The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-03-22
IOWA SOLDIERS HOME.
How the State Has Provided for Its De
pendent Veterans.

How the State Has Provided for Its De-
pendent Veterans.
EDITOR NATIONAL Tribune: Scarcely =
day passes that do not receive inquiries from
all parts of the country respecting the cottages
which the Legislature of 1892 authorized at the
Iowa Soldiers Home at this place.
These cottages, 10 in number, consist OF two
rooms and small vestibule. the rooms being
about IL feet square, one answering for 3 sit
ting-room and the other for bedroom. When
the proposition was pending in the Legislature
two years ago, the Woman's Relief Corps of the
State made the pledge that if that body would
provide the funds for erecting the 10 cottages,
in an experimental effort, the Corps would pro-
vide for their equipment.
This was done. with the exception of heating
and lighting Each cottage cost $500, not con-
sidering the expense of furnishing. Each one
is provided with two incandescent electric
lights; the heating is done with hard-coal
stove They stand in row on the west side Of
the main building of the Home the row ex-
tending westward and fronting eastward, the
object in this manner of location being to pro.
vide street lined on both sides with cottages,
in case the Legislature shall authorize the cree
tion of any others.
The present heating plant of the Home is
inadequate to the supply of steam heat to the
cottages, and the lack of funds with which 70
extend it compelled the use of stoves paid for
out of the general support fund of the Home
Eight of the 10 cottages only are yet occupied,
though they were fully equipped and ready for
use Feb g. 1893
The occupants take their meals in one of the
messrooms of the main building of the Home,
but when any of them are sick and otherwise
unable to go to their meals, the food is carried
to them by messenger. The Legislature pro-
vided that no old soldier and his wife should be
eligible to a cottage who had not been married
prior to 1872 and also required that the appli-
cation should be approved by the Post Of the
Grand Army of the Republic nearest to their
place of residence, at either regular or special
meeting of the Post.
There is no provision in the cottage plan Of
the Iowa Soldiers Home for the housing of our
children in these cottages. The Legislature Of
1892 also made an appropriation of 5000 for
the construction of building for the quarters
of destitute widows of old soldiers in the State,
but when the Board of Commissioners came to
consider the question Of expanding the appro-
priation, it came to the conclusion that it was
totally inadequate to carry out the design of
the Legislature, and has referred the whole mat
ter back to that body.
In reference to the old soldier cottages the
Legislature also provided that associations
throughout the State might erect similar cot
tages for like purpose, not including the care
of children, on the Home grounds, at their own
expense, according to plans approved by the
Commissioners, and when so erected and occu-
pied, to be governed by the same rules as those
for the cottages erected at the expense of the
State.
The GAR. Posts at Muscatine. Davenport,
and Hull took the preliminary steps to erect
three such cottages during last Summer, and
had the permission of the Board of Commits
sioners, but the financial crisis has postponed
the work of commencing.
The experiment of the cottage plan at the
Iowa Soldiers Home is so far too meager TO
enable the administration to give any decisive
opinion regarding ultimate results yet the in
dications are that it will be attended by ulti-
mate success. There is no difficulty on the
part of the men, as they have some conception
of discipline, but their wives have never had
any experience of military discipline, and,
are not yet able to comprehend the
necessity for certain rules, required for reguls-
tiOn where so many are gathered in one group,
as they are at the Iowa Soldiers Home
One other thing should be mentioned. The
Department officers of the W.R.C, when the
cottages were approaching completion, called
upon the subordinate Corps to provide the sup
plies necessary to comfortably furnish the cot
tages.
They generously responded, and in less than
two months not only carpets, quilts, comforts,
Ste, sufficient to equip the 10 cottages were in
my hands, but surplus equal to the equipments
of % others, should that many be afterwsrd
erected either by the authority of the Legisla-
ture or by associations such as GAR. Posts
JOHN II. KEATLEY, Commandment MARSHALL
town Iowa.