Smyrna times., 1903-01-07
CHRISTMAS CHEER AT THE
KENT COUNTY ALMSHOUSE
REV. VAUGHAN S. COLLINS TELLS OF A DE-
LIGHTFUL VISIT TO THE COUNTY FARM.
Inmates We're Given Christmas Treat With
Services at the peI-lmpressiOus
Gathered While Visiting There.

the invitation to Asbury that in a short |
eighteen months 1 should be going |
'Over the hills to the poorhouse," in
charge of a committee composed of
members of Asbury. Such, however,
has been my fate.
Friday, December the Goth, on invi-
tatiou of Mr.. George NJ. Stevenson,
president of the Board of Trustees, [
joined a little party at the station.
where we took the 9.35 a. NJ, train for
Wyoming. Here we were met by
'Jim" with a pair of good horses
hitched to three seat dearborn, and
we're soon rattling along the frozen
road at lively gait; and fifteen min
utes more landed US at the gate of the
County Farm, where we were cordially
greeted by Mr. James P. Aaron and
his estimable wife.
In the parlor we found number of
other friends who had come for the
purpose that had prompted our going,
viz: to make a little Christmas cheer
for the inmates. Mr.. Stevenson had
requested an announcement to be
made in Asbury that on the above date
little Christmas party would go to the
alms-house, and requested all those
who were so disposed, to leave at his
place of business such gifts as they
desired taken to the inmates. To this
request the good people of Smyrna
III lihoro1fkxv
and we were able to take down with
us quite a number of articles. The other
friends had come on the same blessed
mission, each one with his gifts of love-
From the time of our arrival until
lunch time the moments rapidly passed
while busy hands decorated the chapel,
trimmed the Christmas tree and pre-
pared for the afternoon service.
took only a limited part in these
arrangements, deeming it wiser to see
what kind of a home Kent County
prepares for her INDECENT poor, and to
what extent the trust committed to
the trustees is carried out.
Impressed With the General Surroundings.
The first thing that struck my atten-
tion was the absolute cleanliness of
the buildings. To me this spoke
volumes for the Overseer and his wife.
Knowing something of visits to other
County homes, as we'll as the kind of
homes kept by the class of people
usually found in such institutions, l
do not hesitate to say that the rooms
and halls and bed chambers were
neater and more orderly than is usual
ly found in private homes of that class.
The overseer must have a watchful
eye and much tact to keep things in
that condition. Then, too, the food,
good, plain, nutritious food, we'll
cooked, and good bread were served
at the dinner 1 was privileged to see
them serve. 1t seemed to me the com
mand of the Master Give We them to
eat" was being obeyed IN very truth.
To give a more elaborate and dainty
bill of fare might not be fare to the
tax payer; and yet fare that is toe
coarse for appetite and too stale to be
wholesome would be neither Christian
nor American. 1t seems to me very
good medium has been reached so al
to be just to all parties.
Then the sanitary conditions of tht
buildings were observed. The trus
tees have wisely made some changes
here that have greatly improved tn,
place. With so many aged and infirn
inmates, as nearly all of them are, the
steam heat and closets are a benedic
tion. The tearing out of the old cells
and changing them into pleasan
sleeping rooms, and the moving of the
women over into the building whicl
is heated by steam was eminentl,
wise. 1 could not but think tha
many centuries we're required befor,
Christian nations learned to care fo
the poor in even a halfway Christian
fashion. The bed rooms 1 noticed
were light airy, we'll ventilated ant
ated; aud the plain little irol
beds looked real cosy. The sickenin,
OdOr so frequently observed in insti
tutiOns of this character was Inot dis
cernible but in one room (where i
could not be avoided because of tn
character of the inmate3 and this
attributed largely to the convenienc
of the bath and toilet rooms, and larg
supply, readily available, of hot an
cold water and soap. The trustee
have been wise in so arranging for th
health of these unfortunates.
Need OF Decent Barn and Wagon Shed.
The one thing that impressed n
as not being at all in keeping with IL
dinnitu Of the Cn1rt.. 10 thnA LoLo..