San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-07-14
OUR COUNTY POOR.
VISIT TO THIS INSTITUTION BY A
LIGHT" MAN. 80:


LIGHT" MAN. - -
Who Tells What He Saw, And How the
Poor And SicktAre Cared for by
the County Everything -
jim Good Order. zssas-
"A LIGHT reporter visited the county
poOr-house last Sunday in company with
the druggist and prescriptionist, Albert
HuppertZ, and found the place In clean
ly condition and all the inmates conten-
ted, happy and well fed. Thirty-eight
inmates are being cared for, OF whom 10
are patients, under care OF DR.. X. l..
Graves. who visits them daily, and Mr..
HuppertZ, and nine are lunatics, though
none of the latter are violent. The con-
victs, eight In all, left Sunday morning
for Commissioner Qulntana's precinct,
and are now building bridge and re-
pairing the county roads in that pre-
cinct. Besides the 30 inmates cared for
by the county the establishment con-
sists Of the superintendent, j. A. Smith
and family, the druggist, Waterman, one
general workman, cook and washwoman.
Mr.. Smith says he can accommodate 65
patients comfortably, but they sometimes
have more than that number. Their
though all are under strict discipline.
They eat three good meals a day, rs
much as they want, with meat and
white bread twice per day, have china
plates, soup bowls and knife and fork
each. Your reporter visited the kitchen
and found 1t in "A very clearly condition.
All vegetables Of the season were set
upon the table, such as green corn, pO-
tatOes, Okra, cabbage, tomatoes, En-
glish peas, etc, which were raised In the
fine garden of 10 acres, attached to the
poor-hOuse and cultivated by one
workman. Said the superintendent:
"The paupers don't work much, as they
are sent away as soon as they are able
to go, and of course cannot be made 10
stay and work unless they want to-"
The hours kept at this institution are
regulated by the Waterman, who goes
on duty at 10 O'Clock at night, at which
time he strikes bell, the signal for all
to go to bed. The hours are then struck
regularly until o'clock in the morning,
when all arise and prepare for break
fast. This bell striking serves the
tendent know the time, and Of know
ing, too, that his Waterman Is
not asleep. A bath room for the males
is located in the hospital, and is regu-
larry taken advantage Of by them; more
so than the women, who also have
good bath-hOuse, but who have to be
compelled to battle. The hydraulic ram
located few hundred yards from the
building supplies every part of the house
with pure water, at good pressure.
The breakfast consists Of plain, we'll
cooked food, with good coffee. Tea is
provided at supper. No milk Is used,
except for the sick, although there Is
ample pasturage for cows. The superin-
tendent keeps two cows, but could
easily, he says, care for more, and then
could have plenty Of butter, buttermilk
and milk. No hogs are kept, either, al
though enough slOps are thrown away
to fatten ten hogs, and have plenty OF
pork. All the dogs in the neIghborhOOd
are fed from these scraps at present,
and there is not lean dog anywhere
near. The county could materially re-
Enlistment II they would at
tend to these minor details. and make
it worth while for Mr.. Smith to raise
vegetables for sale at the market. With
total acreage of 81 acres, 10 acres of the
richest bottom land in the county Is set
apart for the garden and every vege-
table indigenous to the soil can be
raised with little cultivation. Tomatoes
are wasting away for the picking. Po
tatoes are bursting from their hills
Okras grow very large and peas, beans,
corn, oats, and even tobacco are flour
ishing.
About the building everything is kept
clean, but on account Of the age these
buildings look dilapidated, and are not
kept in good repair. They are low,
cheap wooden structures, very cool in
summer, because Of a good breeze, and
the location is on hill. In winter they
are terribly cold, from their exposure.
The roofs leak badly. The hospital Ia a
substantial rock building and 10 cool
and well ventilated. The enclosure for
the insane lie small and very hot in sum
mer, but has good heating appliances in
winter. The stables are located near
the main building and the lofts are we'll
filed with iced. TO the west OF
the main enclosure, a fine pasture
is enclosed, at the western extremity OF
which is the graveyard, though not
fenced of from the pasture. The grave.
yard is pretty well filled, 81 graves hav-
Ing been dug since Mr.. Smiths incum-
bency. These are not all from deaths
at the poorhouse, but all the suicideg
and other deaths in the county and city.
not buried else where are buried here.
A good appliance was noticed for the
blind, who are situated in the western
end Of the main building. From the
corner OF this wing stretched about the
grounds are wires, on which runs a rope
on a ring, and the blind. when taking
exercise about the grounds simply take
this IOpe, hung when not In use, at a
well known place. and can walk without
being led by others, where they please
The drug store is well filled with al
kinds OF medicines, neatly labeled, the
work Of one Of the paupers, and ia KEEP
clean and in perfect order. The drug
gist's sleeping room is next. In the
south wing Is the superintendent Of.
flee, and q room for use OF his family
All parts Of the establishment were Wis.
tied by the reporter and were inspecte,
to his satisfaction, and he feels fully re
paid for his visit, as would many other
who take the trouble to visit the place
IafIA