Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-09-08
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER s, 1888.
A SOLDIERS RELIEF FUND VS.. SOL.
DIERS' HOME.
An Insane Asylum in the Black Hills-Its
Necessity Immediate and Imperative.

Necessity Immediate and imperative.
The following article from the able
pen of Major w. II. Snyder, Of Dead
wood, appearing in a late issue OF the
Times, In which the attention Of the
public is called to the necessity of the
early establishment of an Insane ASYLUM
in the Black Hills; and in which the
policy Of providing for the INDECENT sol
diers'- Of the territory by means of a
Soldiers Relief Fund, in lieu of a Sol
diers' Home, as 10Y contemplated, is
strongly advocated, is reproduced with
a view to aid in its general publicity, to
the end That the matter may be accorded
that degree of public attention, which
it's importance would seem to warrant,
This matter is regarded by the CHRoN-
ICLE as being of the highest importance,
and will be more fully discussed In
future issues:
DeADwooD, Aug. n, 1883.
To II EDITOR or ~ ZINES:
There is a subject matter of general
interest to the people of the Black Hills
section to which | desire through the
columns of your paper, to ask the atten-
ton of the public. 1t refers to a matter
which has received some public dis
cussion by the press and recsi we'd, par
italy, closer attention and interest in
this section of the territory than else
where, from the fact that SO far AS the
discussion has gone, there has come to
be a general acquiescence and consent
that the institution, when authorized,
shall be located at liot Springs, Fall
River county. i refer 10 the Soldiers
Home the object of which will be to
provide a home for all honorabley dis
charged soldiers, sailors and marines,
who served in the army and navy Of the
United States during tho war of the
rebellion, or the Mexican war, who now
are or may hereafter become citizens of
the commonwealth of Dakota.
For such an Institution as this every
person will cheerfully assent and cordi-
ally commend the object and purpose,
but in It's consideration let us enquire il
there is moi another way of making
provision for this patriotic class of i'll
digent citizens, whereby they will be
more comfortably and ~contentcdly pro-
vided for, a greater number be benefit
ted, and the attractions and pleasures of
II home secured and more closely main
tanned and ut much less cost, and nj the
same time provision be made for Il
lruer aud u~s~ nume--~~ ~i-~~ - --
fortunate dependents, whose numbers
will increase with the coming years, and
whose care and provision and support
is imposed upon us by every considera-
ton of sympathy, noble impulse and
charitable feeling ! refer to the insane.
Let me premise: | seriously doubt i
there is Il sufficient number of ex-sol.
diers and sailors in the territory, who
are the object of needed provision and
support, to justify the expenditure OF
the large sum of money necessary to
build a Soldiers Home.
:. There Is an aggregate number OF
insane persons IN the tive Black Hills
counties to justify and warrant the ex
penditure of large sum of money in
the building and erection Of a large aud
commodious asylum.
In confirmation of these propositions
| submit the following facts:
| am in receipt of q letter from Hon.
Henry "A. Castle, president Of tn board
of trustees of the Minnesota Soldiers
Home and Soldiers Relief Fund, dated
at st. Paul, July q, ult., and enclosing
Ah0 40 Sili' AZ iNIo't " lit SCIi SltIy
which gives very full information as to
the workings of the home and fund in
that state. The difference in the two
features of the work is fund in this rule:
No ex-soldier having a family is ad-
mitted to the Soldiers Home, and no
ex-soldier without a family or a fixed
place of residence is assisted out Of the
relief fund.
As to the workings Of the law in Min
nesota, President Castle writes: I'VE
find both features Of the law works well.
The Home is needed for the men with
out families, and the relief fund best
reaches those with families at their own
homes. All works well, though the
labor is great. Much of it, of course,
will be done away with, if the senate
pension bill becomes a law"
The semi annual report of the secre-
tary up TO February %, last, shows that
the number OF applicants admitted TO
the Home was AZ, whose average age
was 80 years, and that the amount Of
money expended for their support was
s .o60.l9. Of the number of applicants
under the soldiers relief fund whose
claims were granted, were $50, for whom
there had been expended, S~6,53S.l3.
The census of 1855 showed the popu.
lation of Minnesota to be l,ll7,79S, and
OF Dakota 4l5,263. Allowing that their
respective growth in population since
1885 has been in the same ratio us fot
the five years previous, the population
of Dakota today is less than one-hali
that Of Minnesota. So that in the es.
tablishment of a Soldiers Home The
number of applicants would hardly be
more than half those of Minnesota, or
not to exceed %, while under the feat.
ures of a soldiers relief fund, the
widows. orphans and dependent parents
would be cared for, and the few un-
married soldiers could likewise be cared
for and with much better provision at
less expense, than would be involved in
the building and maintenance of a Sol
diers' Home.
AS to the second proposition | submit:
/ have carefully examined the records
of the judge of probate's Office in this
county, and | find that since January
1880 there are no records prior to that
date the board of'~insanity, of Lawrence
county, have considered the cases of 92
persons alleged to be insane. For the
two years and a half previous, it is a fair
estimate that the number was an aver