Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-09-01

| essimg Inmates.
WORN OUT wRBcKs or MIN AVID WOMEN OCCUPYING
| THE PooR-HousE-rHR STURDY INMATES OF TIKI
woRK-HousE AND HOW THEY LrvR-HAPPY OLE
| C0LoRED MEN.
A STAR reporter made the rounds of the Wash.
ington Asylum premises q few days ago in com.
pany with the superintendent, VIM. H. Stouten-
burg. There are about 10 acres Of ground within
the Enclosure, but not than half can be cultI
| waited. The property is located between the Con.
| gressioDal Cemetery and the JAIL and extends to
the Eastern Branch, where the inmates OF the
asylum are given an opportunity to fish. The build.
ings are erected on high ground giving an excellent
| view Of the surrounding country from the Navy
| Yard bridge up the branch nearly to Bennfng.
The number OF inmates Is as follows: work-house,
| 2O6; almshouse, 173; hospital "a In the aims
mouse tne white inmates greatly outnumber the
| case. In the main building OF the almshouse are
| all the females and the white males The bed
rooms ID THIS building are OF large size ana each
room Is occupied by two or three invalIda The beds
used In this building are OF the best make, with
wire springs and mattresses OF Mexican nber which
tss ago
missioner Webb. Each bed is supplied with
sheets. quilts and blankets, making them as
| rooms at tae north end Of the building while the
females are on the opposite side. The colored fe-
~ a tns SScGnPy the upper noor Al the north end
| room where the old men pass away the day. 1t Is
known as the literary room and old books and pa
hallway dividing the rooms Is very wide and there,
| as q rule, the inmates spend the warm days be-
cause there always good breeze passing through
IL some OF the men, although very old, have good
memories, and are able to give an almost complete
history OF the institution during their stay. They
receive their daily rations OF tobacco and nave
| everything to make the time pass pleasantly ON
the opposite side OF the building the white fe-
males In their ward are four small children, who
nnlf nj ~
Many OF the old ladies devote almost their entire
| Time looking after the children. Three OF these
SnHfen are siscels. Ihelr mother Is now CUT az
work trying to save enough money TO obtain for
| them home.
AvKTERAN INNATE.
one OF the inmates has been in the Institution
since 1S47 the year after the institution was es-
tablished, and until two years ago she was strong
and hearty. Then she was taken sick and has
| since been unable to go about very much. She is
| now nearly eghty-four years old, and has never
| taken sick the old woman had full charge OF the
| din1ng-r0om, and she had such a good memory
that she was able not only to tell the names OF the
| inmates, out could give a complete description OF
| them shortly before her sickness a gentleman
| from Baltimore visited the Institution and In
| Quired for his son, who had been missing from
appear on the records and IL was impossible to tell
whether he mad ever been there or not, but the
| old woman remembered having waited on him. She
gave complete description OF him and told where
| In the potter'S ield his remains were inferred.
On Jno upper QO0r the COlOreu females are quar-
| tered. Their rooms are like those on the lower
| floor, and they are served In the same manner as
| the white inmates On the lower floor Is the din
! tng-room. In this room there are a number OF
tables, which are always set. The room is in
| charge OF an old woman, one OF the inmates who
| takes great pains IN seeing that each inmate Oc-
cupieS the same place at the table each meal. The
meals consist OF meats, soups, rice, oatmeal tea,
coffee and vegetables. There Is also great deal
OF u,ilk used by the old people. A large quantity
OF dried apples, pruneS, and fruits Is also used
opposite the dning-room Is the stOre-roOm, which
Is filled VIII all sorts or edtbleS Large boxes OF
tea and barrels OF coffee and sugar are piled about
the wallis while the shelves are covered with edI-
bles In smaller packages. The coffee Is purchased
| green and is roasted on the premises, and it is
therefore free IRON bread crusts rye, &C., such as
is used in many prisons. In the rear OF the main
building are the engtne-hOuse, Kitchen and bakery
WheS bread is bsSed a oven or 1eet IN
good In quality as the ordinary cheap bread sold
In grocery stores.
IN THE KITCHEN
there are several large boilers, in which most of
the cooking Is done. Barrels Of vegetables and
hundreds OF pounds OF meat are cooked daily In
this kitchen is cooked, In addition to the asylum
meals, the lood for the wOrkhOuSe prisoners. The
COOKS day Tor the prisoners begins In the after
noon, when he commences to prepare the next
mornings breakfast. The breakfast consists OF a
salt herring, ration OF bread, about ten ounces
and large tin cup Of coffee. The fish are steamed
are arranged on large table. fish Is placed in
each box and left there until the next morning,
when the bread, cut by the baker the previous
evening, is placed In the boxes, and in large boxes
they are carried across to The wOrkhOuse, where
they are distributed TO the prisoners with cup
the preparation Of the food for dt Desn
The meat Is put into the large steam
boilers and cooked Then soup is made, which
vegetables raised on the farm are used In abund-
ance. The dinner, which consists OF a piece OF
is served IN the same manner as the breaSfast ths
soup taking the place OF the coffee In serving the
meals 1t Is game or chance with the prisoner
he gets fat piece one day he has the pleasure Of
knowing that the following day he may fare bet
Ter While MS companion may fare worse. In the
evening light supper or tea and bread Is served
and at = O'Clock the prison bell is toled, at which
time the prisoner Is expected to retire or at least
cease talking.
THE OLD CoLoRED MANS HAVEN
Across the field short distance is the old maya
zine building. This Is used by the colored male
| inmates They are thirty-six In number, most Of
| them appearing TO be seventy years or older
Some OF them have been In the alms-house for
| many years. These old men have the building to
themselves, and do pretty much as they please.
| The room is very large one, and the cots are
arranged In rows on either side. Like the other
| inmates they are permitted to go about the
grounds and spend their time as best they can.
Around their building they have a garden which
they cultivate and raise vegetables to eat In adult
| ton TO those served at the regular meals. They
raise principally tomatoes and watermelOns and q
great deal OF tobacco. as they like little OF what
| low the building is the Eastern Branch, where
most OF the old men spend large portion OF their
time fishing. They have q horse and wagon In
which they drive ABOUT the grounds They have
| In their ward cooking stove on which they cook
"extraS," such as vegetables and 1sh, which they
procure themselves. These men, The superinten-
dent said, are the most grateful set OF persons he
| ever saw. They enjoy themselves every minute
In the day, and when several OF them get along
| the bank or the branch and fish they enjoy me
sport, and each Is anxious to Oulcatch the other
| and then they have ''nsn-fry." They are not a
bit OF trouble, and there is only one man In the
| ward VINO ever makes things the least disagree
able for the Others.
LIFE IN THE wORK-HOUsE.
At the wOrk-hOuse, when the visitor arrived
fifteen male prisoners had just arrived from court.
| Eleven OF them were colored. Most OF them were
old offenders aud their faces were very familiar to
| the guards. "ThiS one" said the SUPERINTENDENT
pointing to q white man, 'fs old friend He
first came here several years ago. He was an ex.
cellent worker and after he had been here several
times hated 70 lose HIM. Upon his promising 10
| do better gave him steady work and he soon
| Strengthened up. He stopped drinking and
dressed well He went along In this way for some
| time, but again he began drinking rum. Then he
| was soon discharged but IL was not many DAYS
before he returned as prisoner and did the same
work for his BOARD and lodging which he was paid
for doing the week befOre."- AS the superintend.
ent read the list OF the new arrivals ne called out
| nine names VINO were Irregular boardersn the
prisoners were marched through TO the bath.
room where they were obliged to get In
the immense tubs. The clothes they wore
| were placed In steam-chests, and were afterward
| wrapped In bundles and placed away until The
| oners were marched back to the wide CORRIDOR.
| where they We're sealed I'm A row nm woo.tan