The record-union., 1894-09-27
CIVIL War VETERANS.
The Pacific Branch of the Soldiers
Home.
Something About the Location and
the Management of the Institu-
tion at Santa Monica.

LAOH III SdHtA MOnICa.
The Citizens League of Los Angeles
has sent to the RECORD UNION the fol-
lowing, which will be read with interests
by all friends of the veterans of the civil
war:
The National Soldiers Home is an in
stltutlon which has easily gained very
warm place in the affections of the peo-
pie of the country, and is performing a
service in caring for the nations defend
ers at once just, generous and commend
able. The name OF Soldiers Home is
applied TO all the establishments collect
lively, and each separate institution is
called branch, that at Santa Monica be-
ing known as the Pacific Branch. A
comparison OF location management and
other matters between the different
branches shows many advantages for our
local branch, and it is with these points
this article Is intended to deal.
The grounds OF the Pacific Branch en-
brace 63i acres OF land in one body, the
northeast portion OF which is a small part
OF the famous trostleSS foothills of the
Cahuenga Valley. The view from this
point Is particularly interesting, as it not
only commands q full view OF the very
productive valley 10 the east and south of
the home, but also fully fifty miles of the
OCCSiLI lIOAlds30 anu VIC CltI0S Oh LOS n H.
geles and Santa Monica. The home has,
in addition to large vegetable garden,
an excellent young orchard, containing
Ill all about 3, 100 fruit and walnut trees.
The ornamental trees, of from two
To four years. growth and from ten TO
sixty feet in hight, number about
1000, besides which there are some 900
ornamental shrubs. The different kinds
OF fruit trees and the number OF each are,
IL peach. 425 orange, ll0 pear, 30 fig, 225
lemon and $40 apple. In this climate
the fig trees yield three crops per aunum
The shade and ornamental trees en-
brace pepper, eucalyptus Give varieties) ;,
cypress tour Varletles), pine -four yari-
eties), grevillia, robusta, chryptomeria
date and fan palm, erythrara. chameropo,
two varieties OF draconia, three
of cedar, three of arancaria, two
OF sequola, magnolia grandifiora,
cork elm, catalpa, loquot, horse
chestnut, Australian flame, American
linden, Texas umbrella, Russian null
berry, weeping willow, camphor tree,
Kentucky coffee tree, three varieties OF
acacia. two of oleander, Irish juniper,
three varieties Of pittisporum, taXis hi
bernca, flr, Jacllaranda, silver tree, straw
berry guava, ligistrum japouica, and
three varieties OF arbor vitte-some sixty
two varieties in ali. The varieties of
shrubs are calycanthus, hydrangia pani-
lilac, snow ball, two kinds of spirsea, cut
leaved sumach, achania NAL veviscus,
lantana, metrocidrors, birds of paradise,
night blooming jasmine, myrtle, Hbonia,
Stevla, WlgandIa, pampas grass, lauris-
tlnus, laurel, box tree, euoynimous, au-
ria, brugmacia, streptosolen jamesonii,
two varieties of hydrangia and hybscus
cococinia-twenty- EIGHT in all. The
nursery also contains a large stock of all
these trees and shrubs of young growth
and the grounds are beautifully orna-
mented with over two hundred varieties
OF flowers, from which bouquets are
picked every day in the year.
The tomato patch yielded last year from
twenty-five to thirty tons, all OF which
were used at the home. The farming
| lands were principally in hay, and over
300 tons were cut and cured at the home.
The water supply is derived principally
from large well and few tunnels made
| in the hills and canyons north of the
home. The well was tested and can be
made to supply 100000 gallons per day of
twenty-four hours. The supply can be
greatly increased if it should ever be
needed.
The elevation OF the land at the dining
hall IS $50 feet above the level of the sea
while at the reservoir In the foothills it is
over SEQ feet. This height gives to the To-
cation the very cream OF the grand cli-
mate of Southern California, that of the
! Cahuenga foothills, which is cooler in
| summer and warmer in winter than any
! other locality, and IS absolutely frostless.
! A comparison OF the statistics of the
| various branches shows that the main
| tainance of the Pacific Branch costs con-
| siderably less than the average of all the
| branches, and less than the average OF
any other branch, save one. The average
cost per capita at Santa Monica last year
was Sl36 24, and while We have no data
| from the other branches for the same
| year, the annual report not having been
published, yet we find that the average
| cost at all the branches for the wear end
ing June 30, 1898, was $40 95, which is
evidently an indication that the facts OF
the advantageous prices at which supplies
| of all Kinds may be purchased in this
vicinity, the large amount and many va
| rieties of products which are raised at
| the Home and the salubrity of the clim-
| ate tending greatly to the maintenance
| OF good health, thereby decreasing largely
the cost incident 10 sick ness, com bine to
render it possible to conduct a branch
here at less cost than anywhere else.
The cost Of ratiOnsa per day at the Pa
clflc branch during the last quarter was
! but fraction over Is cents for each in
! mate, which was Ii cents lower than the
cost at any other branch at any time.
| In the matter of death rate, taking the
| statistics for the same year, it is found
| that the ratio of deaths to 900 inmates is
! less at the Pacific branch than the aver
! age of all branches and less than any
other save one, at which place the aver
age age of the inmates was less than the
| average age OF the inmates at the Pacific
! branch, which undoubtedly has much to
| do with the smaller death ratio. The
! average ratio OF deaths To each 900 in
mates in all the branches was Is so. while
at Santa Monica it was but 1920. The
visitor cannot help being greatly inn
pressed by the very large percentage OF
the soldiers who take their daily sun
baths, which fact may largely account for
the death rate being so much less than at
| other places last year. The average num-
ber OF days of sunshine for the year
throughout the Cahuenga Valley is over
| 300 out of 365.
The splendid bathing beach at Santa
| Monica, miles in length, is only four miles
distant, and although the fare is only
seven and half cents by street car, many
OF the old vets" prefer to walk
The average age OF the inmates of tile
seven branches of the home is 59.0S years,
according to the last published report.
and il is said upon good authority thai
| fully % percent. OF the 1900 cared for at
| the different branches would gladly avail
| themselves OF the advantages of this land
| OF sunshine If Congress would afford the
facilities and transportation for them.
Therefore we appeal to the very gener-
Gus press of the country, every public
body, as well as every individual ad-
mlrer of the old soldier, to use every en-
deavor to prevail upon all Senators and
congressman to aid in making the nec-
essary appropriation.
THE CITIZENS LEAGUE OF Los ANGELES
by 6. J. Griffith, Secretary.
S1Ge.a@a@na~Sa14., ,444ss-asS~s~a.4,~x'p
WORTH s GUINEA q y0X."S
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