Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1906-07-27
JOSEPHINE COUNTY
TO OWN POOR FARM
Present System Too Expensive
Inmates to Help Support
Themselves.

or the paupers. 1T costing last year
close to $1,000 to care for the homeless
in the county. That there should be
SO many INDECENT PERSONS in a county
of but 10000 population and new
country at that is surprise to those
not familiar with local conditions.
The unusually large percentage of the
poor, which almost equals that OF
European countries is due to the large
number of prospectors and miners
who spend life time in the hills
searching for gold, many of them
making fortunes but losing them
through putting their money in
worthless mines, or by drinking and
gambling. When age makes it sc
these unfortunates can no longer go to
the hills or the streams and make a
raise then to become a county charge
is their only recourse.
About the first thing that County
Judge Stephen Jewell took under
oouoAuciobiou ottcI uib oioCtiOu war
the problem of properly caring for the
county poor and Of lessening their
expense on the tax payers. He
brought the matter up before the re.
cent session of the county court and
both Commissioners Logan and Wertz
fully agreed with him that the pres
ent system of hiring the paupers kept
by private individuals was greater
expense than was warranted. The
plan proposed by Judge Jewell and
which the commissioners approved
and authorized him to carry out ia
for the county to buy at least 10 acres
of good farm land not over two or
three miles distant from the county
seat and erect suitable buildings ON
it and equip it with team, tools,
COWS, hogs and poultry and make it
the home for all the county charges.
A competent man ana his wife would
be hired to have charge, he to attend
to the outdoors work and she 10 be
matron. Most of the men who would
be inmates would be able to do some
work, and they would be required
and encouraged to assist in the labor
of caring for the stock and in culti-
waiting the garden, berry, orchard
and farm tracts, go as to raise all the
produce required on the premises. A
small hill tract of woodland would also
be part of the county farm property
and the inmates would cut and haul
the fuel required for the establish
ment.
With this plan Of Judge Jewell's
the expense of keeping the county
poor would be lessened fully one-half
Now the paupers are scattered all
over the county, some of them being
distant fully 30 miles from the
county seat. Should they be sick to
have a physician called costs 81
mile for day service and sl.5O per
mile for night calls. Having them
near Grants Pass the cost of medical
attendance would be greatly reduced.
As heretofore the custom has been
for merchants and others furnishing
supplies to persons getting county aid
to send bill for the gross amount
leaving the court to guess whether
the account was correct or the articles
supplied we're necessities or luxuries,
for tobacco aud chewing gum are quite
as likely to be on these bills as -four
and bacon. Hereafter all bills against
the county will be thrown out unless
itemized in full. A careful invesgti.
cation Of the subject has convinced
Judge Jewell that within five years
by the county owning its poor farm
that saving could be made over the
present expense per capita of indig-
ents sufficient to pay for the land and
all improvements. The inmates could
have q better home than they now
get and be where they could have
baths and those inclined TO be slovenly
could be made to batbe and be clean
and respectable in appearance. 1t is
often the case that county charge is
treated more like slave than one
whose board is paid for. and among
this unfortunate class there are many
who have seen better and prosperous
days and were we'll raised and II is
but true humanity that they be
treated. considerably. Judge Jewell
has looked over number OF tracts of
land suitable for the purpose and at
the next term of1court he will have
a selection to recommend TO thesother
members for the county to buy. The
work Of erecting suitable buildings
would: be begun at once and at the
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