The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1899-02-02
OUR COUNTY FARM.
Chairman Bingham Talks Entertsningly
Of the Poor Farm-Its Belongings and
the County commissioners Plans
and Purposes in the Change
Of Arrangements.

I Changes In the management and eye.
tenn OF management Of the county poor
I farm by our county commissioners, have
given rise OF late to more or less crit
cism, for and against, and as many PEG
pie in the county are not fully aware OF
what they themselves possess IN the
poor farm, a DAILY LEADER reporter to-
day interviewed Chairman Bingham on
the subject and gained a good deal Of
information that will be OF interest to
the public.
The poor farm consists Of a little less
than l6O acres Oh the shore Of Lake
Madison, with about 100 acres under
the pillow. The buildings are beautifully
located, overlooking the lake, and consist
of the dwelling, which is a substantial
frame house 80 by 80 feet, Two stories
high, finished throughout. 1t contains
ten rooms, pantry and hall, all put re-
Gently in excellant repair from cellar to
garrett, rooms papered and renovated.
In the hall above into which four roous
open q large stove is placed which keeps
all the rooms SO comfortably warm that
in the coolest weather water does not
freeze in them. The same may BE- said
Of the rooms below.
Then there is a barn 100 by "a feet,
with wings the full length on both Sides.
In this the machinery and stock are
kept. There is also a machine shed Is
by 30 feet which is now used for the
poultry house. The stock on the place
at present consists OF 3 horses, 3 COWS,
3 hogs, and over 100 chickens. A wagon
and sulky pillow are about all tho farm
q Implements yet purchased by the coun-
ty, though 1t owns all the utensils and
furnishings in the house except those IN
Supt. Bosweli's private rooms.
Previous to tne change of manage
ment last fall, the superintendent work.
ed az poor farm for half Il z crop, the
county furnishing the seed, and paying
the superintendent $3.50 per week each
for boarding the paupers.
Now the county operates the farm
itself, paying the superintendent q SAL
airy of 5000 per year for services of him
self and wife. lie does the work of the
farm, except in cases where he needs
extra help, which the county pays for.
lie and his wife s%uperlntend aud do the
work OF the poor house except such little
service as may be gotten from the in.
mates.
This change in the system OF manage
ment was necessitated 10y the plan the
county board had determined upon
for the care of the poor in the event of
cutting OFT aid to people outside of
the poor house. The old system OF aid
ing this u aud that one outside of the
poor farm bad grown to be such an in
tolerable nuisance and an expense in
creasing on their hands 80 fast that the
commissioners, much against their
personal ~inclinations, had to adopt a plan
where the line could be rigidly drawn be-
tween those who actually needed help
and those who were imposing upon the
county. This line is met when Che
parties seeking aid are unwilling to 90 to
the poor farm. 1.-The commissioners pro-
pose." continued Chairman Bingham.
that inmates shall have good, wholesome
food at regular mealtime, clean aud COM
Portable clothing, rooms and exercise.
All that is asked of them is that in case
any OF them is able to work Is to keep
themselves clean and do . few chores or
little work III order to occupy their
minds and exercise their bodies. In the
event, for instance, of an able. bodied
woman with q family OF children whom
she could not support, going there She
would be expected to do the washing
for her family and care for them and
their clothing, the latter and everything
else being furnished by the county. The
older children would be kept ut school
which Is only u mile distant, ard reeu-
lar habits at mealtlme and orderly hab.
It's IN and about the premises required.
Cleanliness above all things would be
inculcated. A man and team would avan
be at the service OF the children in bad
weather to keep them at school,"
Chairman Bingham here enumerated
several instances OF women with families
who bad been receiving aid from the
county and working around themselves
to earn the balance Of their SUPPORT who
ne was delegated much against his will
to INFORM them Of the boards action re-
curing them to go to the poor farm or
be cut of from any allowance from the
county, whom he knows, after seeing
their present circumstances, would be
ten times better off at the poor farm
than in the way they are now living.
And he believes the county board has
taken the only course to properly nro-
vide for these dependents and at the
same time safeguard the money Of the
taxpayers Of the county.
you'll never get tired. tagged ONT die
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