The daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1889-1890, 1889-08-11
BUNCOMBE PAUPERS.
WELL. FED, WELL. ATTENDED,
AND WELL. HOUSED,


Located i'll the southwestern portion
of the city and adjoining the corporate
limits OF the suburban village ofVictoria,
is long row of low, substantial build
InEs, forming three sides of a square.
The buildings are comparatively new,
and appear to have been eXcelcntIy con-
Structed. They are plain and neat and
III and about the porchcs and grounds
surrounding the place. quite number of
aged and decrcpit people are grouped
about. Some walk with difficulty, using
sticks or crutchcs, while others set i'll
low chairs, or on stools, unable to move
from sheer physical exhaustion or broken
or dctormed limbs, while still Others Law
stretched upon clean beds, in neat and
chccry rooms, suffering from diseases
from which they cannot possibly hope to
recover, owing to extreme old age, and
the incurableness Of their maladies.
The buildings above mentioned repre-
sents the aims house or poor house of
BuncOmbc, and the people, THE CITIZEN
is now talking about, are the unfortunate
poor OF the county, unable to take care
of themselves in their declining years
and forced to rely upon the common
charity OF the people, taxed for their
maintenance and support. 1t is a small
tax and is cheertully paid by the people.
The management of the poor house is
vested i'll the Board of Commissioners of
the county, and is most Crcditabc and
satisfactory, indeed. The physician to
the poor is Dr. II. b. Weaver, who is also
county superintendent OF health. The
matron Of the house is Mrs. Bickcrstah,
and a most competent official she is.
At present there are about thirty-tive
inmates under her charge, the sexes be
ing about evenly divided. The average
age of these people is about fifty years.
while in one or two instances, some Of
the paupcrS have passed the three-score
mile and ten years of life. One or two
more of these uniortunates are young in
wears, suffering from inherited diseases,
or rendered helpless for life by accident
or deformity of limbs, in some cases
dating from birth.
All of them complain of physical trout
, bles, and all of them are real sufferers to
, a greater or lesser extent. OF the all
mcnts that atilict the poor i'll the aims
house, Dr. Weaver mentioned to the re-
/, porter a few, such aStuberCulosis, chronic
rheumatism, epilepsy, paralysis Of the
+ nerves, general physical exhaustion in
cidcnt to extreme old age, dropsical
diseases in their varied complications, etc.
In many, if not entirely, all otthcse cases,
a permanent cure can never be effected,
and the only relief the patients find is of
y a temporary character.
No county in North Carolina has done
more or is doing more for its unfortu-
II nate poor than Buncombc, and THE
= CITIZEN doubts very much if there can be
e found in the whole State an almshouSc
/ that is better managed or kept i'll a
cleaner, neatcr and better general Sani-
h tarv condition than ours. Each room is
+ lathcd and plastcrcd, supplied with per.
4 feet ventilation, clean beds and bed
ID clothing, CRATE in every fireplace, the
floors secured almost to whitcncSs itself
c, and the grounds surrounding in a well
cr drained and perfectly clean condition
~ The water used on the place is from {
st wells sweet, pure, cool and sparkling
T. and the supply incXhaustible.
4 large farm and garden adjoins th'
=, almshousc, and from these the table i
Y abundantly supplied with all kinds q
a. vegetables in season. Besides vegetables
-, there are always fresh meats, such a
II beef, mutton, pork, chickens, etc, scrvc
:; III nice shape and in the greatest quar-
titv. Cows furnish sufficient supply {
milk for cooking, medical and other pun
poses, and altogether the BuncOmll
by paupers set down to feast three time
l' each day All of them say they are We
'h fed and could not wish for any improve
a' mcnt in that quarter. The cost of keel
Z" ing paupcr. as we have described abov
III is about four dollars per head a mont
Try There is no waste of anything owing
IL! the matron's superior methods of ma,
arc agcmcnt, and everything sent to the i
Inc stitutun is strictly and satistaCtori
"" ~ Dr. Weaver, the physician in charge,
almost a daily visitor at the almshous
His duties are onerous and rcspOnSib
' and his performance of them has gain
for him the respect and confidence of t
commissioners and the people. He vis
" each ward, examines each patient, 4
IL swcrs a Thousand and one question
Il. writes the necessary prescriptions, a
.om is v,ry kind to the poor under his ca
lvs: He also inSpectS the wards and premi
lck at each visit, and is alywas vigilant Il
was attentive He looks out for the welt;
r-rI of the poor and the interests of the t.
two pavCr at the same time, and comes
was near as it is possible to come, i'll dol
anu cvcu-handcd justice to all concerned.
! h,, Chairman Rankin, of the Board
and Commissioners, is also frequent visi
rev to the aims house, looking after
Loss wants of it's inmates and seeing t
everything goes right out there.
Take it US it stands to-day, Buncor
has cause to be proud of the institut
; she has erected for her poor and az
and the officers her Board of Cou
Commissioners has selected to CON
> and direct its affairs. They canno