The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-03-15

Z
We. also. submit AZ account Of the repairs
made. description Of buildings erected dur
ing the year, condition Of the farm, prodaots
of tbe same. materials made and msnuiact-
urel. improvements made or added, together
with g short history Of the House Of En-
plovment, q. well as ali other items which
NAV be- OF interest 10 the Court, Grand Jary
ard the Pable.
All Of which Is respectfully submitted and
certified this 3lst day Of December, 1892.
IN submitting this annual report the Di-
rec.ors herewith givea short history Of the
Home. believing th.. IL viii be OF inieres; TO
the citizens.
TIE House Of Z nployment Of Somerset
Cs11.y was inc3rp3rssei by Ao; Of Assem-
b.y approved l5-a April. 1873. The bill Tor
iuoonlrl,ins 10 int a Lax vas drsEa by
Hon. Isaac Hugus. and was presented and
alFocllsl before the legislature By Hon
john T. Ellie who was the member from
this county. Both o. Il Sc gentlemen have
since passed 10 taeir faal rest. The con-
mfssionen named 30 the bill to select site
and purchase a suitab.e farm were George
Walker. Samuel Miller John Hanna, Peter
Putnam, David Lsvzn, John Hoffman, Ben
jsmin K.mmsi. George Chorpsnnins and
Joseph Miller.
Tie Act Of l3-h March, 1876, extended the
time f11 Tie establishing Of the Home for
one year. TIE election submitting the ques-
tion 10 the people whether they wanted 70
erect House q Employment OF no, wss
held on the l4-h dayo O-tober, ls45 and
carried BY saail msjority Of the voters of
the County The present poor farm was
selected and purchased by the commission
ers named from George Chorpening at 81
800. In the fall Of 1876 the House Of En-
ployment was opened and all persons sup
ported and maintained By the townships
under the overseer system were ordered to
be brought 20 the Home.
At the general election held the 18th day
of October, 1916 AhsalOm Casebser, Joseph
Imhof aud Benjamin Kimmel were elected
Directors Of the Poor; who, according to
The Act Of Assembly, met on the "a day oi
November, 1876, at the Court House and
drew lots as 10 the term each was 10 serve,
resulting in Absalom Casebeer drawing the
one year term, joseph Imh0f the two yeal
term, and Benjamin Kimmel the three year
term. The first meeting Of the Directors ws'
held on the oh day Of January. 1917. David
Il, 80 O.,
Home and served until Isl Of April. 1851
when he was succeeded By Perry Walker,
who served until the 1st Of April, 1855, wher
he was elected Sheriff Of the County. The
Directors were succeeded by Jos,ph Chor
penning, vice Alsalom Case5eer resigned
Henry Frank, Samuel VIII, John Lichty
jacob Ankeny, Jacob Kooniz. Henry ].
Hsiple, jacob Walter, Joseph Ferner. VIII
liam VII. John Suder, George Zimmerman
David Ankeny, John CuPp, George Cobaugt
snd Others, each serving three years, in tbs
order named.
The first Treasurer appointed fOc th
Home was N. A. Sanner, who served fol
fifteen years, most ofthe time gratuitously
The regular meetings OF the Board wer,
fixed on the irst day Of each month, whic!
has been adhered 10 ever since.
The main brick building Was erected il
1888 By John Mong, Esq, and cost s, 800 90
Il Is an elegant structure, well built and TO
day IS in good condition and well adapte,
for the purposes for which i wss built.
Thus we see az an early period in the his
tor oF tba Count ,,-,r-ss1-, ,-,s r--,1- &,
her poor and destitute. From the earlies
period Of which history was known the in
junction was 10 care fBr the poor. tn
blessed Master when soiourHiug among mel
left an Injunction as 70 duty which made S,
clear, So imperative rs to be the final an,
a5soia.s test Of characie- Care for th,
hungeTed, the thirsty, the stranger, the max.
ed the sick the prisoner" All christian
people snd governments since have recogniz
ei This vita, duty and with more or les
fidelity and success have provided for it
performance. in the days Of the apostle
tney uiads voluntary division Of property
ana kept a common stock. distributed "a.
c-ery man had aeeL" Later on there wer,
D-rels Societies oFganiz@j for clothing th'
poor Monas;eries were baslt where poor
and orphaned children were carefully reares
and where The sick were Iovingingiy attend
ed
Up ulGl the reign Of Henry VIII the poo
Of England were entirely cared for BY tbs
charity Of benevolent christians. Durin.
his reign statutes were made afforiing com
polsoy me,hois Providing for the poo
aad imp1tsnt.
olrsysiem Of th-ee Directors and manner
ofcAnng fJr poor has been modelled aftei
tie English plan.
Pennsylvania was the frst Of the oolouie.
10 make provision by statute for the care o
her poor and 50 much interest have the citi
zsns manifested in the welfare Of the des;i
tGie and afflicted, that 50 perfect Is her sys
te,a and 50 grand and generous are the pro
visions Of her laws that to-dsy our grand
old Commonwealth stands 6-si Of all ID.
Siales in benevoien; and Charitable iasiitu
tions
As early as 7th December, 1852. the As
sCm5ly under William Penn passed a Law
providing fJr the Poo-, the widow and IA,
orphan. The Act Of Assembly passed i,
l68. provided that public stock 70 defra,
the Necessary charges in each county be KEEP
on hand. snd empowered justices. in emer
geaey, 70 disburse money for relief
The Constitution Of 1870 ordered the leg
isistu7e 20 provide BY law theesiablishing o
scboo-s IN such manner that the poor ma,
be 'ausht gTslis which was recognized Il
tae isS ofreiief by Governor NcKean ans
put in practical operation lst March. 1852.
Nothing need be added 10 this 70 show
that the men who made such laws were in
fused by the parable ofthe Coed Samaritan
and the hzlf1esd Jew, and in answering
perfectly for ali people The Lawyers ques
ton; Wbois my neighbor?n
We reziize thar ihe same question an,
answer cones ringing down through Ii,
ases ofthe pass and IS as expressive Of dur,
20 the poor IS il Vas when spoken.
The Office Of Director Of The poor is pure,
duiy Of love, besides being an onerous an,
responsible one. They are the guardians o
our e.eesnosynary Institutions ard uDo7
them resis the responsibility Of making ,bi
department Of government respee.able an,
successful.
We would, thereio7e, AK Of the genersa
patlic 10 spaae unjust criticism befsse
60. -