The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-03-08


November, 1876, at the Court House and
drew lots as to the tenn each was TO serve,
resulting in Absalom Casebeer drawing the
one year term, joseph Imhof the two year
term, and Benjamin Kimmel the three year
term The first meeting Of the Directors was
held or the 9Th day OF January. ls47. David
Smith was appointed the first steward Of the
Home and served until lsi Of April. 1851.
when he was succeeded by Perry Walker,
who served until the LIST ofApril, 1855, when
he was elected Sheriff of the County. The
Directors were succeeded by Joseph Chor
penning, vice Alsalom Casebeer resigned !;
Henry Frank, Samuel viii, John Lichty,
Jacob Ankeny, Jacob Koontz. Henry J.
Heiple, Jscob Walter, Joseph Ferner. VII
liam Will, John Suder, George Zimmerman,
David Ankeny, John CuPp, George Cobaugh
and Others. each serving three years, in the
order named.
The first Treasurer appointed for the
Home was II. A. Sanner, who served for
fifteen years, most of the time gra,uitously
The regular meetings OF the Board were
fixed on the first day of each month, which
has been adhered TO ever since.
The main brick building was erected in
1883 BY John Mong, Esq, and cost So, $50 90.
II is an elegant structure, well built and to-
day is in good condition and well adapted
for the purposes for which il was built.
Thus we see at an early period in the his
tory OF the County provision was made for
her poor and destitute. From the earliest
period Of which history was known the in
junction was TO care for the poor. The
blessed Master when sojOurning among men
left an injunction as to dn,y which made so
clear, 50 imperative, as to be the final and
absolute test OF character, "Care for the
hungered, the thirsty, the stranger, the max
ed, the sick, the prisoner" All christian
people and governments since have recoguiz-
ed this vital duty and with more or less
fidelity and success have provided for its
performance. In the days of the apostles
they made voluntary division of property
and kept common stock, distributed las
every man had need" Later on there were
Dorcas Societies organized for clothing the
poor. Monasteries were built where poor
and orphaned children were carefully reared
and where the sick were loyingingly attend
ed.
Up until the reiga Of Henry VIII the poor
of England were entirely cared for by the
charity of benevolent christians. During
his reign statutes were made afFoFding com
pulsory methods providing for the poor
and impotent.
Oursystem of three Directors and manner
fearing for the poor has been modelled after
the English plan.
Pennsylvania was the first of the colonies
to make provision by statute for the care Of
her poor and so much interest havethe citi-
zens manifested in the welfare Of the desti-
tute snd afflicted, that SO perfect is her sys-
TEN and SO grand and generous are the pro-
visions Of her laws that to-day our grand
old Commonwealth stands first of ali the
States in benevolent and charitable institd-
| tions.
As early as 7th December, 1852. the As
sembly under William Penn passed law
providing for the poor, the w!dos and the
orphan. The Act Of Assembly passed in
1893, provided that public stock to defray
the necessary charges in each county be kept
on hand, and empowered justices. in emer-
gency, 10 disburse money for relief
The Constitution of 1890 ordered the Leg
islature to provide by law thees,ablishing Of
schools in such manner that the poor may
be taught gratis, which was recognized in
the law Of relief by Governor kcKean and
put in practical operation lst March, 1892
Nothing need be added to this 10 show
that the men who made such laws were in
fused by the parable Of the Good Samaritan
and the halfdeed Jew, and in answering
perfectly for all people the lawyers qaes-
ton: Who is my neighbor?"
We realize that the same question and
answer comes ringing down through the
ages the past and is as expressive Of duty
TO the poor as il was when spoken.
The Office of Director OF the poor is purely
q duty of love, besides being an ouerous and
responsible one. They are the guardians OF
our eleemosynary institutions and upon
them rests the responsibility Of making this
department OF government respectable and
successful.
We would, therefore, ask of the generous
public to spare unjust criticism before
careful investigation; too often are our pab-
lie institutions brought into disrespect by the
hRsty and sometimes malicious complaints
OF disorderly, ascending and discharged in
mates. and who are not among the deserv-
ing poor, but who come to the Home
through Incidence and are the subjects Of
deceilful, vicious and dissipsted habits, un-
grateful Of the generous provisions the Peo-
pie have msde for them. The majority and
who are Code deserving poor" are CRATE
fal for the Home prepared for them and ap-
precia,e the great and grand provisions the
law has prepared for them.
The public sentiment and sympathy have
changed very radically towards the poor.
There was time when the sentiment
Hustle his bones over the stones,
For he IS only q pauper that no one owns
voiced the sentiment of the public, but We
are happy 10 say that in this day the SYM
pathy ofthe people are averse to any senti-
ment like this, and instead, comes the in
junction to Us, " take care of the poor with
the admonition too
"spesk gently, kindly of the poor,
lie; no harsh term be heard,
They have enough they must endure
without an unkind wor ="
II has been our aim 10 make it as COM
Portable for these deserving poor as is posi-
bic without being extrasagant, and are
pleased TO know that our acts have been sE-
proved by the ciiizsns, many Of whom are
among the heaviest tax payers
The past year has been successful one at
the Homs. While nothing has happened
out ofthe ordinary routine, We have great
reason to be thankful tha: neither pestilence,
contagious disease OF accident we're visited
upon the inmates. Oar people look with
pride upon the Poor House and rejoice over
the fact that our County has advanced be-
yond many of the adjoining and other Co m
ties in the care Of her poor. The record of
visits to the Home show that many of the
prominent citizsns have visited it during the
year which is an evidence Of the interest
they have in the success oft.
The Secretary and General Agent of the
Board Of Public Charities, Hon. Cadwalader
Biddle, paid the Homea very high compli-
ment in a recent repors Of his visit, in which
he said: Somerset County has progressed
more in the care of her DOOR and the Aim.