St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-12-18
REST FOR VETERANS.
Annual Report Of the Direc-
tors OF the State Sol
dieps' Home.
The Cottage System and
Everybody-Work Plan Is
Found Best.
Statistics Showing the ReVe-
nues and Expenses Of the
Home.
The Relief Fund and the Con-
dition Of the Veterans
Housed.


system was at once adopted and has
been followed since, and it has proven
both practicable and desirable and VIII
be continued in the future. In 1888
two cottages We're erected and one sec
ton of the heating plant, and the cen
trai portion and one wing Of the hOSpI-
tai was completed in 1890. A cottage
somewhat larger than the others has
been erected the present year. giving
accommodations to fifty additional in
mates, also q domestic building with Il
capacity Of fifty.
During the past summer. it is recited,
the position of surgeon of the home, per-
hapS the most important of all, became
vacant. DR.. A. A. AmeS. Of Minneap-
oils, who has most acceptably filled the
position since the foundation of the in
StitutiOn, at much sacrifice of personal
interest and comfort, felt constrained to
resign. His rare professional skill, sec
Onded by warm hearted devotion to his
comrades, made him an ideal medical
off Ger for a soldiers home. The board
Of trustees is unanimous in its express
sion Of regret at his resignation, and
records its full appreciation of his valu-
able services. AS further mark Of
that appreciation, the board has elected
DR.. AmeS a consulting surgeon Of the
home.
The increase in the labor of admins
tratiOn during the year has necessitated
the creation of the new positions of
sergeant major and Quartermaster's
sergeant, which have been respectively
filed by the detail of two worthy mem
bers of the home, William Ii. Allen and
L. II. Heller.
The annual inspection, under the
auspices of the national board of mana
M do in
May, 1891, by Gen. w. W. Averell, U.
S. a. Qetired), assistant Inspector gen
eral. His scrutiny was thorough and
exhaustive. and his verbal expressions
of satisfaction with all he saw have no
doubt found record III his official re-
port.
The Financial Condition
of the home, aside from the relief fund,
is given:
RECEIPTS.
Balance Aug, I, 1880. ............ S3.993 Is
Animal state appropriation. 10000 90
Per capita allowance from the L. s.
Including deficiency for previous
year, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. ll,OSl rs
From sale of stone and wind mill I24 s.
From pensions paid i'll by members. 1,037 81
Total ......... amman. 81, 337 40
EXPENDITURES
For home support, Aug. l, 1890, to
Balance on hand July ii, 1891. 49,. S6SI 90
Total Observation-Disclosures. 81 ,337 46
The salaries of officers are: Com
mandant, 81, 800 per annum; surgeon.
$1,000: adjutant and quartermaster, $3.50;
chaplain, 1850; hospital steward, $500;
consulting surgeons. for actual services
when called for consultation or exam
inatiOn. The members of the home
Will
major, |: Quartermaster'S sergeant,
l; sergeants, 2: corporals, 2; order
lies 2, Stabemen ,, gardeners ,. cooks
helper l, tailor /, hOstler 1, hospital
nurse l. waiter l. assistant engineers .,
shoemaker l, laundryman l, hospital
clerk !, carpenter l, miscellaneous 4.
The pay averages about Sc per month
for each detailed man. The outside or
'cltlZenS" employees are: Engineer l,
cooks 8, hospital nurses 3, laundress l.
The commandments report TO the
board shows in detail the produce of the
home garden and dairy. Estimated at
market prices at the time of consump-
ton, the food and products, including
vegetables, milk, poultry, eggs and
pork, amounted TO 81 ,63l.25.
OF the 156 inmates, So are receiving
pensions varying from S24 to s. a month.
Each pensiOner is required to turn over
all in excess of 81, and during the fiscal
year S1,O31.S7 was realized from this
source. There has been an increase Of
IS during the year, and the changes i'll
population were:
Number of members Aug. |. 1880. 13S
Admitted during the year.. ............ At
NeauAnItIeu' ''...'.''.-....-.. ..........-. IL
Total. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. .......-. 1856
Died during thp year II
DischaI ged during the year. ............... &c
Number of members July 81, 1891. .... 156
Total ... ................196
A larger number of members than
usual were encouraged to accept fur
loughs during the summer, and earn q
livelihood. The average age of the
members is 59.4, and their average term
OF army service is thITty-one months.
The oldest is eighty and the youngest
forty-tive years.
In pursuance of the policy which re-
QuireS this institution to conform. as
nearly as possible, TO the aspects of the
home" says the report, the inmates.
as members of family, are required to
DO Their Part
in carrying on the household. In addi-
ton, this is Z measure of economy Sug-
gtSted by the necessities, as well as the
manifest prophecies of the case. All
who are able to work do their share in
one way or another.
The inmates of cottage care for the
cottage: those occupying a room care
for their room; each man ''makes up''
hiS.OWn bed. The "DOliee wOrk' of the
house and grounds, the duties of table
walters, and all the diversified general
labors Of the home are done by details.
But services requiring special train
ing or continuous employment.
cannot be successfully secured
by this process. Nurses for the sick,
engineers and firemen for the heating
plant, laundry helpers. carpenters, tail
OrS, ShOemakers, gardeners, Stablemen,
cooks. etc, require special skill and
fitness, and a steady routine of employ
ment that cannot be obtained from
daily details. Consequently these
details, when competent men can
be found among the members,
are made permanent during good be-
havior, and a small monthly allowance
of extra pay is made in each case. bv
authority of the board of trustees.
When no members can be found com
petent for the special duties demanded,
outside or Citizen experts are neces-
sarily employed. The work is not,
perhaps, in all cases, so eff
GENTLY done as 1t would be
by able-bOdied men whose wages de-
pend Oh their zeal-but it is done so
much more cheaply, that it is still an
economical investment. The home
gives to all its members, without par
TALLY or discrimination, every bodily
comfort. The sick and feeble ask for
no more and are content: but the more
vigorous crave some occupation and 1t
is human nature to expect
pay for steady work. AS
sanitary measure, without
reference TO the other features, experl-