St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-10-11
THE SOLDIERS HOME
Reported That 1t Is Not So
Homelike as 1t Might
Be.
A Globe Reporters Visit, and
His Opinion Of It's Condi-
ton.
The Opening Of the Presby-
terlan Synod--Dr. Vests
Case.
Judge Emery's Decision Like
ly to Be Against the So
eial Clubs.

The old song. the song we all love;
the song that has been and is daily
echoed and re-echoed around the world
in all known-and some unknown
tongues, says There is no place like
home" As strange as it may seem,
there is, likewise, no place like
soldiers home. where it is supposed,
that the battle-scared veterans who de-
Tended their country in its hour OF dan
ger are turned out to grass, and peace
fully pass their remaining days In
halcyOn happiness: three square
meals each day: little work and
much play. This, as previously re-
marked, is the supposition. but, as
applied to the soldiers home at Mime
haha. it is scarcely borne out by the
facts, for there is in that rural retreat
state of decided unrest. Many of the
inmates claim that there is too much
work and too little play: that the rules
of government are too rigid; that the
commandment is too subservicnt to the
board of trustees: that there is no OPP
pOrtunity to earn little spending
money by labor; that outsiders are inn
ported and paid for work which the in
mates could do as well and should be
reimbursed for.
The old matter of retaining all but
81 per month of each pensioners
government bounty still rankles in the
minds of many, although the volume of
this disturbance has been greatly re-
duced by the reward OF almost all of the
pensioners to national homes OF other
places where the order is not in force.
To all obServant visitor the air of the
place is sOmber and prisonlike-a fact
which impreSseS itself fOrcibly OH the
mind of any man who has ever been in
prison, as the writer has. ItStruck him
as good place in which to commit sui
eide
1t has its redeeming features. Shang-
hal Chambers description OF army
fare, 1.-THE bread is good and the
The ''grub" is substantial, plentl-
full and well cooked. The quarters are
clean and comfortable, but one. or even
ten, swallows don't make summer,
and neither do all of these things make
a home. There seems to be lack of
bon hOmmie, of good cheer, Of diver
sion, of sympathy-all of which are es-
Sential ingredients in compromising the
mixture called human happiness.
The inmates are looking jOyfully for
ward to the time when DR.. Ames will
take up his permanent abode for the
winter at the home. The feelings of the
old soldiers towards the famous and
GENIAL doctor are indeed remarkable.
They don't care what he thinks of the
Irish question. They say that they
know that he is their friend, and they
are willing to wager all of their money
on him except 81 per month. If left to
a vote of the inmates DIR. Ames would
be unanimously chosen the autocratic
ruler of the home.
Material improvements Of the home,
are i'll rapid progress. The new hospital
Is nearly up and ready for the roof.
When finished it will increase the capa-
city of the home to $50. The present
population is about $50. The new boiler
room is also in forward state. and the
grounds are being improved and beauti-
fed, The buildings are tasteful and
we'll adanfed tO their several uSeS