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MUSCATINE, IOWA, SAFTHE COC.NTY FAR*.What a “Journal” Representative Saw in a Visit to the Home that Muscatine County Provides for Its Poor.Last Mon,day a Journal representative Visited the couDty farm in company with another wheelman whose cyclometer denoted the distance from the center of the city to the farm as being just two and one-half miles. The farm, as nearly all are aware, is situated on what is known as the Five Mile Square and contains 160 acres. It is a truly beautiful tract of land. It can be reached by three roads from the city, viz.: The Iowa City road,the Butlerville road, and the Lucas Grove (or cemetery) road. The buildings are some distance back from the road and are reached by a lane, the land on one side of which is planted with corn and the other devoted to pasturing this seanbn. Arriving at the farm Mrs. Rice, the matron, informed the visitors that her husband, Mr. Milton Rice, the efficient superintendent, was busy in the field improving the fine weather by planting corn, it having been delayed by unAvorable weather previously. Mrs. Rice, however, showed us what was to be seen and answered our questions as fully and completely as could be desired and in a manner which was greatly appreciated. A frame house of 7 rooms is occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Rice as their residence.This is connected in the rear with a brick structure,the lower story of which is used as a kitchen, dining room, sitting room for female inmates, and two bed rooms. Up stairs are 9 rooms. Only the women inmates occupy this building except that the men eat at a separate table in the dining room. All the bed rooms except one in this building are occupied by the eleven female inmates.In the kitchen, is an immense Charter Oak stove, the largest in the county. It has 9 stove lids and a water boiler with a capacity of 35 gallons. The bread-baking is done in a special oven,situated in a brick wing adjoining the women's ward. Bread is baked two times a week and 100 large loaves are made and consumed in the same length of time.In the rear of the woman’s ward is the building occupied by the men. It is a frame structure and is separated from the former bv a commodious court which will be made a flower garden this season. There are 22 male inmates at the farm now, of this number 15 occupy the 6 large rooms in this building, one being used as a parlor or sitting room, and there being 3 beds in each of the others. Still back a considerable distance is another two-story building where are kept 7 men and they are not shown to visitors. None of them are in anything like sound mental condition and are useless and helpless. They do not even come to the table. The majority of the inmates are in some way defective mentally, though several are very useful, and efficient workers. Mrs. R. informed the repoter that for but two or three they would be compelled to put two first class hands to assist them. As it is now the whole farm is managed and all the inmates cared for by Mr. and Mrs. Rice with only the hired assistance of one woman and one man. One of the inmates has entire care of the hogs and the hog house is as clean and the animals themselves in as fine a condition as the reporter ever saw. The building is a large one-story structnre. About the walls are arranged suitable styes. In the center is a large co rn crib and on each end of this crib there is a space wide enough fora loaded wagon to be hauled. At one time last winter this man was so sick he could not come to his meals but he insisted on attending personally to the feeding of the hogs.Neariy all of the inmates are able to do something. A very neatly built picket fence was being painted by an old man the day the reporter visited the farm and it was stated that the same man had built the fence. Several were at work with hoes in the field, two women were hanging up clothes, others who were crippled were at work with sewing or knitting needles. One or two absolutely refuse to do anything and cannot be compelled to. But the majority seem glad to do whatever they are abie. Mrs. R. called attention to a cord from the kitchen which was connected with a bell in the men’s building. With it she rang the bell when she wanted the wood box or water tank filled or any work which .the men were accustomed to do. Shehad a set of signals which she used to denote precisely what she wanted and the inmates all seem pleased to do as she asks. One man has the furnishing of fuel for the baking oven and he scours the farm and brings back and cuts into suitable lengths every piece of wood he can find.In the smoke house a large amount of meat raised on the farm was to be seen. The inmates are fed meat twice a day and when cold meat is left it is pat on for supper. They also have coffee, tea and milk daily.The farm is excellently fixed for water supply. A cistern and well yield all that is needed for the house. A spring at the west side furnishes water for the stock, and also by,horse power all that is needed to fill a large reservior is pumped up from the same place. Pipes are run from the reservior and thus the fluid is cairied to the laundry and used as desired. On the east of the house there is another spring. An embankment has been constructed and an artificial pond supplied with water by this spring is the result. The culture of carp will be attempted m this pond.The reporter was much interested in the inmates themselves. All are accustomed to seing visitors and several are assiduously polite to them. Mrs. R. says most of them enjoy seeing aud talking with strangers. The previous life and causes of their coming to the farm were also matters of interested inquiry, but, of course, what was elicited could not be repeated in an article like this. It was somewhat surprising, however, to one raised even in such a thoroughly prohibition atmosphere as that in which the writer has basked, to learn how many of the inmates owed the presence at the farm directly or indirectly to the liquor traffic. One of the inmates had Dot been permitted to leave the farm for over two years as every time he came to Muscatine he returned gloriously drunk. It was always a mystery as to where he got the liquor. One of the inmates is a strong healthy looking man, who eats as much if not more than any other one on the farm, but he persistently refuses to work and is continually begging the county physician to prescribe for him for various supposed ills. Another is a very aged woman haying neariy reached her 100th mile stone. She is in a complete state of second childhood, unable to leave her room and taking great enjoyment in the playing with dolls. One of the men having asked the visitors several times if they were not having a race on their bicycles and being answered in the negative eyen then persisted in calling all he could see to “come and see the race.”The cleanliness which was to be seen everywhere impressed the reporter. The inmates take nearly all the care of their rooms themselves, too. All are furnished comfortably and neatly, though some better than others, for the reason that those occupying them had something of their own with which to furnish them. The men’s rooms are not quite as neatly kept as the women’s, but that is not saying anything against them.It is easy to be seen that the inmates of Muscatine’s County Farm fare better and live more comfortably than a large number of people outside of it. They are warmly housed and clothed and fed in the best manner. When it is considered that the whole of the last year this farm was conducted, the inmates clothed, fed and cared for (and many of them are helpless and bed ridden and require much attention) at a total expense to the county of only 74£ cents per week for each inmate, there does not seem to be anything needful of change in any way in the county farm.
Newspaper Details
Muscatine Saturday Evening Journal
Muscatine, Iowa, US
Sat, May 26, 1888
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Anne C.
NA, 20 May 2025
Other Publications Near Muscatine, Iowa
Muscatine Journal and News Tribune
New Indexed Atlas of Muscatine County Iowa
Atlas of Muscatine County Iowa
Muscatine Daily Journal
Muscatine Weekly Journal
