St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-07-23
MA.KES FLESH CREEP.
-sport Of a Medical Inspector
on BoWker'S Home for
Friendless.
What a Globe Reporter Yes
terday Saw and Felt for
Himself.
Tonight's Republican Prinlar-
les VIII Be Tame and One
sided.
Buxton in Charge Of the
Treasury Commercial
Club Business.

Rev. Bowker and his Home for the
triendleSS have stood The brunt of many
trials and accusations, but never before
las the phllanthrOpic manager had SO
heavy cross to bear as now. The
GLOBE of yesterday morning contained
an account Of an investigation made of
the Home by al inspector of the health
department. Dr.. c. A. McCoilom, who
made the inspection rendered his report
to Health Commissioner Kelly, yester-
day. This report is very interesting
from Zolacsque point Of view and it is
also instructive, for it opens the way
for new industry. 1t is given below:
Il have this day made inspection of
1854 Harriet avenue known rs "Home
for the Friendiess," j. ii. Bowker, man
ager; Miss j. Armstrong, matron; Miss
Peterson, secretary, and five inmates
aged Is, II, IL. So and 2 years. House
is furEace-heated, has bath room, with
bowl and tub, and sink in kitchen, with
cesSpool connection. Cellar damp and
musty. Wall shows moldy fringe in
places where surface water has soaked
in. Ordered cellar door opened to allow
free access OF air and sunlight. Pool of
stagnant water within - feet of house
on south SIDE; another Oh northwest
side about 100 feet away, and still an
northeast. The water supply is from
well which must be par
TALLY supplied by drainage from these
pools. I he barn is dirty in the ex-
IRENE. Privy adjoining foul. Walls of
hen house and seat and walls of privy
vault covered with chicken lice and the
children have carried them into the
house. The beds examined with two
exceptions had on the sheets numbers
OF the insects. After making the in
spection had 70 remove three of them
from my person.
A GLOBE reporter called at the home,
1854 Harriet avenue, yesterday after
noon and asked TO see Phiianthropist
Bowker. He was not at home a little
girl said. "Re was down town lookIn'
fer orphings." Miss Josephine Arm
strong, the matron who preferred the
charges against Rev. Bowker. was at
home, however. and she very gladly dis
played the premises to the reporter.
The reporter found everything as the
medical inspector had reported, and is
willing to take his oath that the place is
swarming with chicken lice: for he car
ried away a lot Of them in his clothing.
The reverend OWNS number OF fat
chickens, who paraded up and down
before the reporter, scratching the dirt
and their backs in the most edifying
fashion. A big white hen Jumped upon
the veranda where the reporter and the
matron were seated and began to cackle
Look out for Your Clothes" cried
Miss Josephine.
1t was too late, however, for some
three dozen of the friSky little fellows
had deserted their mater and landed Oh
the scribe s shirt and collar. i big dog
lay tossing about on the grass in very
fever of agony, begging anybody and
everybody to scratch his back and re-
licve him.
You can see for Yourself how things
are" remarked Miss Josephine. The
nasty things are all over the house.
Ny body is literally covered with them.
Now, for instance, here is one of the
things on my dress" and suiting the
action to the word she held aloft one of
the squirting fellows for the reporters
inspection.
Yes" shouted one of the little girl
inmates of the home, land here's four
more. Pearl just found 'em ON her
dress"
Sure enough Pearl had found four
more and like a dutifui little girl she
brought them over and showed them to
lIt illUtIOil. L cdIl Is q DIdck HAIRED
waif who has been at the Home for sew
eral weeks past. She says she likes it
very much except that she can't sleep
on account of the lice. In truth the
place is literally infested with the YER
min and all the inmates seem to suffer
from them save the Rev: Bowker him
self. They don't seem TO bite Bowker
he matron says she complained to
Bowker about the way things were go
ing, but he paid no attention to her.
Yesterday morning. however. after she
had made her complaint 10 the health
board lie took brush ana pail and gave
the dirty little chicken house a coat of
white wash. The Home itself is in
very bad neighborhoOd as far as health
is concerned. 1t is bounced on the south
by a big pool of staenant water, smell
ling worse If anything than the once
famous HOag'S lake: on the north by
another f0ul-Smellng body of water; on
the west by barn almost hidden 10y
Swill and manure piles. and Oh the east
by a small lawn. Taking it all in all.
Rev. Buwker'S place is not exactly Ar
cadia, though it might he made great
deal more pleasant for the ''friendless''
If liberal quantities of elbow grease
were applied.
The health board has given instruc-
llOiS tDut lllC ClliCkGHS must Ue
even though it sears and scars Rev.
Bowker's heart. Tie back yard and
barn will also have to be cleaned up
while the inmates will be treated to
baths and rubbed with a solution of
corrosive sublimate. Miss Armstrong
says that she will be satisfied if tie
place is only made clean. though
there are number of other
matters she would like TO see righted.
For instance. she says it would be de-
sirable to have Rev. Bowker be a little
more prompt and regular in bringing
food supplies to the house. He has
charge Of the larder. but does not keep
1t supplied as we'll as he might. Miss
Armstrong is employed by the Home
for the FriendIess association, and is,
therefore. in a way, Independent OF the
high n.ogul, Manager Bowker. She
says that unless there is decided
change in the methods of managing the
home she will leave or cause Rev. Bow
ker to vacate his Office. Tie building is
the property of the reverend, and he
gives it up to benevolent usages be
cause he can do nothing else with itand
because he secures for himself salary
nc p,anarar Of his own houCp