Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-25

urged that the Improvement of the proper
| ty in its vicinity was being retarded. The
councils were petitioned for the removal.
and while the sentiment Of the members
| conceded with the general desire, the new
| location was one on which the citizens ana
| council could not speedily agree. Finally,
! the reservation at the eastern end OF the
| city, known as No. 13. and containing sew
| enty-seven acres-then a wild Waste-was
| suggested, and the councils passed reso-
luton asking the Presidents consent for
| the transfer. May 10, 1S43, President. John
| Tyler granted the request. This action nav
! ing been anticipated, the councils three
days afterward provided for the erection
of new asylum there, and the following
year the wards of the city-paupers and
| prtsoners-were removed thereto, the old
buildings passing into the hands of Mr.. w
| B. Wilson. These were converted into
| dwellings. the portion once used as the
workhouse Uhe east end) into two; that
| known as the poor house department into
! one-a large one. The central portion, used
| by the intendent was demolished when
| Madison street was opened.
| Duties Of Qua rdians.
Under the guardians of the poor was the
! administra ton of the funds for their relief,
| support of the lunauc and idiotic, besides
the supervision of the infirmary, &c. In
| general, they had entire supervision of all
| those matters which now come under the
| head of charities and corrections. and in
deed under the board of children's guard
| ians. for they were empowered to bind out
| as apprentices poor orphan children as well
| as those of drunkards, Migrants and pau
| pers. the approval of two justices of the
peace being required in each case. To
| large extent the commissioners of the
! Washington Asylum, successors of the
guardians, performed these duties until the
| old municipal government was superseded.
For the support of the lunatic and fdiotic
there was allowed the sum of 81 per week
each above the age Of ten years, and az far
| as possible these unfortunates were al
| lowed to remain with relatives or friends.
| The most violent were, for want of bet
ter place, confined In jail, the allowance for
their support being paid to the marshal,
| though some of the unfortunates found
their way to the asylum, especially the
| friendless simple minded The distribution
| of fuel to the deserving poor was also under
| the guardians of the poor. and annually
| 600 cords of wood were distributed, but care
was taken not to give to those able to labor.
In the apprenticing and binding out of
children of drunkards and others believed
to be incompetent the guardians placed
many children in positions to become use
full members Of society, for care was taken
that the masters should be responsible
parties. The term usually terminated at
majority, and was seldom less than seven
years and in those days 1t was customary
for every one learning trade to serve that
length Of time 1t IS said that numb,r
| who were under the care of the guardians
reached high positions as mechanics. more
tradesmen. Others failed to improve.
One who all his life was a neighbor to
the old asylum, and for several years was
an employe, says: I'm this home of the
unfortunate poor, whose only crime was
poverty, could be found perfect kaleido-
scope of characters, and l have rarely
known case, no matter how depraved and
hardened the offenders, where there was
not one redeeming trait to be found. If no
more. Indeed, Dickens, had he lived here
would have found as equally fertile field
as he had in England, and would have no
need to draw upon imagination.
Instances Cited.
"One OF the most interesting characters
was woman, who, way back In the 40s,
was sent to the workhouse department for
ninety days. and spent the remainder of
her life, nearly fifty years. the aims
house side. Her story, as l remember it, is
that she was born within sight of the Bla-
densburg battle ground, and as small girl
climbed a tree and saw the smoke and flame
of the battle. She grew up and came to the
city, where for a few years she was fast.
and after one of her numerous escapades
she found herself a prisoner at the NJ street
house She informed the keepers: Now
you have got me, and. -- you, you'll
never get rid of me, for mean to stay
ION the expiration of the sentence she de-
clined to leave, and. being allowed to re-
main, ended her days there as privileged
inmate enrolled on the poorhouse side.
Time wore on. and she took much interest
in the inmates and the institution in the
course of few years developing remark
able memory, often being able to recall
events and descriptions of people which
proved of much service to parties In search
Of missing friends who had been prisoners
or paupers. When 1t is remembered that
many went there under assumed names and
their identity could not be established by
description. the value of such person can
be appreciated. In many cases she, SEEM
ingly by intuition, gave clue leading to
the clearing up of the mysteries in some
families. She could swear. and did not hes
ltate to use oaths when she felt like it, vet
she was one of the kindest-hearted of wo-
men, full of sympathy and feeling and
most tender In time of affection.
Nothing would invoke her pity quicker
than the infection of an injury, be 1t to
man, animal, bird or insect, and nothing
would make her more angry than to see
the perpetrator of an injury go unpublished.
She was one of the inmates to move from
the old house on NJ street to the new build
ing on the Eastern branch, and lived there
TIL her death, about six years ago. During
all this time she had never been half a
mile from the home. though she had the
privilege Of going out when she pleased.
Most of her time was spent in her room,
where she always kept three pets-a little
dog, chicken and a cat; and 1t said
by the officials that before she closed her
eyes at night these three had to be asleep.
Two other things demanded her attention.
the procurement of a dress for a relative
as gift for Christmas, and the care of a
burial lot in Congressional cemetery, where
she was eventually buried.
1.-The woman must have been handsome
when young Her hair bore but few strands
of gray to the last and there was scarcely |
a wrinkle on her face. The shame of being
found drunk, doubtless, was what caused !
her to withdraw from the outside world, |
for when asked by an intendent why she |
did not go up In the city her reply was,
Why! ~ went to the bad once and |
I'm ashamed for people to see me-
There was another woman, much young |
er. who early set out to beat the record in |
the number of commitments to the asylum, |
for she once asserted she would. IL she
lived make 100 visits to the institution and |
quit Poor old girl! She failed in her am
bition for death claimed her on the ninety |
sixth round.
What the Records Show.
''The ups and downs Of life are no better
set forth than In the records of the asylum,
for some who have held high positions and