Great Falls weekly tribune., 1895-08-09
'ASCADE COUNTY POOR HOUSE
law the Poor Are Cared For Under
the New System Of County
Control.
+ Is Cheaper as Well as Better Than
the Contract What
the Figures Show.

Cascade county is unique among all
he counties in the state in one respect
+ least She is the only county in the
tate that cares for its poor and sick
ithout the intervention of the poor
Iouse contractor. The change was
made about April 1894, and since that
ime the county, through their repre-
entative Auditor Beachley, have taken
direct charge of the poor house. The
new system has now been in operation
ong enough to be able to make a fair
comparison between the old system and
with this object 10 view a TRIbuNE re-
porter paid visit the other day to the
county poor hourse, about two miles up
the Missouri river. 1t is q large and
handsome brick structure, three stories
high. and surrounded by a garden Of
about five acres of land. The reporter
WAS shown over the structure and
grounds by superintendent johnson and
the county auditor. Everything about
the building was as neat and clean
as any private residence in the city, and
. considering the fact that Mrs. johnson
has no help except that afforded by the
. inmates. the condition of the kitchen
| and the whole building certainly reflects
great credit on the housekeeping virtues
( of the matron. The largest number in
the poorhouse at any one time during
the past year has been 2G, although at
present there is not nearly that number.
The building is capable Of accommodate
ing good many more by filling up the
third story with beds. but at present the
upper story is little used. The bed
straCts are all single and Of IRON and
there are several of them in each Of the
rooms, as many as five in the largest.
The reporters visit was entirely uneX-
pcctetl and he was permitted to wander
all over the house and talk with inmates
at will. There was only one story told
by the paupers and that was that they
were we'll fed and treated well in every
iNSIllAl' AD'jll4N VI tilN cl't iit'.ll w ii'
had been in the house under
tie old contract system declared that
the improvement wac very marked, both
in the food they received and the cloth
| ing and care given tho inmates since the
county took charge. They milk at pres
/ ent four COWS and have more milk and
cream than they know what TO do with
just now, the matron remarked. All the
inmates have all the rich sweet milk
they will drink any time they wish it.
When the reporter entered pail full of
iced lemonade stood at the doorway aud
the inmates came in from working 10 the
garden and helped themselves. sample
convinced the reporter that 1t was no
circus lemonade either. The garden is
one of the features of the place. Every
inch Of the ground is utilized and little
pats are given ont to a number of the
inmates for their own use and they a 9
permitted to raise what they please
on it for the use of the inmates. The
result is that there is great rivalry
among them as to who shall have the
best garden and some of the old men
tend their little patch assiduously.
About every vegetable ever heard OF is
growing in these patches, including
watcrnclons and ntlstmelons, that have
not much chance OF ripening this back
ward season, but are tended with the
greatest care in the hope that they may
mature before Jack Frost comes. There
are enough potatoes under cultivation to
provide the house for year. and The
same statement is true Of onions, turnipH,
cabbage and many other vegetables.
Six me porkers are fattenlng in thelr
pens and Will provue pork for the poor