Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-11-26
Happy Day at
'Almshouse Passed
Thanksgiving Day


parties in which every resident of the
city should be interested was that at
the city almshouse, where 1t might
he said, Overseer of the Poor, N. J.
Marshall acted as host. being present
ir nerson to oversee affairs and en-
low the happiness of others. Mr..
Marshall believes that the poor and
unfortunate should enjoy Thanksgiv-
ing and when the dinner bell was
sounded on Thanksgiving Day, the
neople who live there, % in number
marched into the big clean dining
room at the farm and took their pla-
ces at the table. Mrs. Samuel Ma
dean. the matron, assisted by Mrs.
Sarah Butler, one OF the inmates,
then served them with the following
dinner: Tomato bisque, roast spring
chicken with dressing, mashed pota-
toes, squash, cranberry sauce, celery,
homemade bread just out the ov-
en-. cake, coffee and hot apple pie
with Purity ice cream. Because the
Mace is often called the poor farm.
that does not signify that the poor
unfortunates living there are not
properly fed and cared for.
It might be interesting to note that
the chickens were raised on the
farm and everything else besides, the
cranberries, the celery and the ice
cream was special treat provided
for by Mr.. Marshall for his guests"
II think" said Mr.. Marshall. that
the majority of people seem to think
that because it is called the poor
farm. that it is just what the name
implies and that settles it. Let me
state right here, there is one thing
lacking, and that is the lack of peo-
ple visiting the house and finding out
for themselves just how the inmates
are fed and cared for. The house is
omen at all times to visitors and moth
ing would please the care takers,
Mr.. and Mrs. Nadeau any more than
10 have the people, who might at
times have heard rumors that the in
mates were not getting just the pro-
per care, to investigate and then
Judge for themselves if such rumOrs
have any foundation whatever"
The house is steam heated and the
rooms are clean and comfortable.
The men are furnished with tobacco
and plenty of it. "There are no re-
strictions on the amount" said Mr..
Marshall, II feel that all the enjoy
ment old men have is their pipes and
/ don't believe in depriving them of
it. Nothing is ever asked of them
that is unreasonable. All the wood
consumed there has been sawed by
machinery and while I will frankly
admit that there are a great many
people saving and splitting their
own wood, who are no more able to
than some of the inmates at the
farm, but they have never been
asked to saw single stick.
There is only one thing l do In
sst upon, and while l did have some
difficulty at first finally won out in
the end. and now they seem to enjoy
it, That is that every inmate in the
house is required to take a bath and
change his clothes at least once
week. There are two bath rooms.
one on each floor with hot and cold
water and I insist that they use
them.
Sometimes I feel little bit angry
when upon investigating different
cases 1 find old people living in little
low, unsanitary rents, with torn down
ceilings. built half underground and
if ask them why they don't go out
to the farm to live, four cases out OF
every five will answer, "Tll die be-
fore I go to the poor farm. Perhaps
if the name was changed and called
the City Home instead of the poor
farm or the almshouse it would not
be dreaded as much. 1 feel sure
that if some of the poor old unfor-
Inmates living here in the city. who
never get breath of good fresh air
or bit of sunshine would go to the
farm for a time and find out for
themselves how comfortable they
would be there. they would never
come back to their little low rents.
II would be pleased to accompany
any one at any time who could care
to so out and visit the house. 1t is
city property and everyone has a
right to look it over. You can exam
Inc it from cellar to attic, then when
some discussion arises, you can tell
them what you know and not what
you have heard"