NEW COUNTY FARM and BUILDING
(Excerpts from article)
Christ said: “Ye have the poor always with you, and whensoever ye will ye can
do them good.” Mark 14-7
“The poor will never cease out of the land.” Dent 15-11
“Thou shalt surely open thy hand unto thy brother, to thy needy, and to thy
poor in the land.” Dent 15-11
“Thy heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto unto him: because that
for this thing Jehovah, thy God, will bless thee in all thy work, and in all
thou pattest thy hand into.” Dent 15-10
As the Lord has promised to bless in His word, as above, it is to be hoped He
will bless even in this generation, each and every one who has contributed his
mite, yes, even he who contributed his penny as well as he who gave his crown,
to the erection of our handsome New Home for the unfortunate poor of Barry
County.
The old county farm was located 1½ miles east of Cassville on the Golden and
Berryville road and was purchased 30 odd years ago, when there were but few
people to be set there, and the last addition to the building was made in 1887,
and has long since been unworthy the name of a Poor Farm, for it undoubtedly
caused every intelligent citizen of our county to blush with shame when passing
it. The last addition should have never been built, as it was a makeshift. In
these buildings our unfortunate people were huddled for the want of adequate
room and sufficient heat to keep them warm. While the superintendents have
probably done all in their power to make them comfortable, yet it is a well
known fact that they have suffered severely, and one unfortunate died from the
effects of his feet freezing. This is a cruel fact and we dislike to give it
out to the world, for it brings reproach upon our county because we have not
acted sooner in providing a comfortable dwelling for these many poor old
people, who, will be obligated by circumstances beyond their control, to spend
their last days. Could we as taxpayers of a great county like Barry continue on
and on without heeding the wailings of the poor? We could not afford to pass
them by without acting the part of the good Samaritan and give them succor and
comfort drive out the cold and wintry blasts, shield them from the sifting
snow, and release them from the ice forming on the beards of the male
occupants. We are glad the world has seen so little of this dilapidated and God
forsaken place called a home for the poor. God in His infinite wisdom will
prosper our people for this single act and bless them accordingly.
In 1902, when Judges Bassett, Shumate and Bowman were elected county judges
they commenced to ascertain in some way and manner to build a poor farm
building that would be a credit and honor to the county and a comfortable home
for the inmates. They made a though study of the county’s affairs and arrived
at the idea of setting apart 20 percent of the county revenue fund for the
building of this much needed home for our unfortunate and aged people. The
taxpayers of our county have paid for this building and never felt it. The
court took no one into their confidence but carefully husbanded the finances of
he county and today by their good business ability, erected an everlasting
monument to their memory. Judges Gardner and Brock, with Presiding Judge
Bassett, have carried out this noble work inaugurated by their predecessors and
come in for their share of honor, that will be rightly bestowed upon their for
years to come.
The plans for the new building were drawn by Garstang & Rea, architects, of
Joplin who made two or three inspections of the work as it progressed. The
building is 33 feet wide by 64 feet long and is 32 feet from bottom of basement
to eve; the front porch is feet wide and 12 feet long with colonial columns.
The porch in the rear of the building is 7 feet wife and 32 feet long. It is a
beautiful modern structure, built in a substantial manner; the best of material
being used in its construction throughout from top to bottom, making a monument
to the wisdom of the County Court and the charity of the taxpayers’ for
providing the same, will receive just remuneration for its erection.
The contract for erecting this splendid building was let about August 1, 1905,
to I. A. Mason and Alfred Smith of Monett., well known and capable contractors.
Excavation for basement and foundation were commenced August 12. P. G. Logsdon
had the contract for putting in the foundation and did an excellent job as will
be proven by inspection. It was built of a line grade of limestone, quarried
from the farm about 300 feet away. The contract for laying the brick was let to
Jacob Houghawont of near Monett who was ably assisted by Thomas Cochran of
Pierce City and James Davidson of near Exeter. It is built throughout with good
brick, with entire pressed brick on the outside. These brick were manufactured
at Cherryvale, Kan., and it required six carloads of brick and three of sand to
complete the building. The entire building is trimmed with Carthage stone and
is covered with shingles. The basement has solid stonewalls from bottom to top
of foundation, with concrete floor. The kitchen with storeroom is on the south
end; the dinning room for inmates of the home is on the east side from of the
building and adjoins the kitchen. The superintendent and family dining room is
in the rear of the inmates dining room. On the north end the furnace for
heating the building throughout with steam, is located; two insane wards are
also located in the basement. A hallway permits passage to every portion of the
basement, with two passways to outside of building.
On the first floor of the building as you enter from the main entrance the
superintendent’s office and reception room is on right and left. There are
seven bedrooms. One bathroom and one closet for the superintendent, fitted up
with up-to-date apparatus. A hallway allows entrance to every room on this
floor. There is also two doors for entrance on the west side of the building. A
stairway connects the first floor with the basement.
On the second floor there are seven bedrooms and four insane wards, making six
rooms for insane persons, with two closets and bathrooms for wards.
Each room has from one to four windows, with hard pine doors and splendid
locks. The window sashes have weights for raising and lowering. The entire
arrangement of the building has been planned for the accommodations of the aged
and crippled who are forced to accept the county’s charity, and they will
surely feel that they have not been forgotten or forsaken by the Christian
people of our county. An easy stairway connects the first and second floors.
The entire construction of the building as been with the view of being made
healthy, and every convenience has been added that would result in comfort to
the inmates so that their last days would be happy and pleasant as possible.
The Monett Electric Light Co., secured the contract for wiring the building
throughout for electric lights, and Electrician Pilant of that city did the
work so that not a single wire is in sight, thereby doing away with the use of
coal oil and gasoline, which is always dangerous where there are so many
decrepit people, affording very much less danger from fire ad burning the
building and inmates. Each room will have a light and the hallways also.
The hardware and everything else used in the building has been of first class
materials. The lumber used in the construction of the building was purchased of
J. L. Horne, the well-known lumber dealer of this city, and was a good grade.
The carpenters left nothing undone to give the taxpayers of Barry county their
money’s worth in an up to date and first class building in every particular by
erecting a building that will fill a long felt want in our county.
Messrs. J. W. LeCompte, C. W. Williams and L. F. Jones are the regular Poor
Farm Commissioners. The appointment of such men as these commissioners insures
the county’s interests to be carefully and properly cared for, as they are well
known men of integrity and ability.
THE PLUMBING
The plumbing for the new building is as good as can be seen any place and was
put in by the firm of Williams & Plater of Monett, the work being done under the
direct supervision of Mr. T. Earl Plater of the firm, which alone proves that
the plumbing is as good as could be secured on both workmanship and the material
used. Three complete bathrooms are in the building—one on first floor for use of
Superintendent and family and two on the second floor for the inmates. The
building is supplied with both hot and cold water—the hot water coming from a 60
gallon range boiler. A drinking fountain is located in the hallway on the first
floor. The entire building is heated by 845 square feet of radiation, furnished
by a Capital Mascot steam boiler of 1,200 square feet capacity. The radiators in
the insane wards and dining rooms being the celebrated Colonial Wall radiators.
The sewerage is carried out of the building by means of a four inch cast iron
soil pipe and continues with a six inch sewer pipe to the cess pool. The
building is furnished with water from the city water works by a two inch pipe
from the water tower to the building. A hydrant was placed on the outside of the
building for fire protection.
The building completed, standing on high ground, commands a splendid view from
almost every direction, and shows good judgment and taste on the part of the
County Court selecting the site. The Commissioners; (A. L.) Brown, (C.D.) Manley
and (P.E.) Horine, have been attentive to their duties during the construction
of the building and have carefully guarded the interests of the taxpayers in
every detail, so that not a murmur could be heard against them in the discharge
of their official duties as public servants. They have faithfully discharged
every duty and earned the applause of the taxpayers of the county by guarding
their interests.
Cassville Democrat, January 27, 1906
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