Lately there have been some questions about the County Home in Clearfield and I remembered these (among others) which appeared on this list back in 2000 from Gloria Davis. Remember there was no Social Security or health insurance all those many years ago. Many old folks were sent to live in the County Home. My mother had a fear all her life that she never wanted to go there to die as her mother-in-law had. A HOYT was manager of the home for a number of years and when my grandmother LAWHEAD needed special care it was the place to go. She was not there for long and the last few weeks was senile. I visited there when home a few times in Sept - Nov 1955 and it seemed no different than a nursing home of today. I miss the articles from the old newspapers - does anyone have access? Claire Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2000 23:37:34 -0500 From: "kg_davis" <kg_davis@email.msn.com> To: PACLEARF-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <015601c03e3d$4de42b60$b6b4163f@oemcomputer> Subject: [PACLEARF] CLEARFIELD REPUBLICAN - May 23, 1902 - Out at the County Home Out at the County Home The following County Home news items came to this office from an inmate whose reputation for truth and veracity was always good: Late at night dinners and luncheons are not as numerous as they were a few months ago. Neither are the evening visitors so plentiful. They must have been attracted by the bill of fare. The visit of the last Grand Jury came near causing a panic in the family of the Steward. They didn't expect the Grand Inquest until the next day and things were out of order some. When the word came in that they were coming HOTON almost collapsed. He was bolstered up by the family and received the visitors with the best grace possible. He invited them out to see the barn. This gave the folks time to brush tings up and push the dust and other things into the corners. There was more activity and hard work done in that half hour the Grand Jury spent at the barn than ever before witnessed at the Home. So when they came in from the barns where the pigs were so thin the surroundings were not so awful bad, not by a hundred per cent of what they would have looked like had the main buildings been inspected first. That recommendation about more Christian reading in the Grand Jury report reads nice. There is no complain among the inmates for more Christian reading, its Christian treatment we want more of. For instance take John TOOHEY's coffin. HORTON buried old John in one of the cheapest cases we have in the Home. Then when the friends of John came for proof of his death to get the insurance money they carried on his life with which to give him a decent burial, HORTON said he had given him the best coffin in the house-a twenty dollar case. When Undertaker LEAVY raised John's body to transfer to the cemetery they found the case to be one of the very cheapest. Commissioner DIEM said it cost about six dollars. Some of the inmates say HORTON had tears in his eyes and some in his voice when he told John TOOHEY's friends what a nice old man he was; how they all liked him, and how he had given him the best he had in the shop. No, it isn't Christian papers we want so much. The inmates would like to see some grand jury come out here unannounced and hold a few sessions for the purpose of obtaining testimony from the inmates themselves. Plenty of the inmates could tell interesting stories under oath if they were assured there would be no "paying dear for it" afterward at the hands of those who might be hurt. As the hot weather approaches the sick are growing uneasy. Last year there was more suffering here among the sick because of neglect than anyone can ever tell of. Several of the inmates who have seen better days and have been around some in the world among men and have participated in the affairs of the community got together not long since and formulated a few questions they thought pertinent for submission to the Steward should a grand jury call him to give testimony under oath. These are the questions: "Do you think than an imbecile is a fit person to attend sick inmates of the Home hospital? "Do you think a weak-minded man like Peter ZIMMERMAN should be drafted for duty as nurse when there are so many supposed strong-minded people on the payroll? "How many times did you go in to see Harry CHESTER when he was laid up with an injured thigh? "Do you think old and feeble inmates should be compelled to look after the sick when you and those about you receiving salaries are doing nothing? "What kind of food is served to the sick? Does it differ from what is served at the regular meals? "Do you solemnly swear under oath that the sick are properly cared for?" If it were possible to get the testimony of the sick in this Home for the past year in the papers some of their friends would feel like pulling off their coats when they saw Stewart HORTON driving through Clearfield comfortably seated in the easy-riding surrey drawn by the County Home colts. The only assuring thought now experienced by the inmates of this Home is that 1903 is only a few months distant and then HORTON will be only an unpleasant recollection. Please print this and correct mistakes. I would like to tell all I know on the witness stand in a libel suit. Robust Inmate kg_davis@email.msn.com ICQ 40792946 Gloria Butler Davis ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1902 County Home News Editor Republican: The letter from the Home in last week's issue has "stirred up the animals" more than a little. While no threats are made it will not be well for your correspondent if his identity can be firmly established. The inmates read the Republican last week with unusual interest. Although they do not express undue delight it is not difficult to see they coincide with all that was told. Several have since hinted that they "could much truth unfold" that would prove good reading did they feel sure they would not have to suffer afterward. The suggestion about having the inmates testify before a grand jury, after being guaranteed protection, was well received generally, although several of the weak-kneed and the few favorites refused to admit it would be wise. There are invalids here at present whose testimony ought to be taken before it is too late. There are also many old people here now who will not be here much longer and what they know should be on record somewhere. I mean what they know of the treatment received in the past year or two by those who have gone out of this world. The reference in the last letter to the coffin used to bury John TOOHEY has brought out more facts. The coffin was not intended for John at all. That day word came to the Home that an Italian had been killed on the new railroad work and his body would be brought to the Home for burial by the county. Nurse HUTH was ordered to prepare a coffin, one of the cheapest. He also had a grave dug. When they went after the Italian he wasn't dead, only hurt. In the meantime John TOOHEY conveniently died and his body was placed in the Italian's coffin. This was the "$20 coffin" HORTON told TOOHEY's friends about. "One of the best in the Home, because we thought so much of John," is the way he expressed it when he wanted Mr. CRAIG, of Brisbin, to pay the $20. Robust Inmate