Semi-weekly herald., 1911-09-11
The NEW COUNY POOR
FARM

La liala county mas poor mouse
Of which it may well be proud.
On last Wednesday afternoon the
editor of this paper, in company with
+. R. Graham, S. NJ. Biggs, w. G.
White and John Mcneil, was taken by
Silas w. Smith, the architect, who
had the erection of the building in
charge, in an auto out to the county
poor farm on an inspection trip.
The county poor farm consists Of
twenty-nine acres on the banks OF
Junction creek, just outside the city
limits. The new building, which was
ccmmenced on May 3, by Simpson and
Anderson, local firm Of contractors
and builders, and completed on Sept
l, is neat and commodious building
nestled down in an ideal location, just
little less than half mile from
the car line. 1t is building 46x124
feet in dimension, the main building is
two story work 30x48 feet, on each
side of this is built wing, or annex,
45x47 feet, the one being used for
the male ward and the other for the
female inmates, at each end of the
] building is a large, well lighted sunny
room, these are the dormitories, there
is in each wing four single rooms for
tho use of sick. The building is piped
FOR city water and electric lights are
in every room in the building, the
only modern feature lacking is steam
heat, feature which should at once
lie installed, not only on account Of
economy but for protection against
fire. Each wing of the building con-
tains closets and toilet rooms, a large
basement affords room for the win
ter's supply of coal and furnace room,
the pipes have already been placed
in position and the boiler alone Is
lacking to place steam heat in every
room where radiators may be placed.
The building has capacity for the
humane and hygenic care of sixty
inmates, there are at present four
teen inmates in the house, six of these
being old ladies. Mrs. Foster, the
matron of the institution, is a very
pleasant middle aged lady who, with
her son, youth Of 18 years, have full
charge.
A large and well lighted dining
room is feature of the house that
will 60 long ways toward making
the inmates comfortable, the beds are
all new in every particular and the
building is scrupulously clean, all bag
gage brought by an inmate Is placed
in tight room and thoroughly fumi-
gated before being taken into the
wards.
The building has been completed at
a cost of less than $4,000, the labor,
and the material, used has all been
Durango's product SO far as possible,
very little of the material and none
of the labor being imported.
We wish that every taxpayer in the
county would make trip TO the
building and see what has been ac-
complished at so little cost, one Of
the main differences between the civil
lized and the savage consists in the
manner in which the poor and unfor-
tunate members of the race are cared
for and in this instance provisions are
made for the care of the unfortunates
Of La Plata county in manner which
would be credit to any county in the
United States.
We feel that the board of county
commissioners are entitled to great
credit for their part In this work, II
it is true that Chairman Scouton is
more responsible than the other men
of the board for the securing Of this
building then we sincerely congratu-
late that member on the success Of
his efforts, but to the entire board,
to the architect who planned the build
ing and to the workmen who built 1t,
we believe much credit Is due.