The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-01-17
At SNAKE HILL.
Freeholders Visit the County
Institutions and Inspect
the Work.

Inc committee on County Institutions
of the Board of Freeholders yesterday
afternoon visited Snake Hill to inspect the
improvements in progress at the several
county institutions, under the direction OF
Superintendent C. P. Smith
As previously told all the work is being
done by county employees, inmates of the
almshouse and penitentiary prisoners,
and what has been accomplished in the
brief time the new Board has been in
control of county. affairs was a revela-
tion.
The work of laying the foundations for
the scales to De placed at the entrance TO
the grounds, and at each of the three
county institutions is progressing rapidly.
That at the penitentiary has been COM
pleted and the excavations for the others
have been made. The digging and cartins
is. being done by paupers and prisoners,
while county employees are doing the ma
son work. The scales are to be of a ca
pacity of ten tons and will cost bpt $l5C
each.
Perhaps the best improvement thus far
completed is the consolidation of all the
county stables into one under the con-
troll of the Cunty Superintendent. The
additin to the rear of the penitentiary
stable, which will in future be the only
one maintained, has ben finieshed and
provides accommodations for fourteen
horses.
The work has been done by county
mechanics under the direction of the
County Superintendent. This improve
ment will enable the county to do all the
necessary work with eight horses less
than have hitherto been used These
useless horses will be sold at public
auction.
An improvement that will not be relish
ed by county contractors is the abolition
of the rigs heretofore used for carrying
supplies to the storehouse. By the terms
of their contracts contractors were re-
quired to deliver all supplies at Snake Hill
but this provision was honored in the
breach rather in the observance. County
wagons were used to carry all supplies
and county emploes drove them to and
from the institutions to the business
places of contractors.
Hereafter the contractors will deliver
the goods as specified by their agreements
and those who bid with the idea that the
previous arrangements owuld continue in
vogue will no doubt be big losers.
The grounds for the new recreation
park for the inmates of the almshouse
have been cleared. The underbrush has
been cut away and filling is being done
where necessary. In some places the
grounds had to be raised to level OF
four feet to bring them up to the road
way. All this work has been done by
prisoners and paupers under the direction
of the Superintendent
A very important matter now being con-
sidered by the Freeholders is the provid-
ing of fire escapes for the protection OF
the inmates of the asylum Successive
Grand Juries have called the attention OF
previous Boards to the absolute need Of
such protection, but nothing has before
been done. AS soon as pending improve
ments have been made this work will be
taken up.
A plan in view is the building by coun-
ty carpenters OF runways extending from
the two wings of the asylum to the
slope of the Hill, 80 or 40 feet away. This
will be comparatively inexpensive and 1t
is believed will provide all necessary pro-
lection.
new supply to be furnished by the CON
tractors is in progress and it is expected
will be completed February 1.
The old storehouse is no longer being
used except for the storage of hay.
AS previously stated all the improve
ments thus far completed or in progress
have or are being made by county en-
ployes.