The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-02-13
STORY OF POOR.
Some Statistics About Their
Care and Maintenance.
Record For Topeka and Shawnee
County From Records.
AN IMMENSE EXPENSE.
Cost County Over $1,000 Ex-
elusive of Poor Farm.
What is Being Done by Police
MatrOn Thorpe.

The report from Shawnee county flied
with the state labor commissioner on
the subject of pauperisn and the mar
agement of the poor farm is completed
From the report prepared by the coun-
ty clerk the following information is
obtained:
The poor farm is owned by the coun-
ty 1t was established in 1872 and is
valued at SO, 965. Expenditures for the
year 1899 were as follows: Repairs ST.
O2223; live stock $40; furniture and fix
lures s217.24; food $s3029; fuel $163.56;
clothing $29615; superintendent $500;
county physician $3.50; other medical at
tendance $167.O9; total. all purposes, a.
536.4O
Seventy-three inmates were main
tanned during the year. The largest
number in care of the poor farm was
SO, last March. Thirty-nine males; IA
females.
The smallest number was housed in
July; 80, of which 20 were men; 10 wo-
men. The average number during the
year was 40
The total number of days the inmates
were maintained was 1880. The in
mates performed labor as follows dur
ing the year:
Men-300 days
Women-400 days.
The value of the work done, estima-
ted at current wages, follows:
By men, 500.
By women, 500.
Outside male labor performed $50
days; Women were employed for 700
days.
The nativity of the inmates follows:
Native born-Males SO; females q.
Foreign born-Males II.
Colored-Males 8: females 5.
Cause of the distress is recited as fol-
lows:
Tn O
I.azlneSS ...-.-..-.---. .-.-.........-.-
Mental defects ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
sickness .----..... OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES 4
Ot SIi causes :. -, ~
Shawnee county paid for the relief
of persons not inmates of the poor farm
for the year, 1899. $7,22545. Five hun
dred forty-two families We're aided. The
total amount expended for the year in
Guiding the poor farm, was 81, ISL So.
The report made by the police mat
ron, Mrs L. f. Thorpe. for the city of
Topeka is an interesting document and
accompanies the county report. Mrs.
Thorpe submits the following statistics
for 1899:
Number of families aided, 1854
One-sixth Of these were colored peo-
pie
One-f1fth, movers in distress
One hundred and fifty children were
provided clothing to enable them to go
to school.
Cash collected. and cash orders for
coal, S6J4- TO-
Flour, S.025 pounds.
Potatoes, 20 bushels.
Quilts and blankets Sc.
Clothing, old and new, Is, 900 pieces.
Thanksgiving dinners sent out, 125.
Christmas toys for 125 children
During the year good homes have
been secured for over 40 children. Six
teen of these were boys placed with
farmers. Mrs. Thorpe says:
I could name many families who
have pXfrfp9 ted themselves
dalton. dependency and even dissipa-
ton in the past year. 1 make it a bus
mess to become thoroughly acquainted
with all of my poor people. They need
personal friendship and teaching more
than temporal aid.
This work of course is not required
of me as police matron, and receive
no compensation for 1t, my idea is rath-
er to help people keep out OF Jail than
to take care of them after they are in
iai1 -