Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-08
Wa11sof Building Cracked
With Age-Porch Rot
ting Down and Plaster
ing Falling Off.

Appallingly insanitary conditions exist
in the Montgomery county almshouse,
and a new building is demanded by resi-
dents of the county; the walls of the
building are cracked with age; the porch
IS so rotten that it can barely support its
own weight: the cave troughs sag and
do not carry the water from the roof;
the plaster is falling from the ceiling of
the dining rooms; the exposed laths are
falling away from the scantling, to which
rusty nails barely attach them; men and
women, white and black, are not kept
properly apart; baths are possible under
forbidding conditions. but bathing is a
lost habit or one never acquired by some
of the inmates; toilets for both men and
women are so far from the house
that most of the inmates make no pre-
tense of using them.
Grand Jury's Report.
These are the conditions that lie back
of the following report made by the Mont
gomery county grand jury:
The almshouse building. we find in bad
condition. The plaster on the ceiling in
several rooms is broken badly, yards of
it being missing entirely, exposing the
laths.
The sanitary condition is disgraceful.
There is one bathroom. with no means of
porch and very much exposed to the ele-
ments, consequently the bathing, as
acknowledged by the keeper. is left en-
tirely with the individual in his room,
with no appliances for the same The
closet is disconnected from the main
building, and the females and helpless
are at the mercy of the assistance afford
ed by decidedly idiotic janitor The
walls are cleanly whitewashed at time
of inspection, with the exception of one
room, which was ir impossible cOndi-
ton, the odors were unbearaole and the
incumbent of the room was an aged,
helpless imbecile. The one door of this
room connects directly with the dining
room.
I'VE urgently recommend a new build
ing. If this is not advisable it is abso-
lutely necessary to make radical changes
in the matters before spoken of.
Conditions at the Almshouse.
This report is correct in the main, but
is incorrect in one or two instances.
The main building is more than hun
dred years old. and William Rabbit. the
superintendent, says that its condition has
been almost as bad for a great many
years as it is now. He has been instruct
ed to repair the damaged ceiling and will
attend TO the. work at once, but the build
inAis merely the decayed shell OF house
'"rhe sanitary condition is disgraceful,
the report truly says. The closets are dis
connected from the house. The mems
toilst is about a hundred yards from the
house. while the women's is half that
distance. Most of the inmates are in5e-
| Giles or crippled. so that they cannot sc
| such a long distance. They are not, as
! the jury reports. Eat the mercy of ar
| idiotic janitor" They are at the mercy OF
| conditions arising from lack of funds.
| The ''idiotic janitor' is an imbecile in
| mate who empties the Stops and does {
| few chores around the place under the
| direction of Mr.. Rabbit. AS long as tn,
| inmates won't use the closets provided
| receptacles are furnished, and all tn,
| ''idiotic janitor'' does is 10 empty them.
| The sanitary condition is disgraceful.
That sentence explains itself. There il
| only one bathroom. and that is built on
| porch exposed to the elements. No hea
is supplied it, although there is plenty o
hot and cold water. The bathroom wall
are nothing but matched flooring, con
| tanning numerous cracks and knotholes
Persons wishing to take q bath must leav