St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-12-16
Meeting of the Grand Army Committee
Appointed Last February at
Faribault
To Draft Bill for a Home for the
Veterans in the State of
Minnesota.
The Announcement Made That Fifty
One Ole Soldiers Are in Min
nesota Poor Houses.
Free Exchange of Opfnions--A Gen.
eral Idea of the Measure to
be Drafted.

encampment of the Grand Army of the
Republic, held at Faribault in February,
met yesterday morning at the rooms of the
Union League club, Minneapolis, and was
in session all day. The attendance Of the
members Of the committee, which numbers
sixteen, was unexpectedly small, those
present being:
H. G. Hicks, post 126, Minneapolis; Myron
Shepherd, post l, Saltwater; L. l.. Wheelock,
post 81, Owatonna; Thomas Montgomery,
post 81, st. Peter: w. H. Campbell, post Sc,
Litchfeld; Il. r. Perkins, post 81, Excelsior.
The following members of the e. A. K.
were also present by invitation:
A. B. NettleSon, Thomas Downs, John
Downs, Washington Pierce, j. A. Burr, E.
w. Mortimer, B. P. Shuler, W. F. Gray. c.
L. Fisk, G. W. Masehant, of Minneapolis;
William Thomas. Department commanier,
Mankato; Gen. g. G. Andrews, V. E. Waffels,
6. w. Anderson, J. L. Brigham, st. Paul:
H. w. De Groot, E. P. Beeman, F. 6. Gould,
T. B. Halstead, Excelsfo r; l.. A. Han cock,
Red Wing; G. S. Ives, st. Peter; Ira Burton,
Faribault; Col O'Leary, Avoca; Gen. E. Nj.
Pope, of MankAto.
COL. HICKS,
chairman of the committee, presided, and
George w. Marchant, of post 1856. was
elected secretary. By way of introducing
the business of the meeting Col. Hill read
the bill by which the soldiers home of
Illinois was created and a letter from j..
G. Rowland, one of the board of trustees:
also the so4diere' home bill which passed
the Michigan Legislature. and concluded by
urging that Immediate action should be
taken to provide home for needy veterans
at as early date as possible Gen. E. Nj.
Pope, of MankatO, stated that there are at
present no less than fifty-On old soldiers
who are inmates of aims houses in Mime
Sofa. This fact he had aScertained by cor
respondence, which shows veterans to. be
distributed in poor houses Of the following
counties: Houston. Olmsted, Steele, Fari-
bault. Pipestone, RenVille, Scott, kanabec,
Becker, Norman, Otter Tail and ST. Louis,
l each; Wabasha, 2: Winona, 3; Blue
Earth, 2; Dakota, 8; Anoka 2; Hennepin.
6; Ramsey, 3. Seventeen veterans are
scattered through the different counties in
poor houses. making the total 81. l.. l..
Wheelock, of 0Watonna. read extracts
showing the plan and cost of the mante-
nance of the Soldiers home at San Fran
cisco. He thought that now is the time to
commit the state of Minnesota to some plan
for home for its veterans of the war. He
advised that something should be done for
temporary relief. if nothing more. g. Z.
Andrews, of st. Paul, did not want
building that would cost an eXtrava9ant
sum, but such structure for memorial
hall as would symbolic the prn-
ciples for which the inmates had
fought. He advocated the cottage
system, and favored ample grounds. He
advised that the legislature should be asked
to authorize a tax levy OF q mill for the
years of 1888 and 1882 which would raise
at In q
Appropriation should be asked, to afford tenn
pOrary relief for destitute soldiers. A re-
cess was here taken until
THE AFTERNOON,
when the discussion was continued. Col.
T. O'Leary, of AvOca, was emphatic in
asking immediate action, and thought the
coming legislature should appropriate at
least $50, 900 for temporary relief. l.. A.
Hancock. of Red Wing, thought that the
home, while state institution, should be
Incorporated. so that it might receive be-
quests. Mai. Halstead Of Excelsior, made
an eloquent appeal Tor Speedy action. He
thought that Minnesota could no longer
afford to neglect her soldiers when New
jersey has had home for them since 1876.
Col. William Thomas, of Mankato, was
also very much in earnest in advocating
immediate action, and was followed by
Gen. Pope. of Mankato. who spoke to the
same effect. To bring matters to focus
1t was finally decided, upon the suggestion
of Col. Hicks, to take up the acts of the
legislatures of Illinois and Michigan Great
ing homes for soldiers. and the act of the
Minnesota legislature providing for the
care of orphans and widows of soldiers,
and with the aid of the suggestions therein
contained, to draught certain recommended
tons to be included in a bill, which shall
be presented to the legislature for passage.
The recommendations were referred to
subcommittee consisting of Col IL. G.
Hicks Of Minneapolis; l.. l.. Wheelock, of
Owatonna; Thomas Montgomery, of st.
Peter; E. r. Perkins, of Excelsior, and
Henry A. Castle, of st. Paul. which is to
meet Thursday.
THE GENERAL IDEA
of the bill to be drafted by this COM
mittee is that S100 900 be paid in such in
stallments and for such purposes during the
next four years to be paid over for such
eXigencies as may arise, an appropriation
for temporary rei.e to be made Immediately.
The feeling was unanimous that the cottage
system shall be adopted, which provides
separate dwellings and memorial hall;
also that there should be extensive grounds,
as is the case in all the soldiers homes else
where established. Michigan has lately es-
tablShed soldiers home at Grand Rapids,
the buildings of which cost 500. 900, while
grounds including 1872 acres have been
donated. The Illinois Soldiers and Sailors
home cost $500. 900. The Northwestern
branch of the National Soldiers home has
$40 acres near Milwaukee, costing 500, 600.
The central branch at Dayton,
o.. has grounds of 627 acres
and splendid buildings. The Western
branch at LeavenwOrth has $40 acres,
which that city not only donates. but has
embelhShed at a cost of $50, 200. The
Eastern branch at Augusta, Me-. has tract
of LOO acres. Thus it can be seen that
extensive parks form an important feature
of all soldiers homes. and it should be in
sisted, if a home be established in Mime
sofa, that it should have large and finely
situated tract of land. Col Hicks turned
over to the committee letters which he had
received from absent members of the body
and other &. A. K, men, in which certain
suggestions were made as to what action
should be taken. These letters were from
the following gentlemen:
D. E. Vance, of Winona; L. NJ. LANCE, of
Worthington; Judge g. W. Mead, of Man.
kato; W. NJ. Campbell, ef. Litchfield; Thomas
Montgomery, of ST. Peter: ]. H. Drake OF ST.
Paul; Judge c. p. Stearas, of Duluth; Capt.
H. A. Castle, of st. Paul; Senator Compton,
of Fergus Falls; j. s. Gady Post No. 2, of
Anoka; A. P. Fitch, of Glencoe; Col. c. C.
Andrews. of St. Paul; c. G. Edwards, of
Spring Valley; H. H. Hart. of st. Paul. and
W. P. Sargent, of Albert Lea.
The writer's of. the letters were unit in
promising assistance and influence.