The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-03-17

the farm, products OF the same, materi-
ais made and manufactured, improve
ments made or added, together with a
short history Of the House of Employ
ment, and all other items which may
be Of interest TO the Court, Grand Jury
and the public: all of which is respect
fully submitted and certified this 81
day Of December, A. ID. 1896.
Jacob McCregor,
Attest: = William Dull,
j. +. Weimer, Harrison GOhn,
Clerk. Dir's of the Poor.
We herewith submit TO your Honor
able Court and Grand Jury the 47th
annual report of the House of Employ
nent OF Somerset county.
Another year has been numbered
with the past; TO some it has been a
year of disappointment and failure, and
to Others full of pleasure and success.
How well We have filled the high Of
flee intrusted 10 US and what success
we have made in the distribution Of
your charities, you must judge; but
whether ii meets with approval or not
sufficient TO say We have conscientious
~ endeavorcd to faithfully discharge
the OnerOus duties of the office "a Di-
rectOrs of the Poor.
Charity and the dispensing of it is
one of the leading problems of the day.
We are 20 thoroughly the creatures Of
circumstances and environment that
our very thoughts rs well a our lives
are governed thereby. The person who
has only known a life of ease and lux
ury, and has never come i'm contact
with the actual suffering and distress
of the poor, can not possibly know
their needs. Neither can such person
agree with the poor in their ideas as TO
the best method of ameliorating their
condition Oreradicating the evils which
have served TO produce the existing
conditions.
Charity is the impulse of generous
mind, and while the people in general
are willing, Yea anxious that suitable
provisions be made for the IJoo-. they
are not in sympathy with those who
labor and give their time and best en-
ergies to care for and relieve them for
a mere pittance, but are prone to criti-
else and even repeat stories that, per-
chance, have been spread 10y an un-
grateful and debased and absconded
pauper. They forget the true meaning
Of charity, the impulse of generous
mind, which thinketh no evil, doeth
no evil, but whose heart and hand are
open TO the care and protection of their
fellow-man.
We realize the fact that there have
been mistakes made iii the manage
ment of the home, but we believe the
home for the Poor of Somerset county.
and the managing of it, will compare
favorably with any other in the State.
rot
expense.
We are pleased with the visits made
to the home by so many of the citizens
who are large taxpayers, and the COM
ments of approval of the management
of the institution.
The Home was MOI visited by any in
fectious diseases or scouree of any kind
during The year, and beyond the usual
and common ills that this class of de-
pendents Is heir to, the health of the
home was good.
The thanks of the public are due to
Mr. Jacob MoGregor, the retiring di-
rector, for the faithful and conscien-
tious mannCr in which he discharged
his duties.
FARN-The farm is gradually being
brought up TO high state of clltiva-
ton and Is producing well. A glance
3t the Stewards report will convince
all of the fact.
BUHDINGs-The buildings are in
good order and repair. and present a
fine appearance. The past wear slate
roof was placed on the main brick
building to take the place of a worn
out shingle roof, which adds greatly TO
the appearance and lessons the danger
of fire from adjoining buildings. All
the comforts that are usually found i'm
similar institutions are found in our
Home and ere enjoyed by the inmates.
lNMATfs-There was a daily average
of % at the home during the year. All
were carefully housed, fed and cared
for. Those that are able, do such work
as they are able TO do, and when il i
possible all should and are required to
do something i'm order to teach them
that they have an interest in the Home.
DEArHs-There were l. deaths at the
Home during the year. Most of them
were old and had long since passed
Their allotted time. a few were
brought 10 the home sick and never
rallied: All were given a respectable
Christian burial.
RELIEF-lt being the experience of
many of those who have devoted their
- AslN WI n VI anu Ol car
ing for the unfOrtunatos in life that
outdoor relief was more of an evil than
the good il was designed for, and had a
tendency to increase dependents rath-
er then assist them, the directors. by
resolution, discontinued the giving of
permanent relief, and only in cases of
urgent necessity have they issued tenn
porary relief The result has been
that those who received relief hereto
fore have been able to live lust as well.
and the number of inmates at the home
has not been materially increased.
CIiiLDREN-During the wear there
have been more children received AT
The Home than any other for the past
five years. Under the Law we are pro-
hlbited from keeping them at the
Home, neither do We believe they
should be kept there. Nes, we think
they should not even be committed Ia
the Poor House.
"Rushes do not grow without mire
nor iiags without water,n and no more
are pauper classes reproduced from
generation TO generation without in
nuenee acting upon them from child
hood and developing them into clron-