Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-11-28
THE SOLDIERS HOME.
General Franklin and Others
Visit the Spot.
MUCH PLEASED WITH THE SITE
A Lovely Day Affords Rare Views of
Sea, Mountain and Plain
For Many Miles.

Yesterday the HERALD announced
that special car had passed through
this city en- route to Santa Monica, car
rying General Franklin, Inspector of Ma
tional Soldiers Homes, and others, who
would proceed to make careful survey
of the Home now being built for the war
veterans at that place. Knowing the su-
preme Importance of this matter to the
people of this vicinity, HERALD man
was detailed to visit the Home yesterday
to learn what the inspecting officers
think Of the site and of the buildings in
course of construction. On the train
the reporter found Judge Walter s.
Van Dyke, E. E. Hall, s. w. Luitwieler,
j. G. Byram, and F. G. Garbutt, who
were on their way to confer with General
Franklin touching several matters con-
nected with the Home. When the site
was reached L. T. Garnsey, Dan McFar-
land and Judge G. J. Ellis were found at
the Home, they having driven down
from the city early in the morning.
These are the gentlemen who, when the
Home was placed at Santa Monica, be-
came bound to raise 100000 to be ex-
pended in the laying out and ornament
ing the grounds Of the Home. 1t was in
reference to this business that the con-
ference was held yesterday.
The train stopped at lite station
Immediately below the Home, and the
party alighting walked up the slope
about mile and half to where the
buildings are going up. Just outside
the fence which encloses the Home a
deep cut was encountered which looks
like an embryo canal. 1t is in reality
the embryo grade of the Los Angeles
and Pacific Railroad now being con-
structed from this city to Santa Monica
by way OF the Cahuenga, of the Rodeo
de las Aguas and of the Soldiers
Home. A large gang of men is
now at work on this project near
the Cahuenga and the road will be
opened in few weeks to Santa Monica
1t runs within half mile of the Home.
Home site, the great boulevard is to run.
have this matter in hand, and they are
quite sanguine that in very short time
work will begin on this road. This will
afford fine drive nearly by the base of
the mountain to the Home and to the
sea.
Soon after the party arrived from the
train General Franklin and Colonel
Brown and the Governor OF the Home,
General Treichle, went into conference on
the business in hand. As the newspaper
man was not of this conference he was
most pleasantly turned over to General
w. w. Averell, Inspector OF State Homes
for Soldiers, who comes with
General Franklin this far, but
will proceed to San Francisco
tomorrow en- route to Sacramento to
visit Governor Waterman and thence
to TOWNSVILLE in Napa County to visit
the State Home at that point. From
General Franklin the reporter learned
that there are in all thirteen State Homes
for disabled and aged volunteer soldiers,
as follows;
In Napa County, California, as above !;
at Nordton, Connecticut; at Quincy,
Illinois; at Chelsea,l Massachusetts; at
Lansing, Michigan; at Newark. New Jer-
sey at Bath, New York; at Sandusky,
Ohio; at Erie, Pennsylvania at Mont
pelier, Vermont; at Waupaca, Wisconsin !;
At Grand Island, Nebraska; and at
Marshalltown, Iowa.
There are five National Homes in the
Union. One 'at Tagus, Me-; one at
Hampton, Va. one at Dayton, Ohio !;
one at Milwaukee, Wis. one at Leaven-
worth, Kan. and the one at Santa Mon
ca. So General Franklin ends his tour
OF inspection over these latter here, while
General Averell begins his at Napa, and
proceeds thence to Grand Island, to
Marshalltown, to Waupaca, etc.. etc.
General Averell will arrive at the Nadeau
this evening and proceed to San Francisco
tomorrow, taking in Santa Barbara on
the way. General Franklin will remain
at the Home until Saturday, and then
will 60 directly back to the East. He
lives at Hartford, Conn.
In the eighteen homes catalogued
above there are now about II 900 in
mates, and all of them are greatly
crowded. In time all the States will
have homes for the aged soldiers. Con-
gress at its last session passed bill al
lowing to all States maintaining homes
an appropriation Of $l00 year for each
inmate cared for. This will encourage
the establishment of Homes in such
States as still lack them.
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE AT SANTA MONICA.
While the reporter was waiting for the
conference to end he took survey of the
site, of the new buildings and learned
these facts. AS readers of the HERALD
know, the site comprises 800 acres of the
highest mesa of the Buenos Ayres ranch.
1t stretches from the mountains to the
level land, or about half way from the
base of the mountains to the S.
P. track. Its western boundary
is about two miles from Santa Monica.
Its southeastern corner is perhaps a mile
from the Wolfskill residence. In the
mountains and belonging to the Home is
Vaudeville Canon. Here the late Cap
tain Blanding, one of the directors of the
Home, began the development of a
copious supply of pure water. Since the
death OF Captain Blanding this matter
has been in direct charge of Colonel
Brown. He is an experienced and prac-
tical engineer and is making excellent
progress with this important work.
There will be no trouble about taking out
plenty of water for all purposes of the
Home. When this necessary adjunct of
their work is got to the grounds much
Improvement will be made. A large
crop of corn was harvested on the land
this year. 1t was grown entirely with
out water, and was planted so late, at
that, that it never got drop of rain.
The soil is very rich all along the mesa
and with water the whole place will
bloom like garden. General Treichle
and Colonel Brown are now making
active preparations TO pIant a oraat MANY