Book excerpt: Excerpt from Joint Documents of the State of Michigan for the Year 1895, Vol. 1 of 4 Allegan - The poorhouse is located in the township of Allegan, four and one-half miles north of the village. The main building is of brick, 40x75 feet, two and one-half stories high, with a stone basement, in which are the cellar, kitchen, pantry and dining room for inmates. The keeper and family have the use of the front rooms in the first and second stories. All the rooms are high and well lighted. Floors in rooms occupied by the kee er and family and female inmates are car etsd. The water closets are in t e first story. The buildings are kept wel painted. The facilities for bathing are two bath rooms in first story, with stationary bath tubs, hot and cold water, washstands, combs, brushes, soap, towels, etc. The buildings are warmed by wood furnaces. Ventilation is by means of windows, transoms over doors of sleeping rooms, and ventilators in chimneys and cupola. The inmates are under the care of the keeper and matron, whose kind and considerate attention is commended by the county superintend ents of the poor, who establish rules for the government of the paupers. Food consists of wheat bread mostl occasionally graham and corn bread, fresh or corned beef, fresh or sart pork and vs stables. The males are supplied with suitable ready-made clothing, an the matron selects the material and superintends the making of clothing for the females. The sick are carefully attended by the keeper and matron, with such other help as may be necessary, under the care of one of the most skillful physicians in the county, who visits the poorhouse at least once each week and oftener if necessary. We have charge of a few mildly insane, who, with the idiotic, are cared for in a bui ding formerly used as an insane asylum, which is comfortably heated by a furnace. During the day and at meals these unfortunates are with the inmates of the main building. Children are not kept at the poorhouse except temporarily. Those not sent to the State Public School are placed in good homes and provision made that they shall attend school at least four months of each year until sixteen years of age. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.