The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1920-09-30
PATHETIC STORIES TOLD
BY PUBLIC WELFARE BOARD

Columbia, Sept. 28.-The State
Board OF Public Welfare in its in
spection of the institutions for the
poor OF the state finds some pathetic
stories. The halt, the manned and
the blind; those that are racked with
disease and are forgotten by the out
side world; folk that are ager, chill
dren that are feeble-minded-paupers
and wrecks of our social order are
gathered into city almshouses to drag
out a miserable existence that leads
down to Potter's field. Recently one
OF the officials of this office visited
an almshouse in this state. This is
the story of the inmates that he
gives:
"Of the eight inmates two have
tuberculosis. They are cared for by
a negro woman who is nurse, cook
laundress and housekeeper. The food
supplied consists OF salted bacon,
grts, bread, syrup and such vege-
tables as are produced on the farm.
Occasionally fresh meat and eggs are
added to the bill Of fare. This food
' is prepared in an unscreened kitchen
where no precautions are taken to
prevent the spread OF disease by
means of flies and soiled dishes.
las result of vinereal diseases an
inmate is partially crippled, and an
otner is totally blind. One woman
claims to be one hundred years old;
She may not be that age but she has
almost reached the period when she
cannot care for herself. Another
pauper is paralytlc old woman who
can walk but few trembling steps
even with the aid of a stick. She has
no crutches, and complains that the
coarse food makes her sick.
Another pathetic case is that of
half-crazy man who has been upon
the farm. for many years. He is now
obsesseu With the idea that the farm
belongs TO him and bitterly resents
the county's failure to pay the rent
long due him. Much of his time is
spent in reading stray copy of the
House Journal" for 1908 and NUT
tering fragments of sentences of pro-
test against his being made slave
for twenty-five years and not being
given anything to wear but these old
torn up things"
I'm a darkened room was an old
woman dying with innumerable can
GERS. The wall of the cottage sup
ported her in a half sitting position
upon her pallet spread on the floor.
Beside her was an untouched tin pan
of rice and boiled meat. She eX
planned that nothing tasted good to
her but she wanted to try some sar-
dimes and crackers. She had once
enjoyed them and hoped that they
would arouse her failing appetite.
For hours she had no one to care for
her, although her body was twitching
with pain. She begged piteously for
another supply of some medicine that
had once helped to ease the pain that
was torturing her through the lonely
hours"
The State Board of Public Wei
fare finds only one solution of this
state of affairs, and that is the dis
trict hospital home. Should group
of counties be induced TO erect a
homelike and comfortable building
and equip it for persons that need
medical treatment and careful nurs-
ing, the poor of that district woulG
not be forced to foregather III mis-
cradle haunt. Such hospital home
would not only be in keeping with a
kindly spirit, but it would also cost
little more, if any, than our present
system of county almShouSeS.