Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 198, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 August 1911 — Fifty New Arrivals at the Poor Farm—Raised Disturbance. [ARTICLE]

Fifty New Arrivals at the Poor Farm—Raised Disturbance.

The Jasper county poor farm had fifty new Monday night and it looked for a time as though the institution would be very much crowded. The matron, Mrs. Nichols, however, arranged the big house to accommodate them all and things went along very nicely until about midnight,- when all left in a body, leaving only the original county charges in tbe institution. The new comers seemed weary from l<yig inactivity and hungry for pleasure, and the drift was “over the hills to the poor house.” Not many paupers go to the almshouse in autos, but that was the method most of these employed. The new arrivals were treated with considerable more hospitality than is generally accorded paupers, and were seated at tables and invited to participate in a game wherein fifty-two pasteboard tickets are issued about the board after being carefully mixed up. The game is commonly known as seven-up. A record of the proceedings were kept by means of tally sheets and punches, and at the conclusion of the play the scores were counted and one George H. McLain was declared the greatest pauper. Refreshments wsre served and the hungry inmates went after everything in sight like real starving heathens. Although the game played was seven-up, a big pile of money was seen in the center of one of the tables and things looked very suspicious until it was found that the money was procured by an assessment of 25 cents per capita of attendance, and that it was to be employed to procure for the host, Jesse Nichols, a present in recognition of the fact that it was his fortieth birthday. The satisfactory explanation of the parties at the table where the money was in evidence was all that prevented the calling of the officers. By this time the patient reader has probably discovered that the new arrivals at the poor farm were none other than fifty well known business and professional, men of Rensselaer and vicinity who had responded to invitations from Jesse to help him celebrate his birthday in real stag fashion. Gee, but it’s nice at the poorhouse. On occasions like that