Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1878-02-28
SOLDIERS HOME.
HOW the Veterans ., IN. vv.r 1.,v,

largest public institutions in the Tr.,4a.s
States would interest your readers + -
pose giving you a general epitoune Of bo,,
the Dayton Home for Disabled Soldiers,
is laid out, and how the institution is con.
Quoted, as well as the manner In which
the inmates live and how they pass their
time.
The s'Home" was instituted in 1856. az
Columbus, and removed to its present lo-
cality in 1868. The home is located IN
about a mile square of ground, about
miles west of Dayton, and has been laid
out with handsome roads, MacAdamized
drives and walks, arbors and artificial
lakes. There are about so buildings on
the grounds, occupied by the inmates, in
Guiding headquarters, hospital, dining
hall with a capacity for seating 112o), Ii
brary, church, etc. A railroad has been
built from the Union Depot in Dayton to
the Home, and trains run every hour
The library is one of the institutions Of
the Home and contains over 1000 volumes.
1t is divided into two parts-the ssThomas
Library bequeathed by Maj General
Thomas, and the 'tPutnam Library" pre-
sented by Mrs. Mary Lowell Putnam,
mother of Lieut.. Putnam, of the First
Massachusetts Volunteers, who was killed
soon after the breaking out of the war,
Iineal descendant of Gen. Israel Putnam
of Revolutionary fame. Mrs. P. present.
ed the library to the home as memorial
of her son, and is continually making ad-
ditions to it.
There are twenty-three barracks, each
three stories high, and capable Of con-
tanning about 125 inmates. Each barrack
is under control of a sergeant, and each
floor of a corporal, who are responsible
for the cleanliness and conduct of the In
mates. There is awell-conducted fire de-
partment on the grounds, with a first
class steamer, a steam laundry, machine
shop, carpenter shop, shoemaker shop,
money-order postoffice, store, restaurant,
billiard saloon and tenpin alley, Gree to
inmates) armory, band and drill-room,
etc. One of the finest brass bands in the
United States is composed of inmates Of
the Home, among whom are to be found
men of every profession and grade oflife.
The Governor, Col. E. F. Brown, is one
of the finest men, strict disciplinarian:
is well liked by the inmates, and has made
the home what it is.
There is at present in course of erec-
ton a handsome brick building, intended
for an opera house, which will seat l, 800
people when completed. 1t will be fin
ished in May next, and will doubtless
prove as attractive to visitors as to the in
mates. We understand that, when COM
- s. to !, ,01o he
agement of one of the inmates, talented
actor, well-know throughout the West.
At present, great interest is being taken
in the e'Murphy Movements" weekly
meetings are held; visitors from Dayton
come to the meetings and address the
boys; lovely women plead with and coax
them, and fairly force them to the desk
to sign the pledge; and though but few
meetings have been held, for the move
ment is, as yet, in its infancy here, al
ready the greatest enthusiasm is manifest
ed, and the signers are numbered by
hundreds, and though but little over
month has elapsed since the first Murphy
meeting here, there are already 285 sign
ers and our meetings are crowded not only
with those who take deep interest in the
movement, but also with those who come
only to scott and sneer and ridicule the
Murphfes, but who go away with a pledge
in their pocket. blue ribbon on their
breast. and become earnest co-laborers in
the cause of temperance, sobriety and re-
deemed manhood. We earnestly hope
that before six months have elapsed to be
able to say, every inmate is connected
with the ''Murphy movement"
e A school has been established, through
the efforts of Col. Brown, and is in a -four
ishing condition; all inmates who wish
can have taught them from the rudiments
! of a common-sehool education to that of
preparatory tor college, including higher
mathematics, Latin, etc., as well as book
| keeping. There is an average attendance
of so scholars, ranging in age from 30 to
20 years.
One of the most interesting places at
the Home, to visitors, as well as inmates,
is the Deer Park and Geological Garden,
the former containing about sixty deer,
while the latter, with its collection of an
| telopes, elks, bears, California lions,
wolves, beavers, and smaller American
wild animals, bids fair at no distant day
to outrival the celebrated Geological Mu-
scum in the Central Park of the great
metropolis. The collection of birds, from
the bald-headed American eagle to the
English sparrow is quite large, and re-
fined and cultivated taste has been shown
in every department of the museum
One of the most eventfu1 affairs connect
ed with the Home was the election to the
Ohio Legislature, at the late election, of
one of its inmates, the Hon. John O'COn-
nor, a self-taught lawyer, who it is hoped
will reflect credit on the institution.
Last week we were called upon to mourn
the loss of one of the older inmates, Mr..
William Maddox, aged I02 years. Mr..
M. was born in March, 1776, and served
with distinction during the war of 1912 !;
was an inmate of the Home for several
years previous to his death, which took
place on January 15, 1873. Another In
mate of the Home is Mr.. William Allen
(not the Governor) aged 1O6 years. Mr
A. is well and hearty, and is away a
present on furlough visiting his friends
While everything at the Home that can
! be made useful and ornamental, and COM
q Portable for the inmates, is looked out fol
and furnished, still the entire establish
ment is conducted with degree of econ
omy that but few public institutions il
this country can boast of, Col. Brown be
ing eminently long-headed, far-sighted
e business man. Clothing is plentiful anC
: warm, food of the best, and as much q
is wanted-many families in comfortable
s circumstances would be glad to be able t
IS live and dress. as well as the inmates o
+be ssSoIdiers' Home''