Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-01
OUR CITY EXPLORERS
Return Hot, Tired and Dusty From a
Hunt for a Poor Farm Site.
ONE LOCATION FILLS THE BILL
No Decision to be Made Until After a
Rigid Investigation.
GOING UP THE YOUGHIoGHENY TO-DAY

Diogenes' search for an honest man could
not have been half so tiring as the Depart
ment of Awards hunt for a Poor Farm site.
The champion pessimist of any age or
weight is represented as conducting his
quest by the light of lantern, and there.
fore it is fair to presume that he waited for
the cool of the evening. But the members
| of the Department of Awards 60 forth on
their explorations In the heat of the day,
! and return to town footsore and dusty from
clambering over rocks and tramping along
dirt roads, through brake and fen and
across sunburnt fields.
Yesterday the party consisted of Mayor
Gourley, Chiefs Brown, Bigelow and
Elliot, Controller Morrow, Colonel j. w.
Echols and Mr.. II. s. A. Stewart. The
two latter gentlemen went along to point
out the beauties of their respective farms
and their availability for Poor Farm sites.
Both gentlemen bear the reputation of being
experts in the art of lingual decoration, and
it is said that their efforts in that direction
yesterday were undoubtedly up to the high
standard set by them for themselves.
IT WOULD NOT SUIT.
The Echols property was the first visited.
1t is about three miles above the workhouse.
The city is offered anywhere from 300 to 400
acres at $500 an acre. The farm consists of
20 acres of bottom land, which is submerged
by every spring freshet, and the balance
consists OF heavily wooded hillside, with
the exception of one open field on the sum-
NIT of ridge. The sense of the party of
inspection was that this property was not
suitable for Poor Farm site.
Colonel Echols, who is nothing if not
philosophical, then and there challenged
the Mayor to trial of skill in pitching quoits.
The Mavor is lust q little deft himself at
this game, and accepted the gage. At the
most exciting point OF the game, when the
Colonel was exerting himself to the utmost,
there was an ominous snap, followed by the
sound of tearing cloth. The Colonel, who
was wearing a sack coat, was forced to bor
row the Mayors long-tailed Prince Albert
to 60 nome in.
The party next went to the n. s. A. Stew
art farm at Parnassus. The property is
held at 500 an acre. 1t is located on
plateau 80 feet above the river 'front.' The
entire party were captivated by its appear
ance, and the Mayor, after his return home,
said that it he was wealthy he would own
the place within "a hours for the simple
pleasure of living on such beautiful farm.
IT FILLS THE BILL.
Mayor Gourley thinks it would be diff
cult to find better site for the Poor Farm
and comply with the provisions OF the
ordinance. The question of price, however,
is one to which the Mayor will
give careful consideration. Yesterday he
received a letter from ex-JudgeJ. B. Neel, Of
Kittanlng, offering farm of 400 acres ad-
joining Parnassus at S400 per acre. This
offer cannot be considered for two reasons.
One is that the land does not front on the
river, and the other is that the bid should
have been made to the Department OF
Awards with the others.
Chief Brown thinks very highly of the
Stewart farm, and says it is tine most suit
able property yet visited. Controller Nor
row takes the same view, but neither gentle
man is prepared to consider the question of
price until after further examination.
Tomorrow visit will be made to a farm
up the Youghiogheny, and this will COM
plete the tour of inspection.