The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-12-14
rm. and every patch of ground Is

farm, and every patch OF ground Is
utilized.
The farm produces hay. grain and
feed and vegetables In abundance, The
county hospital Is supplied with
vegetables from the poor farm. All
the milk. butter. eggs and fruit con-
sumed on the farm Is produced there,
and some times, In the height OF tae
season, there In surplus OF these
products, which Is disposed Of NJ regu-
lar market prices, This year Mrs SUM
merfleld put up $50 gallons of canned
fruit and there was an abundance Of
apples, pears, pums and berries left
over. There are Is head OF cattle
three horses. several hogs. and a small
army OF chickens and enough turkeys
to make Thanksgiving and Christmas
dinners for the inmates.
The student OF system will find much
TO interest him at the poor farm. II Is
run on system because system IL the
one essential In the government OF such
an institution. The rules provide
among other things, Patients able to
be about the house will be required to
keep themselves clean, their clothing In
order and to take a bath at least once
a week; all patients must be In their
rooms at Q o'clock at night: positively
no smoking allowed In bed; patients
will not be allowed to lie In bed with
their boots or shoes on, and VIII be
required to keep their rooms In a neat
and clean condition; Tuesdays and
Saturdays are special cleaning days,
and every patient able to do 80 must
help, not only In keping his or her own
room clean. but the entire house; Mon
day Is washing day, and all articles for
the laundry must be In early Sunday
evening: no patient will be allowed to
leave the boundaries of the farm with
out permission from the superlntend-
ent; every patient able to do light work
will be required to wait on those need
ing attention, work in the farm garden.
laundry or Kitchen when requested to
do so by the superintendent.
And so II goes. Every rule good
one, and perfect discipline the result.
Two men peel the potatoes, two men
wash the dishes after each meal, one
man sweeps out the dining room. two
men set the table, two men clear II,
one man sweeps the back varanda, one
man sweeps the front veranda, there Is
an attendant for each Of the blind In
mates. and others assist In saving
wood and general light work. The
farm has It's own transportation,
good wagon and a buggy, and three
good horses, used by the inmates In
hauling wood and other articles to the
farm.
The superintendent keeps an account
with every inmate. Whenever ne issues
clothing It is charged up against the
patIent receiving 1t. Everything else
is charged up In like manner and at
the month end a statement is sub
mltted to the county commissioners
The cost per capita for the mainten-
ance of the farm during the first four
years of the present superintendents
administration was "a cents. 1t has
not increased very much, If any since
then, despite the fact that the cost OF
living has increased materially.
These are facts which should be con-
sidered by the county court Of clatsop
county in its efforts to care for the
county poor. A poor farm Is no ex-
pense to the county, when once estab-
lished, and is a necessary adjunct to
the institutions Of the county.