The County House Stories

Immediately after Mr. McDowell met the board of superinteDdents of the poorhouse in Mr. Norris's office in Ann Arbor, Messrs. Loorais and Aprill drove to Mr. McDowells' house, reaching it but a few minutes later than he did. They pried into evefy nook and corner of the house, lifted the cover of the flour barrel, peeked into the sugar box, ezamined the crockery and the harns, and the furniture. So far as they could find out, it all tallied with what the McDowells claimed. One of the servant girls had testified that the McDowells took away from the county house every trace of linen. When questioned about it, Mrc. McDowell indignantly denied it, and told how many table-cloths, towels, etc, vrere left, and where they were left. The two superintendents drove back to the county house immediately, and found the linen just where it had been left. This all must be mortifying to Mr. and Mrs. McDoweil, but no one really believes them guilty of any dishonesty. The board of superintendents determined, at their meeting on Tuesday, that there would be no further chance tor such stories to get in circulation. They have ordered that a valuation be placed on the goods brought to the coanty house, and they propose to buy them or have them sent awBy, so that when another keeper goes in, there will be nothing to take away. The practice of changing work with the farmers of the surrounding country will also be sternly stopped, although it probably has proved econcmical in the past. The farmers near the county farm have often eent their teams and hired men to assist on the county farm in time of need, and the county team and the pauper inmates ot the house have been used in return. This practice is the foundation of some of the stories that are afloat. Then, too, f Mr. and Mrs. McCormick should feel kindly disponed tcwaids a sick neighbor and should desire to extend any little courtesy, they must represa the desire. The board has decided tbat in tbeir position they can't afford to cultívate any of the little amenities of life, because it will lead to " talk." A lady near the house was once sick, and Mrs. McDowell took to her some little delicacy from the county house. Nothing was thought about it at the time, but from the stories now in circulation, it would seem that the family was actually fed for a long time at the county's expense. Some one became sick in the county house, and this lady who had received the delicacy sent over a fine chieken nicely roasted, and it was actually worth more than what she had received from the county. This chieken has been lost out of the story as it has flown about.