The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-11-14
LIFE At THE
|NF|RMARY
How the Indigent Of Stark County Pass
Their Declining Days at the
Institution.
REMARKABLE. YIELD OF fall CROPS

attention that is required to provide
and care for the inmates. The general
impression seems to be that all that
is necessary is to provide little coarse
food in a careless manner and then
turn the crowd of inmates loose and
let them take care OF themselves
The infirmary at the present time
has 31S inmates. Many of them are
hed-ridden with disease, others are al
most helpless with paralysis; others
are decrepit with age and must be.
cared for like children; many are
idiotic, crazy or raving maniacs.
There are almost as many to care
for in day there as in all the hotels
in Canton combined, and the help that
is allowed for such care embraces Su-
perintendent Bixler and his wife, few
hired men and women, and such of the
inmates as can be prevailed upon to
assist.
Not only must the infirmary be run
and kept in order, the patients doctor
ed and cared for. but a farm of 232
acres must be cultivated and cared
for in order to furnish food products
for the unfortunate ones who have
become wards of the county.
This farm is depended upon to sup
ply the greater part of the food that Is
eaten, and it requires skill and good
management to secure the largest
crops possible During the last year
the crops under the management of
Superintendent Bixler have been phc-
romenal.
Saturday morning he was asked to
give report of the amount grown
upon the farm. Forty-six acres CT
wheat we're harvested, yielding 1880
bushels. This was kept and converted
intp Hour for the use of the people.
I The oats crop from "a acres was l..
sol bushels. Twenty-Five acres of po-
tatoes were planted, yielding 3,061
bushels; sweet potatoes, 40 bushels.
The corn crop was $500 bushels
from 81 acres, averaging over 100
bushels to the acre. In the barns and
in stacks were stored SO tons OF good
hay. l
The yield of cabbage was something
enormous. There were 5000 heads
raised. out of which were made 20 bar
rels of sour kraut, and 10 barrels
more will be made before the cabbage
is stored for the winter. The cabbage
will not be sold. but buried for use In
tho ui N ond nayt cnripU
The turnip crop was 800 bushels.
Five barrels of cucumber pickles were
put up, and about ten bushels of onion
sets were grown for next years plant
ing. Over 14o bushels of winter apples
have been stored for the use of the iu-
mates; 16 bushels of pop corn were
grown.
Not only is a great deal of work re-
CURED on the farm. but in the kitchen
the preparing of food for immediate
use and canning fruit for winter re :.
quires an endless amount of labor and
attention. The following figures will
give some idea of what was done this
season under the direction of Mrs.
Pixler, the matron:
Apple butter, $50 gallons; dried.
sweet corn, 10 bushels; dried apples,
Is bushels; canned tomatoes, SO
quarts; canned blackberries, 169
quarts; canned elderberries, 24S quart;
sriced apples, 145 quarts; pie plant
canned, IS quarts. In addition to this
there were other fruits put up for use
during the winter.
The amount of meat consumed is
large. Two beeves week are eaten
all the year round. These are not all
produced upon the farm. The greater
number are purchased dressed. At the
institution now are 88, head of hogs
fattsnjng for the shambles. These will
be killed and used. The number of
hogs raised, while large, does not be-
gin to supply the demand for pork
In addition to the S8 head OF fattening
hogs, there are "a others that will be
carried over until next season.
The work of providing foodstuffs
does not complete the labors at the in
frmary. There is domestic clothing
factory there which does q big bust
ness. During the last year garments
have been manufactured as follows:
Dresses --182, underskirts 43. other
pieces of clothing 206. pillow slips 1884,,
sheets 217, hand towels 1s1, aprons "a.
comforters 25. quilts s, rag carpet 1o4
yards.
A large dairy is maintained in con-
nection with the infirmary to furnish
milk and butter for the inmates. An
average Of ~ cows has been kept dur
ing the past year. which produced
about 50 gallons of milk day. The
inmates are given milk to drink and
furnish ed .butter as long as 1t lasts. :.
The baker is one Of the busiest per-
sons on the farm. She .balxes every
day In the week except Sunday. bal-
lug never less than so large loaves Of
bread . day. besides other articles ol
fopd which belong 10 her department
L -. 49, 49,