The Savannah morning news., 1900-07-15
OLD LADIES OF alta.
Residents of "A Unique Asylum In
New SOuth wales.

|
| Perhaps one of the most curious es-
| Establishments maintained by any govern
ment. is that of the New South Wales
Ayslum for Aged Women at Newington,
Tarramatta. Eight hundred old ladies
there literally smoke their pipes in peace
amid agreeable surroundings. The grounds,
shaded by gum trees, occupy a wide sur
face overlooking the Tarramatta river.
, An old colonial mansion for the superin-
| teHdeht, and several baFFaek-iike stFHe-
lures for the female pensioners are pro-
| vided.
The uniform OF white poke bonnets,
white or blue cotton shirts, and black and
red checker-board pattern shawls, If de-
void of variation, at least, when dotted
all over the landscape, adds cheerful
! spots of color to the universally sombre
hue of the gum tree foliage.
Some unique peculiarities OF the insti-
tuition impress the mind of the visitor.
First, the word "pauper" is by regula-
ton strictly tabooed In Difference to labor
sensibilities: as it is quite possible rel
alive of a member of Parliament might
be found among the inmates. The age
column. too, is proof Of longevity on the
Australian continent, few of the 800 being
| under 20 and several over the century
mark. Among the latter the old ladies
are very particular that they have not
been deprived of a year or two on the
register.
An asylum is probable the last place on
earth where one would expect any encour-
agement given to the expenditure of
money even upon the most limited scale
yet such is the case at Tarramatta, and
for a sufficient reason. In order to enable
the old ladies to procure few simple
requirements, wool for knitting. tobacco
and so forth, the government allows each
inmate cents q day. In principle the
idea is excellent. but in practice it does
not always work QUE as intended. Moth
ing alarms the superintendent more than
to hear that Sarah Smith is saving her
pennies. for he knows from experience
that trouble is sure to follow.
Alcoholic liquors are strictly prohibited
Mt Tarramatta, hence Sarah Smith pro-
jects a visit to some place where such
form of. liquid refreshments can be pur-
chased. Sarah Smith having succeeded in
evading the persuasive arguments of the
superintendent TO part with her money
is one morning found missing with per-
haps s. in her pocket. Then telephone
messages commence to pour in giving dis
quieting Information concerning the pro-
gress of Sarah Smith.
In a black covered van, much resembling
an undertaker's wagon upon two whee.s
with a pauper groom IN attendance, a
pauper dog Sinking along underneath, and
drawn by pauper horse who seems pain
fully conscious of his degraded position
the superintendent starts In pursuit. At
the outset it might be supposed that the
hunting OF a poor old woman could net
offer much excitment, that, in fact, she
would soon be captured; but generally
such is far from the case. The pauper
horse is compelled TO draw the curious We
hicle over many miles Of church-hole road
before troll is struck. II is astonishing
how far these old ladies can travel From
roadside inn to roadside inn the guest of
the checker board shawl leads on, until
at last even the spirits of the subdued
quadruped revive, when one of those ia
miliar garments fiutter into sight. Usual
ly the old ladies are indignant over the
curtailment of their liberty, passing many
uncomplimeutary remarks anent the char
atcer and Appearance OF the superintend-
ent, as they are assisted into the wagon,
and slowly conveyed back to Tara
malta. Michael Clifford White.