Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1893-08-09
rNPoPULAR ORDER.
The County Court takes Aid from OUT
side Poor Must Go 10 the
Poor House.

The County Court of Jefferson county
met at the alms-house last week and elect
ed Mr.. Heidwhol superintendent OF that
institution, in place of Mr.. Littleton, who
recently died. Mr.. Heidwhol is son-iu-
law of Mr.. Littleton, and has been living
there for a long time. Consequently there
will be but little change in the excellent
management of the aims house.
An order was passed by the court that
hereafter no aid is to be extended to out
side poor no help given to any person
unless that person will go to the aims
house. This order is regarded by many
persons as a penny wise and pound foolish
policy. 1t costs, according to the most ac-
curate estimates that have been furnished
the court, about sixty dollars year to sup
port an inmate of the alms-house. There
are a number Of pensioners outside that in
stitution who have been helped by the
county at half that sum and less than half.
The order has created great deal of in
dignation in Shepherdstown. In this place
there are two worthy persons who have
been receiving aid from the county, one
thirty and the other fifteen. These modest
sums, with what they have been able to
earn and the help given them by friends,
have suficed to keep them comfortably out
side the alms-h house. John Lamb, one of
the pensioners, has been getting S2 90 q
month from the county. He is totally
blind, and of coarse unable to earn his liv'
ing, although he does all he can to help.
Whatever has been lacking has been cheer
fully contributed by the people Of Shop
herdstown. Now that county aid is with
drawn he would have to go to the poor
house unless his friends here make it up
This, of course, they will do. He is an
humble Christian man, worthy of aid from
any source, and if the county refuses to
help him our people will take all the bur
den on themselves. The other case referred
10 is also meritoriOus. The court should
congratulate itself that it has been doing
what charity demanded for $40 year,
when if these persons had been compelled
to go to the alms-hopse the cost would have
been Sl2O. Does it congratulate itself that
it will escape these just burdens altogether
by sadding them on some one else?
Mr. G. T. Licklider, the excellent over
seer of the poor in this district has also
been able, by judicious help to the needy,
during the winter months especially, to tide
over difficulties with a few dollars that
would otherwise have compelled persons to
go to the alms-house and become, perhaps,
permanent paupers upon the county,
This has happened time and again. The
withdrawal of such aid is most unpopular
measure-uot to those who have received
it, particularly, but to those who will have
additional burdens placed upon them both
as tax payers and as charitable persons.
Ii will be remembered that last year the
court refused to employ physicians to the
poor at the yearly salary Of S25, preferring
to pay stated bills when medical attention
was given to paupers. We don't know
whether that has proved a saving of money
or not, but we do know that in Shepherds
town one case alone has cost the county Sl7
and a physician is still attending the same
sick person. The bill will doubtless reach
S25-enough to have paid the salary of
physician for whole year for one district.
-,Shep. Register.