The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-06-01
CARING FOR THE POOR
The County Farm Now Almost
Supports Itself.
A WILD WASTE MADE FERTILE.
Abundant Crops and Increasing Herds
Furnish Food to the County's
Wards New Hospital.

The county farm. situated on the Du-
vanish river, some four miles south of the
city's center. is at present an interesting
sight. with its nearly one hundred acres OF
rich aiiuviai soil all under cultivation ana
about ready TO yield one of the richest
crops of fruit. vegetables and cereals ever
raised in King county within the same
acreage. The new county hospital. with
its unequalled appointments. supplied all
the labor for the farm. and every patient.
whenever fit 10 do so. is compelled to con-
tribute his quota of labor TO the develop
ment of the farm If only for one hour a
day, and the result is that the county hos
pital and farm comes pretty near being
self-sustaining. as shown by the books OF
the institution and the reports in the coun-
~ commissioners offices: and IL is safe to
say that a continuance of the same care
and management that now prevail will
see the institution entirely self-sustaining
within year or so.
Mr.. Parkhurst. superintendent of the
farm. has accomplished wonders during
the short time of his rule. He found the
best part of the farm in most deplorable
condition. The so-calIed lowlands. a Pc
ninsula surrounded by the Duwamish,
were flooded every year until they were
nothing but mud fats These Mr.. Park
hurst diked. cleared and ditched. and a
great part of them is now planted in oats
cattle. To Mrs. Parkhurst is dut~nuch OF
the credit of the successful ma ragement
of the farm house. its kitchenOn nd the
dairy, the more so as she receives no COM
pensation for her extra labors. Then there
are Al Nailor, the farmer; r. Johnson, the
milkman. both with hard work and small
salaries. besides ]. Bishop and c. Morris
who have worked hard and steadily for
many years for merely their board.
The old hospital building now used to
lodge the men who work on the farm. is
in the center of the farm under cultiva-
ton. and is in charge of A w. Parkhurst
A fine crop of hay will be ready for cutting
July |. About fifteen acres of rye is now
ready for cutting Twenty-Five acres were
recently sown to oats seven acres are
planted in peas for cattle, and are well ad-
vanced. There are some sixteen acres in
potatoes that have furnished such an
abundance that hundreds of bushels have
been given for seed to the people working
vacant lots on the Pingree plan. The new
crop will be ready this month Beside
these, there are many varieties OF yege-
tables growing. including small fruit and
berries. The old orchard promises big
yield in apples, pears, plums and peaches.
principally apples. Seventy-five new fruit
trees set out around the old building will
begin to bear this year The new build
ing has about six acres of ground sur
rounding il in close cultivation This is in
charge of a. A. Osborn. who is rapidly in
creasing the acreage and raising all and
more of the vegetables that can possibly
be used in the new hospital This en-
braces peas, beans, potatoes. corn. lettuce
radishes. spinach, heets onions. includ-
ing raspberries and straw berries The
farm, old and new, is bounded on all sides
by the snake-like bends of the Duwau,ish
river. and affords many varied bits of seen
cry that would delight the eye of an artist.
The stock farm is another snteseei. ing
and pr'olIc tive feature of the rs2ce ar,oa,nd
the old husdhrag. Fifteen COWS furnish all
the milk and taruteT used for the severity
five Ta'neTBtss and employees OF THE instJ.u-
ucsn, and leaves Gnargan for the market
The herd cortRdns several llebfeg-s and che
bun. The ldi1teT ard several OF the COWS
are Registered and IL is the expeaaalLl,g
of the comm isSiof1egSs I'm time ID have a
complete Registered herd There are FIVE
horses used for farming and hau!fnag gro
cer'Sess and rafitaB;s from town. A tir1os-e Of
af'cst forty hoe's. obi and yoir.rg promises
10 furnish an the meat that can tbt. used
THERE, and as the place has a srmckehoaIse
the meat Is dressed and cured on fine
promises About 100 chickens furnish all
the eggs and meat necessary for the pa
Gielgts. and this brood is made Il, fflcs-e.Tse
every year.
About twenty of the paitierts are lstHi-
zed In and about the hospital 20 keen the
farm IN crSfer and about five Of eg1ere hive
pelrn1an entity IN the old building None of
These receive pay so that the ongy rl,eql on
sahary are the Supe~intcnients. Parkhul7st
and Osborn. and thesr head man. Albert
Mayor In fact, the ostly plid egnrroyes
about the hospital beside these men are
DR.. Whiting. the essgafeer the book keeper
the cook. one female and two male nurses
The nssw cemetery or T.c'tter's field. ccrn-
menced about two years ago. CcVtgs two
acres on the eNtTSuTle south end OF the
farm. This already contains a2ooTst l00
rofitesS. lrd>fIifIrg all The victims of vioesrh
DEATHS 81 known and unknown parties
whose regn AIRS were viewed by the ccwyD-
ner and ordered buried here at she expense
Of i11e Ccelr8y Many ''ioateq-s'' whose I'M
recognizable forms were given tip by the
waters of the Sound lie buried here VIII
the simple inscription Unknown mark
ing laeir last resting place. A painfully
large number OF small graves of babes
,s r7le sad evitierrce 81 ERhuran mothers.
one large grave bears a heaGFrcard with
the name OF Tltodres Blanck. the Noted
st,esy1ss,atbo W13o 3sS-ef ami died ny the
''gnrn" In fasu. a large number Of the
heassrcaaN3s Over tlniS ARMY Of paaaper dead
bears sc1ne mark that recalls a history
~ c~r-srrss ard vzolrw~~e.
The cd Ceu1av-ry. embracing about one
acre 81 e-rotsnd. lses nos-h ~ aEld near the
,saw f1oSTstal. hirt y no longer USED. II
contains a.toasi 10 todiss Though not all
rattr~es as formerly. ard ,Fp 70 v@;hin
four years aE7o 81 was she burial phase Cf
many YrSyeatsa families Hvglg IN t9laf So
trceq - the ,scairsE-y. ore ~ these graves
,s,ryfssG7s tlla rernaArAs Of the FIRST wife If
Csoufs-1- TIVsaslIrer Maple. II was also n
gfFfs ~ chat the fhree men who wee
I,--s-lazi IN iSSe were hurried ard rece0tsy
sFsstz.s- e.rT~e' The county C'1.-rr-. sSsDNe~s
have for uvO or fNrs~a vese-s trb.e5wfed ls..1-
iZiT,g ms land for fasvrs1s< purposes. "a
y Is among ~ ITs9heg. 81 the tract. Ow-
irs~ - hard times sg1d Ire expense nsces-
st7v fos~ g'srrs1H-s}g rile tsCS.es tire wcgk has
9,el tiescrrS-1 kIt 4 - t4le sn e.rs, 1 - O.
thss as soon as T,oezSstshe.
Res~er~7y the r>ogzgtv cleared about Eve
acres more on the north end Of the tract
77saror he CITY and this - fers1si in and
planted IN peas for cattle food
l..