-BOX.
Where the Poor and Insane Are Crowded
Together Like Live Stock
A FARM WORTH s4oo, 900.
Scarcely Breathing Place for
the Paupcr and Nine Little
Mouse Traps for Thirty
Insane Persons.

The "poor you have Away with you"
is Il biblical phrase that is continually
beating tattoo on the plastic tympa'
mum of the orthodox churchman, from
his Suuday.school days until the solemn
hour approaches, when "dust to dust" is
the ceremonial order. The words are as
full of meaning rs any in the language,
and if one-quarter Of humanity would
keep them constantly before the eye, this
would be better world. The fact is,
however they stand out boldly in great
ocean of theory, and when bedewed with
a tiny drop of practical meaning the
christian world is convulsed. Charity
seems to be only of word construction. 1t
is pleasant thing to talk about, and ap.
pears very sentimental when in golden
letters ii is ranged along side of God
bless our home" and other curtailcd
well proclamatons, that arc sure TO dec.
crate the room where the pastor makes
his calls. The announcement that char.
ty begins at home, may be correct, as far
as being Il religious colorlng for selfish.
ness, but IN the way of drawing practi-
cal attention to deserving unfortunates,
who seemingly have always lived in the
winter of life, it is delusion and II snare.
1t really seems so sensible and
christian like to send money and
nccesSarics thousands of miles away TO
the hcathcn, when in the shade of the
very domicle OF the donor, flesh of his
flesh and bone of his bone, are wrthing
in pain and being rapidly hurried to the
graves by disease. The fact is that every
day experience shows that there is too
little practice in religion, and too much
theorizing. This is particularly the case
when the able are called upon to succor
the unablc-thc strong TO assist the
weak. Here the left hand is very apt to
know too much about what the right
hand does, and if there is one thing more
than another, that has given iniidelity
and agnosticism prominent position in
the affairs of the world it is the great diff
ference between what the good church
man says and what he docs-the pulpit,
as far rs practical religion is concerned,
is too far removed from the purse. The
tender-hearted Omahan need not take q
vessel for India or Africa to interview
the heathcn--he can find him and her
and their sad-eyed little ones in the lower
districts of the city. The expenses of an
ocean trip can be devoted to better uses
by taking a walk to the hospitals, or TO
tie poor house, Just outside of the
western walls of this goodly municipality.
Here can be found an ample
arena for the worthy and heroic
display of charity and christianity. Let
the heather in far off climes continue to
roam in his blissful ignorance, and let
the warm hand of kindness be placed on
second table is good enough for the UNI
civilized for time at least, until our
suffering ncighbors are attended to.
Did | say Omaha's poor house Yes,
| believe | did, but it would be more
proper to substitute the words poor farm,
for there are 100 acres of the latter, where
the birds of the air and the animals of
the field have q grand play ground
there are only 36X40 feet of the former,
children, fashioned after the Makers
image, are huddlcd together like sheep in
shamble. Enfeeblcd octogenarians,
who have been cast, through no fault of
theirs, on the rocks and reefs, are mixed
up with little children, whose aga va"'-
luckily does not let the, tha... anow whether
they ar" paupers or princes Manned
and crippled are crowded together with
healthy young women, who have only n
temporary residence AT the poor house
for obvious reasons. The worst
insane and idiotic with those whose
minds are sound. Since the return
of incurables from the state hospital for
the insane TO this county, ailnirs mt the
poor house are really outrageous. There
is no blame to be laid AT the doors of |.
n. Pierce, the outgoing superintendent,
or his estimablo wife. Nor are the
county commissioners altogether mt fault,
although it must be acknowledged that
they have given the matter less atten-
ton than they ought. 1T seems very
strange that Douglas county should have
n tract of 100 acres, less about eight
acres decided to the Belt line, which is
really the finest suburban propery in this
vicinity, and still have such meagre nc
commodations for its poor and its sick
There are only nine cells for the thirty
insane inmates They are smaller than
the single apartments in our Jail. In each
of these there are two beds filling the
contracted space longitudinally to exact
ness and leaving n space of about
foot between the beds. Some of these pa.
tients are so mentally wrecked that they
cannot be allowed to roam in the yards,
and are continually under lock and key.
IL II u lOW ~ silly
that the poor farm is worth to-day in
cash 100000. Its east line is the
west line of tho city. It stands on
commanding elevation but two blocks
from HaEscom park, and adjoins on
the city sdo collection of costly and
handsome residences. Property on Cum.
ing street tar to the north and farther
beyond the city limits is readily selling
ut the rate of $4,000 per acre. 1t there.
fore does not seem to be true economy
such as any lOvelhCadcd business man
would use in his private aifairs-to allow
this amount of money to lie buried in
acres that produce nothing OF any mo.
ment, because they are not titled, and
the poor and sick. for whom tho prop
erty was procured, allowed to remain in
the condition in which they now are. 1t
may be that there Is some legal reason
why this state of affairs exists, The
courts, however, deal in equity MS well
as law, and il is not likely the public Mt
large would now criticize any movement
which would provide suitable quarters
for the poor, provided the pitchy fingers
of rings were kept away from
the sale Here is y question that
should claim the attention OF the human
itarians and the public spirited in our
midst Give tin lii ln how with the bean