Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-04-13
A coafEDERATES HOME.
tn. NOBLE CHARITY ESTABLISHED
At AUSTIN. TEX.

AT AUSTINs TEX.
II Originated with the JoAa u. nssa
Camp of Confederate vetSaas - Has
Been Helped BY North and suuth-sev-
erai Inmates Restored 10 Health.
The appeal for aid to tho "Confeder-
stes home" at Austin, Tex, comes with
peculiar force to every generous mind;
Cor now that all thoughtful men look
upon the civil war as one Of those con-
fiicts which, ''in the providence Of Cod
must come," there Is q growing feeling
that all its victims should be kept from
want. When the great war ended the
Federal veteran returned, to be well
paid, to be assured Of a pension, II dis
abled, and preferred in the choice for
office; returned, too, to prosperous com.
munity, while the Confederate SORROW.
fully sought desolated home, with only
wounds and glory for his pay.
OF course, no nation could with any
consistency extend aid to those who
had fought against it, and the states
were much restricted by constitutional
enactments; nevertheless several Of them
have done much, as they gained In abil-
ity, for their disabled soldiers. The
"Home" Mt Austin has done much with
small means and is growing. Il Is
result of the organization Of tho John
B. Hood Camp of Confederate Veterans,
which, in 1885, named q committee to
begin the work. Maj. Joseph II. Stewart,
who lately canvassed several northern
cities for aid, was made president and
Capt. Charles II. Powell secretary. With
the first funds raised they bought fifteen
acres near Austin, on which was q seven
room house, with structures for stock
and poultry, and at this place some fifty
disabled veterans have already been
given temporary or permanent home.
The accounts Of expenses are such as
to excite sad smile in the northern
reader accustomed to tho almost lavish
appropriations for soldiers homes. For
instance, nothing is paid for medical at
tendance; the physicians Of Austin al
ternate in donating their services, and
they have had remarkable success In
curing some chronic ailments. The bills
for medicine are very small, tho drug
gists Of Austin filling all prescriptions at
the prime cost Of the drugs. And for
provisions the net outlay Is small, because
such of the veterans as are able work
at gardening and the care Of pigs and
poultry, and SO are largely self support
ing. Nevertheless the resources are to-
tally inadequate to provide for all vet
Grams who really need help. Many ways
IF ro icipr ,,,opnv bo oro baay, ,,.,corxad 80
and by a gift concert scheme about S11,.
600 was secured.
On Nov. 1, 1886, the home was opened,
the first three inmates being men who
had enlisted from Alabama, Louisiana
and Texas. Sixteen were received the
first winter, and of the fifty taken in all,
seven have died and many have been
restored to health and returned to their
friends. Maj. Stewart has received
$1,000 cash in Boston, and as much more
from other cities, and has but fairly got
the enterprise before the charitable as
yet. One of the directors is Federal
general, and the home has the indorse-
ment Of the G. A. II. of Texas. which at
its last state cncampment ut Austin
adopted resolutions requesting the Texas
legislature to endow the institution with
public funds. This could not be done,
however, as the constitution Of Texas
forbids appropriations for any purpose
not specified therein. Governor Ross
discovered way by which the veterans
received grants of wild land, but unfor-
tunately most of their claims were loca-
ted in the so called "Greer county,"
which is in dispute and probably be-
longs to the United States. A plan is
now afoot by which the state may
"adopt" the home as a state charity and
thus obviate the constitutional objection.
There is good deal of character In
the old soldier, be he where he may, and
a correspondent of Tho st. Louis Globe
Democrat, who lately visited tho home,
gives some entertaining sketches Of the
inmates. Among them is one Charles
Henry Goodwin, of Dorsetshire, England,
a sailor, who found himself one Of the
crew of the Confederate cruiser Ala.
bama by what he claims mistake, but
concluded to stand by and fight it out.
He served in the Crimean war on the
British steamer Trent, and, after being in
an American merchant ship engaged, in
blockade running. Ho was with the
Alabama when she went down, was