The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1892-02-18

10 the American people.
JULIAN DEL LLANO.
The Soldiers Home at Dodge City.
From the Minneapolis Messenger.
SOLDIERS HOME, DODGE CITY.
January 1, 1892.
COMRADE HENRY COwYER:
When arrived
at this city, Il comrade was in waiting for
us, who brought us out to the Home in
wagon right up to the house in waiting for
us. 1t is a home, and a nice one, built out
Of dressed stone, just built and plastered.
The size of the house is 2SxlS, front part
with nice covered porch the whole length
of the house; the ell is lSxlS, which forms
kitchen and buttery 3xS, fixed up with
shelving; a covered porch from the kitchen
eighteen feet long; off from the parlor is a
nice wardrobe. The house is all nicely
painted; the Walls are all finished up white,
hard finish far better than your court
house; the height of the ceiling is ten feet.
The rooms are nearly all Of the same size.
The commander had nice new heating
stove set up and fire in it when we got
there. Our goods haven't come Oh yet,
but we go down to the single mems quar-
tiers, and there we take our meals until our
thugs come. The single soldiers quarters
is home sure; it is well named. | will
give you all particulars about it in my next
letter. The table we live at now is the
same as all the families get; they furnish
all the same; l will give YOU our bill of
fare as nearly as can recOllect:
For dinner to-day, which is about an av-
eraee Of meals, coffee, milk, sugar, bread,
biscuit, corn bread, two kinds of pie,
mashed potatoes. cabbage, meat, cake,
pickles, peaches, apples, dried grapes,
cooked onions, mustard; tea, cheese, butter
and what is still better plenty of it. Their
motto is to try and make an old soldier as
happy as they possibly can; they scrimp
you In nothing, but aim to give you all
that is possible and necessary for comfort.
l feel at this time as If could see lots of
comfort in my old days, in having lots of
comfortable things coming to me which
will recompense me for the service 1 gave
Uncle Sam thirty years ago. Our officers
are gentlemen, good and kind and are
friends to the old soldiers, as much so as a
kind father could be to dutiful child.
The Quartermaster Sergeant showed lis
through the ration department, where we
saw fresh meat, salt meat, smoked ham,
best flour, best sugar, molasses, potatoes,
cabbage, pickles, dried fruit, everything
in the shoe line, everything in clothes that
is necessary for comfort and health. Plen-
ty of good bedding, comforts, blankets and
pillows. Impossible to mention all the
comforts l saw while in the commissary.
In regard to the labor we do here, it is
not very hard on soldier. You sleep,
you eat; if you feel like working and there
is anything to do, you can do it; if you
don't, you don't have to. If you do it
you get pay for it, SO have been told by
some of the comrades. There is a police
here but he don't appear to have anything
to do. The whole Home appears to be
like one family; both men and women all
glad to see us, and We glad to see them.
1t was like meeting brother or sister that
we had not seen for thirty years, In three
hours We were acquainted with nearly ev-
cry body. No red tape, no style, but good
common sense doings. was ordered to
report with my soldiers pension papers at
the qnartermaster's Office. l was entered
in the books and my papers handed back
to me. am told every soldier controls
his own pension. He don't have to use it
il he don't want to.
Our commander is good natured, kind
clever, a good word for all; if any
one could not get along with the officers of
this place, it would be their own fault.
There are about fifty old soldiers here,
probably thirty-five have families. They
have separate houses. The house live in
cannot be built for less than ten or twelve
hundred dollars.
We have good school of two grades,
number of scholars 60, classed some better
than the average schools. We have some
twenty COWS belonging to the Home; the
milk is divided twice day. We get all
the GROUND for garden spot we want.
Well, Henry, want you to show this let
ter to John Wooster, Treadwell, in fact all
old soldiers who are interested. You can
let the editor publish it. have not given
you all the information, but will later on.
1 ought to have been here year ago.
HENRY BROBST.