Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1893-07-07

week. Men who do regular work OF any
kind receive pay. These are cooks,
walters, farm hands, carpenters, etc,
and the pay roll last month, not includ-
| ing officers, amounted to "a 800.
A very pretty chapel has just been
completed at cost OF s., 800. and in this
ministers OF both the Catholic and Prot
estant denominations hold weekly ser
vices.
Over one hundred acres of the home
grounds are under cultivation, and q
model farm 10 conducted. On this farm
there are sixty.fve head of cattle,
eighteen horses. six mules, sheep, etc. +,
and last year $l9, 900 worth OF provisions
were raised.
Every member of the home receives 9
pension, and the payments range from
81 to $45, according to the character of
wounds received. The an cunt paid in
pensions to members of the home for the
past year was $280,OO0. Pension day is
big day for the old vets, and the saloons
in the vicinity OF the home reap a rich
harvest. A large majority OF the old vets
are hard drinkers, and upon receiving
their pension they rush off to the nearest
saloon and stay there until their last
cent is gone, when, besodden with
whisky and beer, and in q helpless and
pitable condition, they wander back to
the home, there to remain in ''innocuous
desuetude" until next pension day. I'm
Gle Sam is doing great deal for the old
soldiers, but it certainly seems wrong to
pay the members Of these homes . pen
sion. They are furnished for life with
everything needed-clothing, food, good
quarters, good beds, tobacco, and every
thing they wish, and have no need for
money. They nearly all have de-
PRAYED appetite for liquor, and they use
this peDion money to crafty it, and they
do 30 in the fullest sense. have seen q
thousand old gray-hesded veterans under
the influence of liquor since have been
in Milwaukee, and their depraved con-
dition was something not at all pleasant
to contemplate. Many of them also use
opium, and the Kelley cure is now ad-
ministered free to such members of the
home as desire to takeit. Many OF them
have taken it, but yesterday saw two
old vets walking arm in arm in maud
lin state of drunkenness, with Kelley
badges on their breasts. The above pic.
ture is not overdrawn in the least, and
any citizen OF Milwaukee will bear me
out in the statements made. therefore
repeat the assertion that the government
should not pay pensions to the members
OF these homes. The money is worse
than thrown away.
When member dies his remains are
placed in neat coffin provided by the
home, and if his relatives do not request
that his body be sent them it is inferred
in the home cemetery. The cemetery
on the home grounds is situated in a
quiet retreat near one Of the lakes, and
each grave has a marble head stone,
bearing the soldiers name, age, COM
pany, regiment and date Of death. Every
spring Towering plants are set on each
grave.
The home and grounds are very valu-
able and are estimated to be worth over
81 100000. A large appropriation is made
each year for it's maintenance, the last
amount being 1928, 1882.
Those who are growing at Uncle Sam
and claiming that he is not doing enough
for the old soldier should visit Mil
waukee. fancy such persons would ex-
perience change of opinion. F. M.