The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-17
CARING FOR THE POOR
How County Authorities Relieve
the Unfortunate.
SUPPLY THE NECESSARlES
Telling How Silver Bow County Helps
Along Those in Distress aud
What Is Given to the
Poor.

AS the approach of Christmas, with
its pleasures and joys for those who are
ordinarily situated in life, the people in
Butte should, and no doubt will, ask
themselves the question: "How will the
very poor spend Christmas" 1.-The
poor we always have with us" is a tru-
ism voiced by the Bible, and the county
officials of Silver Bow county who have
in their hands the business of providing
Tor the indigents Of the county are
among those who are never permitted
to lose sight of it, The county either
supports or aids $50 very poor people,
who are either wholly or partially I'M
able to support themselves. The county
government spends $4,000 on the county
poor monthly, that sum being devoted
to providing them with groceries, house
room, transportation, fuel and sun
dries, which includes clothing. With
out this relief they would suffer from
or die of want.
The work of caring for the indigents
OF the county is in the hands of County
Auditor and Superintendent of the Poor
j. e. Griffin and the county commits
sioners There is much labor connect
poor, and on poor day, which falls on
the second Monday of every month
Mr.. Griffin and Deputy County Auditor
Maurice Hartnett are kept busy at the
county auditors office handing out to
those who come to the office on that
day for the relief that is extended to
them, monthly orders upon grocery
stores, landlords, clothiers and the like
Everything except fuel is furnished the
county poor by means of orders issued
upon merchants and others. AS to
fuel, the county buys its own wood and
maintains a wagon for its distribution.
Fuel day follows poor day. On every
second Tuesday of the month the wag-
on makes round of the homes of the
poor and delivers fuel to those who
need it. However, wood enough to
last couple of months is usually pro-
| Vided at time, and the wagon does not
! visit all of the poor every month.
| Something like 30 cords of wood are
| furnished monthly, at cost of about
$3.50 per month. Besides the wood, two
| or three tons of coal are also distrib-
uted, OF course the quantity of fuel
required in the winter is much greater
| than in the summer.
| The expenditure in aid of the county
! poor in November was S219729. The
| groceries distributed cost $1.165: rent
called for $791, transportation s12SS5
| SuilulleS 3liG.4f. j his was eSclu-
sive of the wood supplied, which
amounted to 20 wagon loads. An I'M
usual feature of last months distribu-
ton was the relief afforded several
| smallpox patients. These people were
poor. and their illness rendered them
unable to provide for themselves en-
tirely. Therefore it became necessary
to furnish them with provisions, cloth
ing and other necessaries.
| The ma iOr portion of the DeODIe cor1 l.
prising the county poor are women.
| Many of these are widows, but there
are also a large number who have
crippled husbands. or husbands inca
pacitated from labor by age or other
cause. There are a number of old, de-
crepit and disabled men as well.
How do you apportion the aid furn-
ished. as to quantity?' County Auditor
| Griffin was asked.
According to the needs of the indi-
gents, and in the cases of families, ac-
| cording TO the size of the family said
| Mr.. Griffin. "All of the people aided
are not entirely supported nor do they
all receive aid of all kinds. Some are
| supplied with wood and some with
groceries and others with rent and 9TH
| err things, just as their needs happen to
! be. Many have little cabin or house
of their own, and do not need rent.
| Others are able to do something to-
ward supporting themselves and have
| only to be helped. The largest amount
of aid furnished in any case is s25 dol
lars a month. A widow with seven
children receives that much; and the
| lowest amount apportioned is S.
| Many of those aided receive IS, IS and
ST a month"
Beside the people who are aided by
being furnished with the necessaries OF
life, on November 30 there We're Is in
| mates at the poor farm. 1t is not the
policy Of the county to send the poor
to the poor farm, however, in all cases
for the reason that it costs S3.75 week
to support each inmate there, while
people who have homes, or for whom
cabins or cottages can be cheaply
rented, often can be more cheaply sup
ported outside of it.
Care is taken that the county is no
imposed on in providing for the poor
the circumstances of all people apply.
ing for aid being investigated by Coun
ty Auditor Griffin and the commission
ers. Also rules to prevent fraud in thu
filling of the orders issued are enforced
The orders are printed in blank ant
issued by the auditor and his deputy
and signed by the former and count!
commissioner. The following rules arr
printed among others upon the backs o
the orders: orders for aid will be is
sued to registered members of thu
county poor on the second MoHudy U
each month only. The county will no
furnish aid to persons who are proven
Incorporate or immoral. Should it b.
discovered that the merchant to whom
this order is presented furnishes thu
applicant with liquor or any unneces
sary luxury, the order will not be hon
ored by the county when presented fo
payment" At the foot of the order il
note that says: "All bills must b.
itemzed, and this order must accom-
pany the bill" These precautions ar
necessary in order to keep unscrupu
lous persons from taking advantage o
the public bounty, and foolish one
from wasting it.
| But when you are ordering turkey
and plum buildings and the various
other appetizing viands for your Christ
mas dinner, you may be interested il
knowing that the $50 people included
in the county poor" receive no mea
among the things distributed to them
and that the fact that Christmas is a
hand will make no difference in tn
l., H.