Daily Republican., 1882-10-14
OOLUMBIA'S TRIBUTE.

ss DAYTON, Ohio, Oct. II. 1882.-Ther
le ls perhaps at this beautiful season, n
d SUBJECT that would prove more interest
; ing TO many Of the Republicans read
d ers, than a review of our famous sol
d1ers home. Two years after the close o
o the war, Congress became convinced
4 OF the necessity of an asylum for those
a VINO mad, by exposure and wounds
q Deen disabled for the remainder of life
/, accordingly an act was created, by
thst body, March 21st, 1867, for the es
Q tablishment of one central, and three
= branch houses as follows: the Eastern al
0 Augusta, Me-, North Western, at Mil
? waukee, Wis, Southern at Hampton
5 Va, and the
: CENTRAL, AT DAYTON, OHIO
which is the subject matter of this
+ sketch, being not only the largest of its
kind in the United State but one OF
. the largest in the world.
The home is situated three miles west
OF Dayton, upon an elevated plateau,
disclosing to the eye the lovely Miami
valley for miles around, at the base o.
which, in full view, lies the thrifty and
beautiful city of Dayton. The
grounds complete cover over 700 acres,
and are most artistically laid out in
beautiful drives, lakes, botanical gar.
dens, vineyards, fruit and vegetable
gardens, making in all a most fitting
expression of the nations gratitude to
her defenders and, where he may, sur
rounded by everything that is pleasing
and beautiful, spend the remainder of
his days in peace.
The buildings are about one hundred
and fifty in number, indeed quite city;
the majority Of which are 6arracks;-
large wooden structures, three stories
high, largely constructed from lumber
taken from Camp Chase; they ace one
hundred feet long by thirty feet wide
with mansard roofs, and are uniform in
size and appearance; the new barracks
are of brick, and are one hundred and
forty feet long by thirty four feet wide;
all the barracks have large windows on
all four sides, they have no partitions,
making excellent sleeping apartments,
insuring perfect ventilation.
The Hospital is the largest building
on the grounds; twO-hundred and nine
ty three feet long, with two large wings;
the wards are beautifully fitted up and
furnished with everything necessary
to the comfort and convenience of the
patients; it is of pressed brick, with
stone trimmings; has a most efficient
corps OF doctors, surgeons, and attend
ants and is one of the best kept hospi-
tails in the country; IL cost two hundred
thousand dollars. The Church is an
elegant Gothic structure, built of stone;
is elghty'nine feet long by tifty-four feet |
wide, with beautiful windows of stained |
glass; in the tower is a large clock, with |
dials on all four sides visible from any |
part of the house; the hours are tolled |
upon clear round toned bell, cast from |
brass cannon captured from the enemy
during the war of the Rebellion; the
basement is fitted up for society hall
and used each evening by one of the
societies of the home. Memorial Hall is
the finest building on the ground and is
a model editiCe; it is One-hundred and
fifty feet long, and eighty feet wide,
most elaborately fresCoed and furnished
throughout, after the pattern of the
most approved theatre; and, although
built for that purpose, it answers for
general meeting hall of reunions, and
concerts by the Home Band in winter,
and inclement weather; first class
theatrical company Is .quartered here
all summer, when off the road, and play
three times a week, making most de-
lightful place of amusement, and with
in easy reach of the city, by means of
the Home Avenue II. Il.
The Governor s adquarters are large
spacious brick buildings fitted up into
offices upon the first floor for himself
and staff, and the second is used as a
library and reading room, one of the
best stocked in the State the west end
is occupied by the Putnam library
presented to the home by Mrs. Putnam
OF Boston, AS memorial of her son who
was killed at the battle of Balls Bluff
this library consists of five thousand
volumes; the east end is occupied by the
Thomas library, comprising seven thous
and volumes, contributed by the sol.
diers of the late lamented Gen. George
II. Thomas, and named in his honor;
aside from the books are over three hun
dred leading weeklies, and dailies on
file, thus making one of the most COM
plete libraries in the land and used ex-
clusively by the inmates, gratis.
AS you may imagine it is no small
matter to cater to the wants of six
thousand souls daily, the present num-
Der under the jurisdiction of the home;
the grand dining hall and kitchen are
west of the barracks and is one of the
most interesting localities of the home
to our notion any way; the main saloon
EeiRg too small for present needs is be ,
ing enl 4rged and when completed will
be two hundred and fifty feet long by
one hundred feet wide; and, to give you
an insight into the extensiveness of the
commissary department, l will give
you one or two citations of meals I
served on interesting occasions; re-
cent pot-pie consisted of tifty.four
sheep, twenty barrels of potatoes and
FIVE barrels of -four. Thanksgiving !
dinner consisted in part of three hun
dred turkeys; and Christmas dinner
took two hundred and fifty gallons of
oysters and fifteen hundred pounds of
venieon. These are figures calculated ]
to stagger the ordinary Wilmington
house wife.
Although an abundance of vegetables
meats, &c, are dished every day, yet it
is believed that the cost for any equal 0
quantity and quality is less than at any [
other similar institution in this coun- '
try or any other, the average cost per s
diem, per man, being only sixteen AMI I
cents. There are many other t
notable buildings upon which cannot a
bo enlarged for want of space; among 6
which l may mention the Governor, G
scrstaries' and treasurer's mansions, v
Ars department with the most approx L
Il. l..
Clapp and Jones engine, the gas works, '
where gas is made and furnished tle b
house, tho immense steam laundry, y
cabinet, tin, paint, blacksmith and a
wagon shops, the amusement building a
divided up into bowling alleys, billiard
and bagatelle tables, and others too +
numerous to mention. b
Undoubtedly the most pleasing and C
attractiv ve locality OF the Home Is the >
and botanical gardens,
,uhioh ara haVnDl A dOubt the fineAt Of