New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1883-06-06
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, May 81. 1888.

WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, May 81. 1888
Soon after President Arth ar re-
turns from New York he will go t.
the Soldiers Home cottage to live
spending only the business hour!
Of each day at the White House
The cottage which he will occupy
has been newly fitted up to receive
him, and is the one in which Presi
dent Hayes lived each summer O
his administration.
At the memorial services at Sol
diers' Home next Wednesday (Dec
Grafton Day., Ex.Justice Strong 0:
the Supreme Court will deliver tn.
grafton. The poem for the occa
sion was written by the author O.
the song; 'Sherman's march to thu
Sea" Capt. Byers, our present con
sui in Switzerland, who is nov
home on leave of absence. TIE
stand from which the President re-
Gently reviewed the parade Of the
Army of the Potomac has beer
erected in a grove at the Home, ano
will be occupied by distinguished
party.
The Soldiers Home is IN a -four.
fishing condition. Besides afford.
ing comfortable asylum for dis
abled, invaded, superannuated,
and discharged soldiers Of twenty
or more years faithful service, it is
a beautiful pleasure ground for the
city. 1t is about three miles from
Washington, and approached by a
perfectly graded, well kept road
way, and is a popular drive for all
who can afford the luxury of
wheels. The grounds contain five
hundred and two acres. Farming
operations are constantly carried
on, vegetables are raised for the use
Of the inmates, a large amount of
grass is cut, and a large dairy is
maintained. Besides those sub
stantial advantages, the Home
grounds furnish some of the love-
Hest bits of natural scenery that
can be found in any park. General
Winfield Scott suggested the Sol
diers' Home, and was mainly in
strumental in having it endowed.
When the American army entered
the city of Mexico, the citizens
who took refuge on the housetops
fired at the soldiers. After the city
was captured a tax Of over a hun
dred thousand dollars was levied on
them tor the oHense. In 1S48 Gen.
Scott transmitted this amount to
the Secretary Of War with the ex.
pressed hope that it would be ap.
propriated for an army asylum.
Commissioners were then appoint
ed to take charge of the matter un-
der the direction Of Congress, and
the first provision made was rent
ed house in the city. Afterwards
a suitable site containing two hum
dred and fifty.six acres was secured
for the proposed institution at a
cost OF So, 900. This ground with
the additions that have since been
made forms the present Soldiers
Home park. Besides the interests
on the accrued bonds belonging to
the institution, which are $500, 900,
it has other revenues altogether
amounting to about $4,000 per
"A tax Of 125 cents per
month on all the soldiers of the ar
my, the unclaimed effects of deceas-
ed soldiers, the dues of deserters at
the time Of ,desertion, forfeitures,
and the fines imposed by court mar
tial go to the benefit of the Home.
There are now four hundred and
ninety inmates, and one hundred
and forty old soldiers who reside
elsewhere but are entitled to sup
port Of So per month. Those who
are physically able are required to
perform certain duties assigned to
them by the governor Of the insti-
tuition, for which they are allowed
one dollar and pound of tobacco
per month. Some Of the inmates
are dissipated, and the pensioners
have been enabled to
squander in that way; but new
law now in force requires them to
transfer their pensions to the insti-
while receiving its bene-
fits, and it is hoped scarcity of mo.
ney will hereafter partly overcome
the evil. There is a reading room
and library of2,40O volumes, but
the majority Of the soldiers are too
illiterate to appreciate its adyantag-
es. They want the daily news,
however, and each morning one Of
the men reads the papers aloud to
an audience of old soldiers, seated
around smoking their pipes. An
effort is now being made to have
band of music attached to the
Home, for the entertainment of
visitors as well as the inmates, and
to give additional attractions to the
place. President Buchanan was
the first who summered at this
beautiful retreat in the cottage now
known as the governors quarters,
and the next was President Lin.
colin.