The morning call., 1891-04-27
A VETERANS STORY.
Taken Prisoner by La Grippe He
Finds Refuge in the Home.
A Washington Versus a California Winter.
Fighting for Land Claims-Rest at
Last at Yountville.

An Old Soldier" writing to THE CALL
from Yeuntyille under date OF April 21st,
has good word to say for the Veterans
Home and those in charge of it. lie has
been on tramp, and gives an account Of
his perambulations. He says: Two
months ago l left our beautiful State of SUM-
shine, fruit and flowers, got caught in a
land boom in the new State of Washington,
and in few days L was in the country SO
much written up for its wealth Of timber,
mineral deposits and rich soil. could not
form an opinion of the.country, for it rained
and showed and blowed continually, and as
there are but few country roads, and they
impossible, / was compelled to confne my
self to railroad travel, of which there are
several routes along the sound. LAUNDERING
appears to be the principal business, and
large mills are being, and are already, con-
structed, which will in a short time supply
the world with lumber. There is vast
number Of people up there patiently waiting
for the timber lands to be surveyed, many
OF whom have staked out their claims, and
built shanty or cabin on them. hoping
IN this way to establish squatter's right,
and have the precedent when the survey Is
made.
Il was not accustomed to so much damp,
cold weather and in less than week after
my arrival l was taken down with la grippe
and in spite of the skill of my old comrade,
DIR. Spalding, Medical Director during the
late war on the staff of General &. II.
Thomas, whom l met at Seattle, l got no
better, and during two long, dreary. dismal
III onthS l lay suffering and longing for Cali
fornia, and long before | was really able l
toUk passage for San Francisco had met
the boom and had also caught the grip, and
being veteran, as well as G. A. r. man.
was advised TO 90 to the Veterans Home
at Yountville and be treated for the disorder.
With this end in view lsapplied to Colonel
A. l.. Rockwell, Secretary of the home,
whose Office is in the Flood Building, who
received me courteouSly, and WHO intro
duced me to the committee, consisting of
DR.. DOrr, George L. Knox, II. L. Hobart
and Hon. w. G. Burnett, all of whom re-
eeiyed me with Characteristic kindness.
Next morning, April 18Th, took the Yount-
vile and Napa train at Oakland and III a
couple of hours was al 1ountvllle, one mile
from the home. A fine team was in waiting
to carry any one who might arrive TO the
home, and the driver, himself veteran,
told me that he drove over the road twice
each day on the same errand. He was very
proud of the condition of his horses, which,
he said, he attended to himself, and eX-
plalned, par parentheses, that they were Just
getting over severe attack OF lile eplZOt TIC.
g found the home located in lovely
valley, contiguous to the foothills, nine
miles from Napa and one mile from Yount-
acres of land, upon which is large and
thrifty vineyard " Which must yield hand
some yearly revenue. The buildings are
large, roOmy and we'll ventilated; are COM
pleie with all of the latest improvements,
and at present acco mOdate 260 old and
disabled Veterans. | was cordially received
by the officers of the home and had my
quarters assigned ME in a nice, airy room,
in which were two beds, one Of which l
appropriated. Colonel William McCleave,
in command of the home, is an able officer,
and notwiths landing his many duties every
thing moves as smoothly and as regularly
as clockwOrk. l have not heard word OF
| complaint or discomfort.
The Colonel is favorite with both Off
GERS and men, is quiet, unaSSumlng gen.
tle:nan, and the general wish Is that he may
live long to cheer the home with his genial
presence. Il was assigned to Company ID,
in charge of Sergeant Scranton, who is at
tentive and vigilant, and looks after his
company with untiring attention-no sine
cure office where so many are sick and re-
Qure 50 much attention. The Colonel is
assisted in his duties by Adjutant Van Cleft,
who has four companies. and all of the
calls are as regularly and as promptly at
tended to as they were in actual service.
One can see that he is master Of the Office,
and has seen many contested field. The
Quartermaster's Department is under The
able management of Sergeant Blanchard,
and the Commissary Department by Ser
geant Ravens.
There is fine library connected with
the home, and although 260 persons are con-
tinuaily taking out books, Comrade K. T.
Cole keeps everything in perfect order and
is very accommodating. l shall remain
here until l recover from the effects of Ia
grippe. II medical director and surgeon
in charge is DR.. p. j. Aiken, and being on
the sick list l am under his charge. The
hospital is large new structure ana will ac-
commodate a large number OF patients. One
can readily see that under its present able
management the home will be. if it is not al
ready, the most popular home in the Union,
to the old, WORKOUT soldier, whose ranks
each year will be depleted mUre and more,
until soon none will be lett TO answer the
reveille and tattoo, and those who are here
now will have answered the last call and
have gone to join those who fell at the call
of duty thirty wears ago"