The daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1889-1890, 1889-12-01
COUNTY CHARITIES.
a Strong Letter from Capt. II. w.
Patton.

Editor Citizen The following letter
affords proof most satisfactory and graf
flying, that public interest is being
awakened to the condition of the iailS.
aims houses, asylums and other institu-
tons in North Carolina. 1t is my belief
that in no other State is more care OBJ
served in these matters than i'll this, and
in no other county are they managed
with more care than i'll Buncombc; but
vet it is a ways wise to keep public at
tentiOn directed towards them, both as a
safeguard against future miSmanage
mcnt, and in order that faithful officials
may be accorded the credit they deserve ::
for these reasons we are glad to display
this letter in your columns.
OFFICE BOARD OF PUBLIC CHARITIES
RALEIGH. n. c., November 10, I
Jas. p. Sawyer, Esq, Ashcvile, n. {.
Dear Slr:-Enclosed please find copies
of questions for investigation of Jail an0
poOrhOuse ot Buncombc county.
On the md instant we made an inspec.
ton of the North Carolina Insane Asv-
lum, and on the 9th, an inspection OF
Wake county jail.
have succeeded in getting good deal
when the material is in hand hope t.
make a satisfactory report. | trust all
our reports may approach in iullness
and accuracy your admirable paper OF
the Western Insane Asylum. Dr. Hay
wood has made a thorough inspection ui
the deaf and dumb institute, and we g
in a few days to visit the workhouSc.
Please return papers if practicable, on
or before November 80. Yours very
truly. {. b. DENSoN, Secretary.
In response to this Mr.. Sawyer, ac
c"mpanicd by Mr. ]. L. Rankin, who lor
many years has filed most acccptabIy,
the responsible position OF chairman OF
county commissioners, on Thanksgiving
lay visited and inspected both the aims
house ard Jail, and found and reported
each to be IN 4 most satisfactory COndi-
ton. We are NOT at all surprised Il this
well knowing that the present board OF
commissioners are faithful to every duty,
but wc regret that these two gentleman
should not have extended their tour, and
have added an equally satisfactory re
po,t of our workhousc, hospital, retreat
tor homeless children and destitute wo-
men.
No one doubts the absolute cimportanc
of these things, one and all, and if We
can suggest a plan by which they can b,
oh aimed, and too, easily within reach OF
our finances, then we may hope that
these suggestions will at least be favor
ably considered by the county commits
SiOncrS at their next meeting.
t. begin with the hospital, it is al
ready established, admirably managed
and conducted, and so far has proved
itself not only useful but entirely essen
tral. SO that the commissioners should
adopt it as a county institution and thus
ecl authorized to visit, examine and re-
port ON its condition. To Go this they
need not contribute any more to it's sup
port than they have wisely done for years
past. No expenditure of money has or
can be made more judicious, or which
viii more ccrtainly Y win public approv J
ii its working can he made known by
such inspection and report.
Having already the hospital seems to
us to open the way to obtain both Il
workhouse and founding asylum. Ii
is perhaps known to you, that some three
years ago, two gentleman bought the
Hawlcy property and turned it over to
the ladies for a hospital, with the only
condition that these ladies should pro.
vide the purchase money. This they
have been able i'll part to accomplish
a balance OF about So, 800 being vet I'M
paid, and secured by mortgage of prop
rrty. We consider this property now
fairly worth So. 1000. Our suggestion is
that the commissioners buy this property
as it now stands tor SO, 1000. This sum
can bc borrowed on county paper for any
length of time at eight, and possibly at
six per cent interest. After paving off
the mortagc Of SO 800, there will remain
Sc, 500; one half of this | suggest shall
he expended for building a hospital on
the lot which has been SO generously do
mated by Captain and Mrs. J. L. Ray.
The remaining half will erect a work
house on the present hospital lot, and
the present building can be utilized most
advautagcOusly for purposes of a found,
liHg asylum; thus with an annual cX-
pcuuiturc vi 5000 or at most $500 of in.
tcrrst, the county can get ownership ot
property worth $4,000 and establish
these three charities, the Importance o
which is universally acknowledged, and
need not bc discussed.
The excellent ladies who are now the
| board of managers should be continued
as such, and recognized as the author
izcd agents Of the commissioners; PLACED
in charge of all of these institutions, re
porting their actions each month to tn,
! board OF commissioners and receiving
/ their instructions.
1t surely is needless to occupy YOU
space or the time of your readers to prov,
/ that this expenditure will save ten times
the amount both directly and indirectly
/ to the county treasury, besides freeing
Eour community from the evil of vagrarcv
which is such terrible and growing
r w PATTON