Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1919-09-03
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The State Board Of Charities and
Corrections has issued reports on
the various penal and charitable in
stitutions, which will be published in
The Courier in full. We give below
the report on
Oconce County Almshouse.
w. r. Cobb, superintendent. Visi-
ted July 2, 1919, by Assistant Secre-
tary Broyles. Inmates present 20,
Of which only one was negro This
is about the average population.
AS general rule, the large, thick
ly populated counties have the best
almshouses, but Oconee's institution
compares favorably with those in a
goodly number Of richer counties
In possibilities for development there
are few better than this one, and
in this report we point out the man
ner in which this institution could
be very greatly improved. The
buildings are rather above the aver
age in repair, and most Of them are
we'll covered with metal, but the
place needs a sewerage disposal sys-
tenn, and good water works, both Of
which could be installed easily.
There is already OIL the place a good
ram, which pumps abundant water
to high tank in the yard, and If
flush toilets were built on the place,
water would be at hand for use.
Shower and tub baths could be in
stalled, too, and furnished from the
same water system. The old con-
crete house, built some time ago for
housing convicts, could be used for
bath houses, one for white females
and one for white males being built
with toilets in each one. Since there
are so few negroes in this almshouse
separate accommodations need not
be made for them.
The superintendent informed us
the institution is run at n profit, and
the laws Of the State require all sur
plus to be spent for the county poor.
tCivil Code, Section 1929 There
Is no better way in which this sur
plus could be spent than in putting
in this sewerage and bathing system.
The natural drainage adds to the
ease with which this could be done at
this institution.
We earnestly recommend that the
Supervisor and Commissioners give
this matter careful consideration,
and that they act upon the sugges-
ton. Several almShouses already
have such arrangements, and Chero-
kee county Is planning to build
along these lines this fall, putting in
electric lights in addition. Green
Vile now has electric lights, running
water in every room, four bath
rooms with toilets, two congregate
dining-rooms, which save much food,
and splendid laundry, in Which
washing can be done in any sort Of
weather. All Of Greenville's houses
are brick. York and Spartanburg
both have water systems and sani-
tary sewerage disposal.
We commend the superintendent
for his careful attention to personal
hygiene among the paupcrs, and for
his genuine interest in the welfare
Of his charges. We also especially
commend the county physician for
his great interest in the institution,
which is so great that we are in
formed he frequently makes visits
Of inspection and counsel for which
he receives no pay. Such services
are rare, but this does not lessen
their value.
We recommend that the Commits
sioners buy good record book for
the superintendent, to replace the
miserable old volume he is now
using. He has good records, but he
has no adequate place to keep them.