Huntingdon journal. (Huntingdon, Pa.) 1843-1859, September 15, 1858, Image 1

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WM. BREWSTER, EDITOR & PROPRIETOR.
TERMS OF THE JOURNAL.
TERMS
Th4I"IICNTINGDON JOUItNAL' id published it
the following rates
If paid in advance $1,40
If paid within six months after the time of
subscribing 1,75
If paid before the expiration of the year, 2,00
And two dollars and fifty cents if not paid
till ether the expiration of the year. No suhscrip
don taken for a less period than six months.
1. All subscriptions are continued mail nth
ermine ordered, and no paper will be disconti•nt
ed, anti/ arrenrages are paid, except at the option
of the publisher.
2. Returned numbers are never received by us.
All numbers sent us in that way are lost, and
never accomplish the purpose of the sender.
3. Persons wishing to stop their subscriptions,
must pay up arrenrages, and send a written or
;verbal order to that effect, to the office of pub
lication in Huntingdon . .
4. Giving notice to a postmaster is neither to
legal or a proper notice.
S. Aftor one or more numbers of a new year
hove been forwarded, a new year has commenc
ed, and the paper will not be discontinued until
arrearages are paid. See No. 1.
The Courts have dechled that refacing to eke
a newspaper from the office, or removing nnd
leaving it uncalled for, is PRIMA P.m evidence
at intentional fraud.
Subscribers living in distant counties, or in
other States, will be required to pay invariably
In advance. . .
, air The almve terms will be rigidly adhered
to iu all cases,
ADVERTISEMENTS
Will be charged at tlia following rate.;
I insurnon. 2 to. 3 to.
Six linos or less, S 25 $ 37i S 50
One 'Hoare, (16 linen,) 50 75 1 00
TwO (52 ) I Ott 150
_2 00
A mo. 6 rim. 12 mu.
$3 03 $5 00 $6 00
5 00 8 00 12 00
8 00 12 00 18 00
12 00 18 00 27 00
18 00 27 00 40 00
One square,
Two equarcu,
1 colu a m o n,
do.,
do.; 28 00 40 00 50 00
Business Curds of six lines, or less, $4.00.
Advertising and Job Work.
We would remind the Advertising com
munity and all others who wish to bring
their bus;,rsa extensively befote the pub
lie, that the Journal has the largest cir
culation of any paper in tho county—that
ft is is instantly increasing;—nnd that is
eon' into the hands of our wealthiest citi•
ens.
We would also state that our facilities
for executing all kinds of JOB PRI.NT
INTO art'ilttal to those of nay other office
iuthe county; and all Job Work elan,-
ed to our hand, wilt no nun. .
romptly, and at prices which will Le
satisfactory.
3ELM3PC)PI. I I 6
OF THE
Peon ROUSE VISITING COMMITTEE.
To the lion°, able, the Judges of the Cowl
ol Quarter Sessionv of Ilunting.ton
County :
The undersign id Beard of Visitors, al, I
pointed upon the petition of the Directors
of the Poor and of the House of Employ
ment of the county of Huntingdon, by
your honorable Court 'to examine tie ,
books, accounts, and.all other matters and
things of, in and relating to the snid Poor
House, and the management of the same,
by Directiirt and Stewards of the same,
from the organization and incorporation
thereof until" the time of the presenting
of said petition, and “to make report of
? Inch examination to the said Court and to
the public," picpecttu .l) prezent the fol
lowing report :
As soon as possible, after notice of their
Appointment, the Board fixed upon and no•
mod Monday, the 21st of June last, as the
,day of meeting; and immediately gave to
All the newspipers in the county a notice
to that effect, with a request that they
,should make the feats known through the
columns of their several papers. Our re
quest was cheerfully complied with, and
,the notice was thus made general and pub
lic. Written notice was alto given to the
Directors of the Poor. On the 21st of
June, pursuant to notice, the Board of Vis
ito-a ii.et in the borough of Shirleysburg,
and proceeded in the duties of their lip
pointmeni. The task was a novel one.—
'No especial subjects of complaint, or for
investigation, were mentioned in the order
of the Court. We were to ..exanene,"
but in what way, or to what end, was left
entirely to the discretion of the Visitors,
Thu Board of Visitors believing that the
honorable Court, the Board of Directors
end the people, desired a full investigation
into all the transactions connected with the
erection and conducting of the business of
the Poor House, in order that those most
interested in the economical disposition of
the funds of the county, should b e infbrm•
ed whether or not those to, whom they had
committed the trust had been fatthful in
the discharge of their duties.
Their first duty was an examination of
the accounts for expenditures, for the see-
Oral years, since the organization of the
Poor House department, up to the time of
the last annual settlement—(aciing in the
belief that to urge this investigation beyond
that date, would be productive of no good
results ; es the accounts for a part of a
year could only be a partial and imperfect
efatem•nt, end might be thw subject of a
second examination, should visitors be up- peutally referred to be some of the tax•
pointed at the end of the current year.)— payers in attendance. With,ut any pow-
It is proper that we should state, that both ers to cornpel the attendance of witnesses,
the late and present Steward, and the Di- or the production of papers, the Board of
rectors severa'ly, manifested an earnest' Vi,itors concluded that by a patient hear
and commendable desire that the inv , sti• in 4 of all p Irties (for or against) without
gation should be searching an, thorough ; ' the admi"istration of an oath, substantial
and each of them, together with several of justice would he secured, adopted that plan
the late Directors, gave to the Board of and proceeded to the investigation of the
Visitors every aid and assistance, within I charges.
their power, to make a true exhibit of ev• We glee their substance as follows : and
ery transaction connected with their admin• dispose of each in their time.
istrations, severally. I It wits insisted that the Visitors should
Ar. important department in the politi-1 report whether any supplemental law bud
cal economy of our county, involving the altered the pay of the Directors. By act
annual expenditure of a largo sum of the of Assembly of 1831, page 21, the pay of
accutnul tied taxes of the county, and de- the Directors is fixed at two dollars per
mending in its administration the industry day; and by the not of 1855, they were el
and experience of the successful tanner, lowed mileage. in the original law the
—the shrewd, active, and watchful atten. pay o f e ach was fixed at $2O per annum.
tion of the merchant mid inatiagerthe It was alleged that the IYrect trs had
careful, orderly, and nice detail of the sold articles to the Poor House, while they
book-keeper and clerk—and to add with were Directors, in violation of the stn we
an this a kind sympathy ;11 sternness and lion of the act of
steadiness of purpose, which constitute a The accounts, as published, and the
father, a friend and a superintendent, was, vouchers, its woll as the admissions of such
ly our Poor House law, called into axis- of the. Directors as were present, who have
tence, and its cure and direction committed i tionn so, establish the truth of this charge.
to three of our citizens; none of whom bad Several of the Directors have done so. in
experience to direct their course, and, as 4.,rtiorntice of the prov‘sion in the h i . e . as it
was expected by your Visitors, they found
on the examination of their accounts and
vouchers, Oat no order or system hail been
adopted, so that those who mioht follow
them could understand, or by which evert
the parties could explain many °ldle items
of expenditures, as they nppe ir,d in the
published accounts. A commencement,
without a system, has been continued.—
Dating the first years, little or no attention
has been paid to the pre,oreation of the
evidence of the proper applieation of the
im ; the account, once settled and audi
ted, in terms arm items so general, that
they gave no infuriation, in definite form
to the people ; the vouchers were without
date, without number, without arrange
ment; left without even cases to pr 'serve
them, to be shuffled from place to place, ns
of no value. 'rims the le:, cf the
by try comparison tt ith the vouchers.—
. Enough appeared. however, after it carein I
and ns ihorotiall an examination ns it wits
passible to took,: upon the data before us,
t o satisfy the Board of Visitors there had
been no misapplication of the county fonds
nor was any wilful negligonce or corrupt
purpose, chargeable to the Directors or
Steward. For the year 1857 the same
want of order and system existed ; and a
Itbored examination of the vouchers for
this year, resulted in precisely the same
convictions as wits those relating to furin-r
year's. It was apparent that un honest ef.
loot hid been note to pr,sent n full exhib
it of the transic , ions of 1857. But owing
tot the 01.dirsted system. and the coda
sin consequent thereon. it was impossiole
for your Visitors to obtain accurate results
except by n re-statement of the whole ac
count. 13,ing satisfied, that, to do so, wo'd
bring no new light upon our investigations,
we did not attempt. it.
Your Visitors cannot leave this pert of
the subject without a strong expression of
their opinion, that it is necessary to alopt
some more efficient and transparent sys ,
tent of accounts, in order that the tax pay•
ers tinily know, at any time, what has been
the disposition of their boupty. No pay•
ment should be made, for the smallest stun
without obtaining a sufficient voucher ; all
of which should be numbered and arr.rn•
ged so that reference could always be had
from the account to the particular voucher
—each voucher having endorsed upon it
its date, and the date upon which the or.
der was drawn for it ; and in all cases
where one item in the accounit is composed
of sundry brnall sums, paid to diflerent tn•
dividuals, the general voucher for that
item should be a statement of the several
small ite•ns, and iusitle of that statement
all the several vouchers for :haft sinall
sums, Where, also, one voucher contains
two or more items, which appear in sepa
rate parts of the account, a special refer
ence should be considered necessary to
classify the expenditures, then the vouch
ers for each class should always be nom•
bored and arranged by themselves, and the
whole should then be arranged in caws, FO
that for all time to coine, the item of every
expenditure can, at any moment, be ex
plained by its receipt. Never, until all
this is done, and en exact copy of the au-
dited account, of each year, made and fil.
ed with the vottchers of that year, can a
satisfactory and correct examination be
made by any one ; and as soon as this or
s ine equally intelligiLle system shall be
adopted nod pursued. whatever of mistake
or fraud shall creep into the Poor [louse
administration, can be readily detected and
brought to light.
Sevinl chnrges of misconduct were ea•
" LIBERTY AND UNION. NOW AND FOREVER, O,E AND INSEPARABLE. "
HUNTINGDON, PA., WEDNE
wes alleged. Toe provision in the law is
eminently proper. When a Director is
both buyer and seller, the bitter will have
no one to dispute his price ; and sales, on
nay terms, could be effected. The low
is plain and imperative. The Directors
should have known wlint WOO the 1
their being; and ohedienee to its provt.
slims would have avoided cause of stkpl.
don nod reproach. In imaice to the Di.
rectors, however, the Hoard of Visitors
distinctly state, that a full met:A:video of
each case of this kind, (and the whole
amount of articles sold was not large,)
gave conclusive evidence that the articles
sold by the Directors to the flou an, wore
at reasonable prices, and the sales were
I caused by no corrupt or unworthy motives
or. the part of the Directors.
It was alleged that n, pair of oven, the
property of the coupe tot
hire, nail subverpienly sold to John Thetis ,
and that the torment due therefor, by said
cks. had never been collected, and was
now.a hiss to the county This appeared
to he true, in the main, John Flicks had
obtoined the use, and ultimately the tele,
ton pair of rix*n which were the property,
of the county; at the tiin, or subsequent
ly, the said flicks contracted to lay this
pipes, to bring the water front the large
spring. to the Poor House, fle commen•
cod rho work, nail progressing for some
time with it, abandoned it, and ultimately
Ift the county. All the purchase money,
exceeding the value of the wor:: done by
hicks, was a 1043 to the county. A cot ,
tact of that kind should have been made
after. a public Icting, end. the contractor
obligated to a faithful performance of his
contract, with sufficient security. This
would have saved tie county from the loss.
The Whole transaction was loose and in
secure—nevertheless, such as sometimes
happens to the most prudent. No evi•
dente appeared of any improper motives
having influenced the Directors or the
Stewattl,and the worst that can be ea.(' is
that they were careless in their dealings
with Mr flicks.
it was alleged that the Directors, or the
Stewart, had received articles of value
front paupers or their estates, and that the
same hud never been accounted for. In
one case a land warrant had been obtained
Iron William Bell ; the published account
shows that the money received from its
sale was nccounten for. A pair of oxen, n
cow, and some hogs had been received
from Webb 'Pile title of Webb to this
oxen was and is disputed, and suit is now
pending to recover the cattle from the Di
rectors. The oxen are now on the (trot,
the hogs have been sold and the money ac
counted for; the cow is now in the poem s
sins of the Directors. Some clothes were
said to have been received by the late
Steward, which were unaccounted for. A
coat was sold nod tit money accounted
for ; the other articles of clothing had been
applied to the use of the Minutes. There
appeared to he nothing in the whole of
t hese transnetious which is censurable.--
Your Visitors, however, believe that 801110
definite system should lie pursued, on that
full exhibit could be made, mutually, of the
product of everything which was received
front the property or estate of any pan.
per.
It was especially complained of, that
large and heantiful epilog of water had
been brought into service, by bringing the
water by pipes iota the Poor /loose, when
o smaller spring. near to the house, could
have supplied the water. In the opinion
of yeur Visitors. this woe a much needed
and valuable improvement, end the only
wonthr to them is, that it 1v914.101. made
years before. Connected with was,
I also, n compluint that a cook stove had been
Pmoved and a Burge and vslual,..
range been erected. •this vv, another
much neodt•d improvement
advantage secured by this roar
large supply of hot water is ket• - constant
ly on hand. The water from spring
rupplying the water-back of 1..1 r nge,
and the vessel connected the; •w th by
pipes, make the whole matte - of great
convenienie and economy. It way Cnllse
of astoni,lnnent that such isripntatit iat
proveinents should have been so long no.
glocted, when there was so greet n neees.
IS it y for them,
'rho Visitors were desire I t.) :orriire in
to the Solon of Prat 11110Waile04 p nd to the
contractor, who burl: the noose, inclinlinu
tho at is story no,l the cktein; and also the
lotting of the hurling of the privy nod
fence, the contract fur which wu. also gift')
to th- sante party.
Dr J. G. Lightner had been accepted
us the succes,ful bidder for tin• house; the
contract woe+ bottling near
ly eintipieted. It then 1,1,111 W apparent
that in ?art owing to the great inert,te in
the price of every thing, that the contract
yr nin,t be it Lave looser by his contr.'.
In'utort sore, to relieve the contractor, and
mak•: up a portion of his loss. the then Di
rectors thought they were jii,tifiable
giviaz the extra work to the contractor, nt
prictiN and to the Visitors it is up.
!went. that for some of the work, especi
ally the cistern, the price allowed x•at t•o
y large. The motives which dictated the
conduct were rot censurable, hut it would
louiale-, have been snore just and less op
en to complaint. had they done directly
that which they did indirectly. The same
motives induced the same [lud of Direr
ors to ask pruposals, trom usechattics, for
the building of the privy and fence; hnv•
Mg at the same time, a 1 rivate understand
ing that in any event the contract should
be allnued to Dr. Lightner, et a price at
least us low so 01' lowescholder. There
',tore tvri to
or coo not, higher than the lowest bid. It
is not important that that issue of fact be
settled by this Board, ns no remedy could
be applied, ur any good result therefrom
The meclr.ery Of it publie letting was not
necessar3, if it were a foregone conclusion,
as to the party, to vi hoot• the cataract was
to be allotted ; and the Directors would
hive been less censurable if they had bold
ly followed their sympathies for the unfor
tunate contractor, without any attempt to
conceal their purpose. Your Visitors saw
no evidence of any corrupt or unworthy
c•mdnct by any of the Director's ; and they
aro thus minute in all the derailg of the
coin: laint , , leeuuse it is expected that et ,
ery complaint should be treated. with res
pect..
Complaints was made that a CcLie of surgi
cal instruments had haen purchased rer
the use of the House. This was admitted
and justified on dm gromol of necessity.
l'he expense wits not grOat, and while it is
ptobable that, many years may pass over
before all, or perhaps any, of those
instruments ar, re faired, still your Visi
tors are satisfied that the purchase was
not an imprudent
The attention. of the I3nnrd was also
called to billy for groceries &c., alleging
that ale, raisn,,, and nutmegs, had been
purchased for the House, and that they
were such luxuries no ought not to be pur
chased. Two ten gallon kegs of ale, and
half box raisins, and one pound of nut.
negs, were admitted by the Steward to
have been purchased; the first it was al
',zed. was purchased on the recommends.
tiou of the Ph7sician, as of service for
medicinal purposes. and was purchased
fur and by th,t Steward, with his own
funds,— The ntis ins were for the culinary
deportment, neil thu nutmegs were an ah
solute rt etssity. he whole charge was
so small that it should sot I , ave been noticed
bad it riot been turd with some pertin
achy. Tour Visitors saw nothing in all
this, which sustains the charge of extrovi
i
g thee.
An allegation was &no made that some
of the Directors, and others, had received
nroceries from the Steward of the Poor
House.—the groceries having been pur
chased with the supply for the House.
Cite basis fur this charge was in the fol.
lowing facts: On one occasion the Don.
,John Brewster requested the Steward to
seal far and purchase, in Philadelphia,
wh••n the groceries for the House were
purchased, n box of candles for hie use
This was done, and upon the delivery of
th, candles to Mr, Brewster ha promptly
paid for them. At another time one of
, the Directors. (Mr. Green.) made rt
situ
ilar request of the Steward, to purchase
for him a hog of molasses, and the Stew
DAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1858.
itrd complied. In both cases, however,
the books of fircount showed that both
gentlemen hod promptly paid the Steward
Ow price of the purchases. There wea
nothing like speculation in the traosactionA.
It may have teen imprudent, as likely to
is that a I excite suspicion.
A , ' great
A &finite 'charge was made that the expense in Mifflin, by the same test, cost
Board of Directors of 1857, had employ. $135 80. In Huntingdon county, the sv•
ed, as the attending Physician Dr. Baird erase number of inmates was less than the
ut a salary of $2OO per annum, to the same I number in the House at the end of the
time when Dr. McKinnon had proposed year. It Is reaseneble to presume that the
to perform the duties for $lOO. TlllB same was true of Mifflin county. The dill
charge was not denied by the Board of Di. Terence exhibited then, as above, between
rbeters, 'leering that they were geverned fluntingden and Alifflin counties, is, doubt'
by no improper motives, but acted with less, neatly correct; end is largely to the
heir best lodgement. Year Visitors be. credit of our own county. Applying the
Ice' e it better In narrate the c rcumstatices same method to the expenses of our own
attending the transaction, and thus leave c ounty. for the year 1856, would demon•
the whole matter to the judgement of their straw the position first assumed—that the
peers As soon as the [loose was ready annual expese of the maintenance of each
to receive paupers, Dr .1 G. Lightner , pauper, is largest at the commencement of
was selected as its attending Physician, I the institution, and it gradually decreases,
end the at lary fixed tit $2OO. This salary as experience, end more perfected opera.
wa s continued up to the year 1b57--Dr. dons make the working of their govern.
0. H. Baldwin having been. the Physician I inent more complete. Your Visitors. there
during part of the year 1850. In the lat, fore, ,conclude the subject by expressing
ter Fart of that year Dr. Baldwin being their dear convictions that no wilful ex
about to leave the place transferred travegunce or dishonest purposes on the
his eppoint went to De. [McKinnon; his part ()luny of ,he directors or either of the
,ervlce was accepted., and he was paid a Stewards, was node manifest in our inves•
proportionate share of the salary of $2OO. lige tions, which were extend( d to every
For some cause, either and perhaps both particular Cepartment; and were as search.
pmitical arid personal, an effort was made tog and impartial as it was possible to
i (ferret the appoiettneut of Dr. Baird,-- make them. l'rue, it is, that some viola
tthere being no allegation against the ca. i tines of the letter of the law were apparent
pocky of Dr. ti c Kin lion A proposition --some acts of imprudence—settle neglects
was then made by D. McKinnon that he of wholesome economy; and a great mint
would accept the uppointinent at the sale. of care in the taking, tiling and preserving
ry 011;100 --The Directors ultimately con- 1 of the vouchers, for the expenditures of
ferred the appointment upon Dr. Baird, each, and every year, wer. ten evident to n
without flxittg the salary, but lea ving the Ibe denied or disputed. Yerthe clear Mr
compensation to be fixed by the services victiens o'your Visitors, were, that no in.
rendered. The Board of Directors did, ternational wrong had been committed by
however, make his solar) $2OO, alleging; any one of the persons connected with
that upon an estimate of the service ren. the conduct of the Poor House govern.
dered, it did not appear to be too ntuch.meat,me, and that whatever error or wrong
Upon -oho connuencenteut of the cure . tit there might have been, arose wholly from
year. a proposition was matte again by Dr, went of knowledge and experience or from
' Nicl(inn on, to fulfil the trust for $l5O per mistaken judgement.
year. The Directors continued Dr. Baird
•••• • .II.• •1110.1 y LV •10 !UV IIC I 0111.4111.
There is no question to the minds of
your Visitors that the salary was; at the
commencement, fixed too high. The es•
taloishinent of a had precedent did not war
rent its continuence, and the salary was
properly reduced in 1858, nod should
have (teen reduced before. Your
Vi i
tors will not presume to declare the motive
which actuated the several parties to
this contest. It is eminently proper, in
the administration of such a trust, that all
the action should be directed by a desire
to promote the interest of the taxpayers,
and, as far as practical, all the influences
exercised, inside sod outside. should tie de
void of partizan or personal considerations.
Higher and nobler 'notices should control
the counsels of every one who desires
nothing but the prudent. and well directed
application of the county charities.
A charge of more substantial importance
thou any stud till other, was contained in
the allegation that the annual expense of
inaintaintng eaclopauper, in our county,
was more than twice us much as it was in
some other comities, and much larger than
in any other.
11' Ware the facts, in relation to a coin.
parison between the expense is this and
otter counties, was not readily ascertain
ed. A simple calculation of the costs for
anyone year, of another county, would be
nu uufair criterion from which to judge,
unless the Visitors were familiar with the
early history of the county Poo; House,
of which the calculation wag made. So
far as the knowledge of your Visitors ex
tends. it is a well established fact that du•
ring the lirst few years of the history of
any poor house, the expenses have always
been such larger, than after they have
systematized their operations, completed
their improvements, and, by a sharp expo.
riecce, learn how to direct their operations
and to husband their resources: and a
comparison would only be just in a case,
where the circumstances attending each
nre alike. Your Visitors have no means
within their power to enter inn, any corn•
performs which would prove anything.
The only county that was organized about
the saute time as our own; and of winch we
have a report is Blifflin; the act for the e.
rection of a poor house having been passed
the tame your as our own; and cif thiecoun-1
ty we have a report for 1857. It is true
that their• report does not furnish a state
ment oi the number in the Hum for each
month.—the average numbe for each month
oftho• year, therefore, cannot be aesertaln•
ed. and a comparison with this county, for
the year juet past,.will only be an epgrox ,
intation toward the truth. On the bit of
January. 1858, there were in the Mifflin
county Poor House, only 15 inmates.
In the Huntingdon county Poor Hoitse,
there were ut the same time, 71 inmates
Mifflin county expended 82,037 during
the year. Iluntindon county expended.
during the same time, 86,142. By a com
parison of these figures the annual expense
for the maintenance of each pauper in our
comity, w•as $B6 50. While the annual
The farm was examined, and to your
Mil thrift, and its annually increasing pro
ducts; proving that no ordinary rne•ans are
left unemployed to keep it in good order,
and to cultivate and secure its crops. One
or two fields, it is true, aru very liable 0
be washed by heavy rains, the only protec•
lion against which, if any can be bound,
must be iu the keeping of those fields, as
touch as practicable, in such grasses us
give the surface the firmest sward.
An inquiry was also pressed upon your
Visitors, whether uny improper conduct
had been used by any ono, at the time of
the location of the Poor House and the pur
chase of the farm, and whether that improp
er conduct did not secure the purchase of
un unsuitable furor at an extravagant price
Nothing was shown from which toy i .
proper conduct could be suspected. The
commissioners for the purchase were evi
dently governed by their best judgement,
and biased by no improper motive. The
devetopments of its history may hose
changed the views of some us to the pro
priety nod economy of the location. Your
Visitors do not see that any gool can conic
from any d'scussion of that question no w.
That the farm is a good one, with seine'
peculiar odvantages, no sine can deny-1
and yoor Visitors are satisfied that the a•
pinion of the many intelligent citizens who
ogre'-d to and negotiated its purchase, is a
better assurance than any opinion they 1
can give that the price paid was not con
sidered too high at the time of the pus
chase- It should be borne in mind, that a
large grossing crop was also included in
the purchase, which largely enhanced its
then value, and $5OO was the added con
s;deration for the growing crop.
You Visitors have thus disposed of the
subjects of inquiry in relation to the mal
administration of the Pons House affair...—
They cannot, dowever, close their labors,
Zwithout ofkring some suggestions for 1110
consideraton of all interested.
The [louse, us it bow stands, is exposed
to the burning sun during the entire dny.
It should be protected by shade, or large
fruit trees. These would' add much to the
appearance of tho grounds, and to the corn.
fort of the inmntes.
The Office of the Board of Directors
should be furnished with a letter copying.
pre-s. A large correspondence is condo.
nually kept up, involving, at times, impor
tant pecuniary interests of the Poor House,
and, censequently, of the taxpayers of the
county. A copy of every letter of this
kind, ,n fact, of every business letter,
should be preserved. so that, at any futuro
time, its cotents could be exhibited and
proved, if necessary. While upon this
subject, your Visitors cannot neglect to
call attention to the Mae care taken hn
preserve the•lettere reresie:d by the Stew.
VOL. XXIII. NO. 37.
ards and Directors. All letters should be
systematically endorsed, and filed in some
place especially appropriated (or ,them.—
E'very business man knows how very
'ill portant the contents of letters frequently
:iecome, when any subject of difference or
dplic.alty arises between the parties to the
correspondence. The business of the
people demands strict care and accounta
bility in their agents.
Some important alterations should be
wide in the interior structure of the Hollis
Now, the insane or troublesome inmates,
are kept in the cells or rooms of the base
ment story; this should not be so. It is
difficult to imagine why the whole base
ment story was cut up into little cells, of
little or no use whatever, when, at the
same time, no room was made for a dininor
or eating room. If possible, a large
and commodious room for that purpose,
should be arranged on the basement floor,
opposite the kitchen, , and the inmates,
now compelled to occupy those ground
floors, should be placed in some other part
of the building. This would effect the
suggestions of humanity, as well as be of
great comfort and convenience to all.
Your visitors also examined the several
rooms of 11. e paupers, and were pleased to
,find them cleanly, and exhibiting care and
attention by those entrusted with them; and
although your Visitors desired the inmates
to speak frankly, no apparent cause of corn•
plaint was made.
In conclusion, your Visitors cannot oe•
glect this opportunity to say to the tax-pay
ers of the county that, to them is annually
entrusted the duty of selecting from among
their number, one to take charge of their
interest at the Poor House, and the Visitors
have endeavored to show, by this report.
how very important it is, that the choice
should fall upon an active shrewd, honest
and intelligent citizen, whose butanes, as
sociations have been such as to fit him in
some mensure, to manage such a complicate
and peculiar household as is found in the
Poor House.
All d which ii respectfully submitted.
731110? Fite R.
JOHN PORTER.
WILLIAM DORRIS, Jr.,
A. W. BENRDIM
HUNTINGDON COUNTY. EL
At a Court of General Guar-
L S. } ter Sessions of the Peace, held at
Huntingdon, in and for the court
ty of Huntingdon, on the 24th day of April,
A. D. 1828, before the. Hun. GEonol TAY
LON. Esq. President and BErsustAN F. PAT-
Tom and JOHN BOEVISTER, Esqs., his All9O.
dates, Judges of the said Court. The pe
titi m of the Directors of the Poor and of the
House of Employment, of the county o
Huntingdon, by their attorney was rent',
Praying the Court to appoint ao many, and
such Visitors, as to them may seem beat,
to examine the books, occounts, and all oth
er matters and things of, in and relating to
the said Poor House, and the management
of the same, by Directors and Steward of
the same, front the o•ganization or incor
poration thereof, until this time; and to
make report of such examination to the
said Court and to the public. Whereup
on it was considered by the Court, and or
, tiered that Thomas Fisher, John S. heti,
Jno. Porter, Win. Dorris Jr , and A. W.
Benedict. Esq., be and they are hereby ap
pointed Visitors, under the provisions of
the sth sec, of the nct of 6th of May, 1850.
BY THE COMIC.
From the record, 21st 1 une, 1858. Cer
tified by D. CALowm. Clerk.
Tfiz CoaNtscopis.—it young gentle•
wan from tho rural districts inquired, a few
days ago, where he might get his lanai'
man refreshed.
"Go to the Cornucopia)," saki a byelaw
"The Korn—the what?" said the man.
"The Corn.u.copite," emphatically re
sponded the other.
The young mon looked as though be
melte mice, and stiffening himself up,
stalked off as much as to say, "You can't
sell tae. May be you watt to hint I'm
corned, but your'll too sharp." He crossed'
the street and asked another passer to ' , be
so kind as to tell him where he could find
a rest,uront where he could get something
to cat and drink."
A Timm:l:mous Cox.—A modest young
gentleman at a dinner party put the follow
ing con. "Why are most people wbo eat
turkey like babies?" No reply. The
modest man blushed, and would haveback
ed Out, but finally gave his reason; "Be
cause they are fond of the breast." Two
middle aged ladies fainted, and the remains
of the young roan were carried out by the
ouronsT.