The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-08-17
TO BUY MORE LAND.
Poor Board Decides That It Is Ad-
visable to Secure a Sixty
Acre Farm.

1t is very probable that before n
month elapses the poor board will di-
rect the purchase Of some sixty acres
of farm land, situated to the west of
the farm lands surrounding the Hill
side Home, now owned by the Scran-
ton poor district.
The board has been desirous of pur-
chasing this land for nearly n year,
and the members have looked it over
on more than one occasion. but no ac-
tion looking towards it's purchase was
taken until yesterday afternoons meet
ing, on account of the owner of the
land failing to meet the price which
the directors thought reasonable and
just
During the past week or two the
owner of the land and the members OF
the home committee have agreed upon
a price Of $50 an acre, and at yester-
days meeting the attorney Of the
| board was requested TO furnish an
opinion as to whether the district has
the right to purchase land without the
consent of the court of common pleas
1t is expected that Attorney Scragg
will decide that the consent of court
will be required, by reason of an ex-
press provision in the special act of
assembly creating the Scranton poor
district.
If he docs so decide. the board at its
next meeting will direct him to petition
court for permission to purchase as
all the members seem to be agreed
upon acquiring the land. The district
at present owns about 800 acres sur
| rounding the Hillside Home. and every
| available foot of this is cultivated. The
necessity for a larger amount of farm
land, that all the inmates able to work
may be given chance to do so is said
| to he very great.
The principal reason advanced in
| favor of the purchase of the land. how
ever, is the fact that it contains n
| large spring of beautifully clear and
pure water. The water for the home
| is now obtained from an artesian we'll.
| Should this ever dry up, the greatest
| difficulty would be experienced in OBJ
| tanning a supply Of water. If FOR no
| other reason than this ii is said, the
land should be purchased.
| 1t was also decided at yesterdays
| meeting to direct Superintendent
| Beemer and Attorney Scragg to take
| the necessary steps to have disorder
| ly house and speakeasy on the road
near Gravel pond wiped out of exist
| ence. This place Is about mile and
| a half from the home, and is a con-
| stant source of annoyance to Super
| intendent Becmer. lie says that a
| number of the male inmates, when
| they get a little money, run away and
| frequent the place. They sometimes be-
come so intoxicated that they have TO
| be carried home.
John Devlin, IS years old, an old man
| with "A rugged, sun burnt face, and
| shaking with the palsy, who said he
| was sailor up to a few years ago.
| appeared before the board and asked
| for relief. lie came to Scranton look
| ing for his son, walking part Of the
| way from Philadelphia, he said, but
| could find no trace of him,
| where's your home?" asked DIR.
| Paine.
| Il have none, sir \ sea -farinG man,
when his wife dies and his family
leaves him, as mine did has no home,
| unless you call the whole world a
| home. 1t might be Philadelphia one
month, Rio JaneirO the next, and Hong
| Kong two months after I've been all
around the world, but I've got no place
| To call "A home"
| The board decided 10 pay his trans
portation To Philadelphia, where, he
said, he thought he might obtain ad-
| mission to some sailors home.