The National tribune., 1894-05-24

ID enfeebled and SCARED and beaten
" K&xW in the battle of life, so tenderly
~ EASS , cared for during the remainder
NbsAWfNM/ of his life. No other country
LENS furnishes so much for his COM
fort during his declining years
as our own. England has its
Greenwich and Chelsea and France its Hotel
des Inyalides but they do not compare with
orr Homes for the disabled veterans of cur
wars. nor do those vincent these foreign homes
enjoy, in addition, their pensions. 1t is but
justice.
Branches, the Central at Dayton, the North
western at Milwaukee, the others at Leaven-
worth, Togus Hampton, and Santa Monica, the
veterans of the Nations wars have commOdious
buildings, good beds, medical attendance, an
ample supply OF well-cooked, nutritious food,
well-stocked libraries, lectures, concerts and
other amusements, and have even the pflvl-
lcge of buying beer to an extent limited only
by the contents of their pockets or their capacity
for absorption. Their clothes and washing, too,
are furnished.
Although the facts stated in this article refer
more particularly to the Northwestern Branch
of the Home, at Milwaukee, Wis, there is so
much that is common TO ali Branches, that
transcript of the doings and records of the life
in one of them applies equally to all.
There are at present in the Milwaukee Branch
somewhere about 1000 veterans, of various
degrees of disability. from bad temper to lame
ness and from chronic rheumatism to seniie
debility, which latter complaint its possessors
sre not likely to get over. One of the blanks
used for affidavits in support of an application
for pension on the ground of the applicant
being 75 years If age and unable to do manual
labor reads as follows: Estate how you con-
tracted senile debility. If possible, show by
at least one witness the circumstances occa-
sioning such senile debility, and whether you
are likely to recover from it."
As most men do not grow younger by the
lapse Of time it does not seem probable that
anyone will be likely ever to recover from senile
debility.
Indeed. most of the questions asked by the
Pension Bureau are of like nature, and suggest
either softening of the brain in the person
who prepared them, or else an intention so to
frame them that they could not be answered,
and thus afford ground for rejection of the appi-
cation. The motto of the Bureau nowadays
seems TO be: Never grant pension if it can
be avoided. and postpone its consideration and
adjudication as long as you possibly can. The
applicant may die, and thus the Office
present trouble and future expense"
The number of men in the various Homes
varies according to the season. being at its
maximum during the Winter and at its mini
mum in the Summer. In warm weather many
old men vino are tired of the enforced confne-
ment caused by a severe season take Burroughs
and 60 outside, either to spend their time
among friends or to get precarious living by
peddling or working for farmers. or at any
Thing they can find to do that their feeble
strength permits. But every year brings new
burdens to old men and diminishes their
strength. The number of those who go out
on furlough grows less and less year by year,
and as old age thins the ranks of those who
have seen service, the accessions to the Home
are yearly diminished, until soon, and in
very few years, the buildings will be all too
many for those who will remain, and it will be
cheaper 70 concentrate the survivors in some
one Home, and do away with the expensive
Government officials who at present seem to
think they are an essential necessity.
The site of the Milwaukee Home is beauti-
ful one, and comprises over 400 acres. nicely
laid out and nicely kept. A beautiful lake,
though of dimiButive proportions, and pleas
ant walks IN various directions, hOwer-beds
and mple shade-trees are among the attractions
OF the Home. and lead the visitor 10 think how
well the old soldier is cared for and how CRATE
full he ought to be. No doubt he is grateful, in
the main, but grumbliDg is one of the privi-
leges Of old age and the veteran finds plenty
TO grumble at.
There might be some improvement at times
in the cooking at the Home for everything is
cooked by steam, and whereas God sends
yictuals but the devil sends cooks" and
many of the inmates have lost their teeth by
is ample food, except occasionally just when
the appropriation is "petering out" and
economy has 10 be observed to make it hold
out, and butter is among the scarce articles
aud other things are none too plentiful; but
these are things which occur in the "best
regulated families" Many soldiers remember
when mule meat and not too much of that,
was the prevailing ration at Knoxville and
other places, while Andersonvlle and Libby
Prison gave US new ideas OF how little the hu-
man stomach could get along with, and recon-
Gle Us very cheerfully TO any little short
comings in the Home.
But there is undoubtedly too much red tape
about these Homes each and all of them too
many unnecessary inspections; too much un-
necessary restraint; too little regard for the
weakness OF age, and too much of the martinez
about many OF the officials. The Homes have too
many features akin TO prisons and warehouses
too many penalties for trifes too few privileges
TO the inmates 10 be in the true sense homes;
and yet there must be good discipline and a
Wholesome regard for health and cleanliness
1t would be impossible to manage such institn-
lions. where SO many men are cared for, without
this, but that everything should go through
sucd mill Of red tape as prevails is unendura-
able. For one to get discharge or furough
requires several days and papers enough to
carry case up TO the United States Supreme
Court on appeal; while to get a new pair of
pantaloons requires reference to the Quarter
master, three OF four signatures, and delay of
several days. Another thing which is much to
DC deprecated is that absolutely no opportunity
is given TO explain any charges, even Of the
most trihing character.
But the Milwaukee Home is one of the show
places of Milwaukee, and is in itself place of
great natural beauty. During the Columbian
Fair many sghtseers came from Chicago to
Milwaukee simply to see the Home, and could
hardly have selected place more interesting
So ss
Thousands Of the little pamphlets descriptive
Of the Home were sold during the Summer.
These, Of course, contain the data as to officers,