The Detroit times., 1908-11-26
UNIQUE POOR HOUSE
TO COST ABOUT
/. s1,500,000
IT WILL COMPRISE 20 BUILDINGS
AND HAVE QUARTERS FOR 1000
INMArEs-orHER INTERESTING
NEWS.
BY HARRY m. ecHULTz.
(9psclai 70 The Times.)

BY HARRY m. SCHULTZ.
| Especial to The Times.)
CHICAGO, Nov. 26.-Work IL to be-
gin soon on Cook County's model poor
house, to cost $780, 900. and to COM
prise not one poor house. but rs build
ings of modern areproof construction.
at Oak Forest, H., few miles south
Of Chicago. A bird's-eye view Of the
place when completed will show a
huge cross, covering many acres fof
ground. the chapel holding the GEN.
trail position and the whole encircled
by winding road. now losing itself
among the trees. and again skirting
the broad sweeping lawn that falls
away from the low red-tiled buildings.
| Two rows Of buildings run north
and south from the chapel on either
side OF broad parkway. providing
quarters for nearly 1000 inmates;
while east and west are the admins
| tration buildings, the ofdcers' homes,
the hospital, the receiving station, the
dining hall. the recreation building. the
work shops. laundry. power house and
other features that gives this q unique
place among institutions Of its kind.
Fireproof construction throughout and
perfect sanitation, combined with util-
ity and beauty of design have attract.
ed the attention of experts who have
studied the plans. The community IL
complete In itself. with its own sew
age system, drainage system, heating
system and water supply. The chapel
will be surrounded by formal gardens,
attractive In arrangement.
One Of the unique features of the
institution will be the cloister-like com.
municating corridors that connect all
the buildings. an arrangement made
most necessary In climate as incon-
siderate as that of Illinois. With the
completion OF this most modern OF
charitable institutions, Cook county
will have provided ample accommoda-
lions for thousands OF the aged aud
poor OF the community. The present
cost OF the poor Of Cook county is over
5000, 900 a year.
The crossing policemen, the patrol
men who linger at the laundry win
dows and the cop" who comes to ar
rest one will each and all become "the
glass Of fashion and the mold Of form"
Tin uniform), wearing real linen In
stead of blue flannel shirt with a
shield" and a celluloid collar. A COM
mittee Of lieutenants and sergeants
has made an inquiry into the sartorial
details Of the policemen. the hero OF
the Christmas crush, the $l00-a-month
defender Of Chicago. This committee
will direct its most biting criticism at
the celluloid and rubber collars which
are found to travel beats day after
day by virtue Of hasty scrub.
Another target for the committees
scorn will be the thick soles Of the
shoes in which In winter the cross
ing cop" stands ankle deep In slush
and snow for hours-appearances are
against them. whatever the effect may
be on the officers chillblains. The
report will recommend an inspector OF
uniforms who Is practical tailor and
will refuse to pass a badly fitted coat
FOR bagging trousers at inspection. The
1000 policemen are going to be made
the trimmest lot In the country II Drill
Master Bauder and his committee
men can do X.
Life Is not one endless round OF
pleasure for them now, for last year
they made 100000 arrests, recovered
half a million dollars worth Of prop
erty and brought culprits to justice
who we're fined an aggregate of an
other half million They drew, how
ever, total Of 100000.
An addition Of over $1,000. 100000
annually to the foreign trade of the
United States through the efforts OF
the farmers of the country Is the rath-
e- startling proposition which will be
advanced by the governors OF the
Mississippi valley states at the meet
ing OF all the state executives to con-
slider conservation measures at Wash
ington next month. Recent expert
ments in crop rotation and scientific
farming hove convinced experts In
Chicago and elsewhere that by such
methods to counterfeit exhaustion OF
the soil and the annual crop yield Of
the country can be doubled. The sug
gestion that steps be taken to insure
this result was first made by James j.
Hill at the White House conference
show us how to add seven billion dol
lars annually to our foreign trade"
he said. 1T would be the sensation of
the hour. The way TO do this in agri-
culture Is open. The farm products
Of the United States In 1906 were
valued at $6,794 100000 and in 1907
at $7,412000,000. All of our vast do
nestle commerce, equal In value to the
foreign trade OF all the nations COM
bined, is supported and paid for by
the land or our farm area only enc
half Is improved. II does not produce
one-half OF what II could be made to
yield; not by some complex system
OF intensive culture but merely by or
binary care and industry intelligently
applied. IL Is the capital upon which
alone we can draw through all the
future, but the amount OF the draft
that will be honored depends upon the
care and intelligence given TO its cul-
tivation.
Since this statement was made the
problem Of soil exhaustion and farm
improvement has become the especial
object of government investigation.
with the result, II is understood, that
many facts have been discovered
which when they are announced. will
be of very great Importance to the
80 200. 900 persons In the country who
are engaged directly in agricultural
pursuits.
How to Stay Rich" Is a problem 30
which the $1s.000,000 Nelson Morris
fortune, recently inventoried, contrib
utes on analysis much valuable infor-
nation. In view OF Peter Van Vlissfn.