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"The poor ye have with ye always," said the Master, and to care
for them is a duty incumbent upon us as civilized beings. Kindness
costs but little, and to the child of misfortune it sometimes goes
almost as far as dollars and cents. The writer recently visited one
of these institutions called poor-houses, and was pointed out a man,
who, it was said, could once " ride ten miles on his own land," but
a series of misfortunes brought him to the poor-house. None of us
know how soon we may go " over the hills to the poor-house." Then
'be kind to the poor, for in so doing you may entertain angels
unawares." We find allusions quite often in the early records of the
county to the poor and appropriations for their benefit, but it was
not for many years after the organization of the county, that steps
were taken to provide a county farm and poor-house. Some fifty years
ago a poor-farm was purchased, and it is a poor-farm in more senses
than one. The land is poor and almost worthless, and for many years
after its purchase the buildings were scarcely fit to shelter human
beings. Under the administration of Judge Long as County Judge, the
old buildings were torn down and new ones erected, which, although
they are not what they should be, are substantial and comfort-able.
Judge Long also laid out a cemetery on the place, and planted an
orchard, as well as making many other needed' improvements.
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