Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-25
Agitation Of Project for Its Removal
to Another Site.
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE INSTITUTION
Located Where It Now is Sixty
Years Ago.
EARLY APPROP RIATION S

| sixty years on reservation Is, east Of 10Th
! street and near the United States jail and
| Congressional cemetery, is agitating the
| minds of those interested, especially in East
| Washington, and doubtless 1t will not be
many years before a new site will be found
| and adopted. Should the efforts being made
| for reclaiming the flats Of the Anacostia
river, or Eastern branch, which skirt the
reservation, be successful, the change of
| site will doubtless follow, but 1T will prob
| ably be a much more difficult matter for
| the authorities to accomplish than 1t was
| for the city fathers of sixty years ago to
| remove the Institution from the original
| site, square 44S, between M, N, 9Th and 9Th
streets northwest, to the present location
on the branch.
The corporation of Washington early rec
! ognized the truth Of the Scripture, THE
poor We have with We Away" and was not
| unmindful of the duty to relieve the in
| digent poor and infirm, for the annals of
| the councils show that in 1902 the sum OF
| $500 was appropriated, and the appointment
| Of trustees or guardians OF the poor was
| authorized. That this was regarded as a
| responsible Office Is evidenced. the fact that
| some of the best and most influential citi-
| zens were appointed and filled the position,
| those for the first year being Joseph Hodg-
| son. residing in the first ward (West End;
| John Kearney of the second, Benjamin
| Burch of the third Capitol Hilp. and Crit
| fifth Coumbe of the fourth ward least por-
| ton of the city,
| In the following year the appropriation
| was increased to $500. and for the sup
| port of lunatics the small sum Of 500 was
! placed to the credit of the board. AS may
| be supposed the labors Of the members at
| that period were not onerous, and 1t was
many years before more than one meet
| ing per month became necessary. But 81
| per meeting was allowed each member as
| compensation, and before the establish
| af ha inf Ia
| and infirm the principal business OF the
| board was passing upon the bills for the
| support and benefit of the poor and in
| firm. With the growth of the population
the number of diseased and infirm persons
| increased and those looking ahead saw
| that for the comfort of such as required
| the assistance of the corporation and In the
| interest of the taxpayer permanent quar-
tiers should be provided for the INDECENT,
| both sick and infirm Besides, 1t was urg-
| ed that, with such persons under one roof
| and management, the families who had be-
fore had their immediate care would be re-
| lieved.
Purchase of Site Authorized.
In October 1906, the councils passed an
act authorizing the purchase of site, the
erection of a building and the establish
| ment of the Washington Infrmary, appro-
priating $1,000 for the site and $1,000 for
construction Under this act square 44s
was purchased the buildings were erected
and what is now the Washington Asylum
came into being.
In the meantime Peter I.enox, Henry In
gle George Collard, John Woodsfde and
VIM Prout had been appointed members of
the board. The location on NJ street, though
designated on the city plan as nearly
mile within the corporate limits, was at
that period to all intents and purposes IN
the country, a wagon track on 7th street
being the only semblance Of road. and
similar track turning therefrom into M
street, passing the front of the grounds,
known for many years after as Poor
House Lane" being, outside the grounds,
the only Improvement visible,
The qualifications for admission were in
trinity and poverty and residence OF SIX
months in the city, and these were passed
upon by the members Of the board. For
few years 1t was but shelter and home for
the deserving In 1919, however. 1t was de-
termined that at least some OF the bene-
ficiaries might do something for their own
support. The councils passed an act df-
recting that the board Of guardians find
employment for such OF the beneficiaries
and inmates as were able to labor, and ap-
propriated $500 for the purchase OF imple-
ments and tools to that end. This was the
inception Of the workhouse department,
and, under the superint endent, Mr.. David
Hopkins, some of the inmates were assign
ed to work-the gardens. carpenter shop,
sewing room affordfng facilities. AS yet
the ordinary vtolators of the municipal
laws were, In default of payment of fines,
was paid for the support Of such by the
corporations; and to relieve the taxpayer as
much as possible the officers were accus-
toned to make as many United States
cases as possible. and there were many who
were charged with riot when the offense
was no more serious than what Is now dis
orderly conduct.
A Change Ordered.
In a few years. however, April 49, 1915
the guardians and superintendent were d.
rected to provide for the accommodation Of
offenders under the act concerning free
negroes and Migrants, but the workhouse
or penitentiary department was not sep
arate from the other branch Of the institu-
ton, nor was the penitentiary department
formally established until 1918, when the
title washington Asylum was given to
cover the aims or poorhouse, the peniten-
tiary or workhOuse and the hospital or In
Urinary. In this year the ball and chain
had been prescribed, and the institution
was placed under Caleb Lowndes as super
intendent with W. w Seaton. c. w. Colds
boroug and Adam Lindley. commissioners.
with three assistants in each ward. Up
to 1919 the work was confined to the house
and grounds. but in that year authority
was given to work the 'penitentiaries"
(workhouse prisoners) on the streets. and
some few Of the adjacent streets were lev
eled. 1t is said that some of this work
was done by four men. attached to a pillow,
for at that period horses were not pro-
vided.
The next year $500 Robert Clark was
the superintendent, and the work on the
streets was continued, an abridgment Of
food to bread and water being prescribed
by the act of 1921 Tin addition to ball and
chain for those who refused to labor.
Thus was picturesque chain gang
brought into existence, and though the
striped uniforms were not then in vogue
the gang small 1t was, was sight to
behold. Their clothing was of every hue
material, age and style. and often fully
justified the name of "ragmuffins." which
the boys of that age applied to them. Ow-
ing then to corporal punishment at the
whipping post for the colored and the GUS
tom of making offenses United States
iaii cases, the membership OF the chain
gang was seldom large and the whites pre-
dominated.
The one square and some adjacent ground
was planted in vegetables and 1t was only
when there was excess of labor that
much street work could be done. Besides
working the land the making of collins for
the inmates who died there, as well as for
those who were bound at the public
pense, was one Of the industries also the
making up OF garments.
Mr.. John McNerhany was the intendent in
1924, and while the institution was located
on M street Messrs. Richard Butt and
Benjamin e. Cuttings, respectively, were
in charge. The northeastern part of the
square, corner Of eth and streets was