The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-01
THE PROPOSED SOLDIERS HOME.
Reasons Why the state Should Extend
Liberal Aid in Its Erection.

To the Editor of the indianapolis Journal;
AT the thirteenth Annual Encampmeat
of the Department of Indiana, Grand Army
OF the Republic, held AT Fort Wayne in
April 1892, the following resolution was
unanimously adopted
Resolved. That this department do APP
point a special committee consisting of L
chairman and one comrade from each con-
gressional district, in whose charge shall be
placed the matter of securing donations of
land to be decided to the Department of In
diana, G. A. r., on which to erect a State
Soldiers Home, said committee to take in
the erection of cottages for INDECENT, aged
and disabled soldiers and their wives. and
worthy widows of eX-s0ldiers; said commit
tee to be appointed oy the department COM
mander, and it shall be expressly under
stood that such committee shall serve with
out compensation.
In accordance with this resolution the
committee appointed, and, after proper
advertisement in the State papers, visited
the various sites proposed and accepted
the offer made by the city of Lafayette
and Tippecanoe county. This donation
amounts in the aggregate to PAT acres of
land, estimated to be worth $4,000, and 3d.
6sS in cash The land is situated three
miles north of the city of Lafayette, ON
the west side of the Wabash. and along the
gravel road or pike that leads from La
fayette to Tippecanoe Battle Ground, and
nearly midway between the two places.
From the pike there IS a gradual elevation
fully 100 acres From the southeast corner
of this plateau, at what has been called
scape view of the river, the city and
rounding country. The natural topography
of the land IS such that the hand of man
purpose for which it has been donated.
There. is a luxurious growth of forest trees
covering the entire tract upon which it is
proposed to erect the home, that the
landscape gardener may select at will from
the saplings of an inch in diameter to the
n a
utility and ornamentation: Included in the
donation is q personal gift by Col. Dick"
session known as the Tecumseh trail. af-
fording frontage on the Wabash river of
executed to these lands TO the Department
of Indiana, Grand Army of the Republic,
and that organization stands ready TO make
similar conveyance of the same to the
| State upon the passage of bill by the Leg
islature appropriating enough money TO
| the bill which has been prepared by the
| committee 10 be introduced in the Legisla-
ture provides that this conveyance shall be
so made
The home is to be erected the cottage
plan, the cottages costing from $loO to $500;
according TO the wish of the donors; and
| the committee feels assured that nearly all
the cottages needed will be built by dona-
ward ana offered to build cottages as soon
to welcome and foster this most benign and
worthy institution. 1t is no experiment.
Eghteen STATES na have now in
State soldiers homes built on the
cottage plan It is weli-known fact that
that hundreds of the Nations defenders
are dragging out miserable existences in
county poorhouses. Such a fate may be
pleasing enough to the editor of the Craw-
| louisville Review, and editors of few
other papers of the same k.but to the great
masses of people, who have some appreci-
alton of the services rendered by the now
broken-down and needy veteran, it is a
tGet-n m he Gfnt civ 10
great Object Of the State Rome IS to care
shows that he has faithfully fought the
battles OF his country, and whose civil rec
| ord shows that In the battle for bread he
| only this. but TO provide that he and his aged
helpmeet shall not be separated in their
| no provision for the care of the wives and
widows OF the veterans. There are thou
sands of instances in which the veteran.
| II, perchance, he could find room in a ma
| tional home. has been compelled to go and
leave his faithful old wife to depend upon
house. Indiana Is not without numerous
examples, OF this hard and heartless exist
| ence; and not only these, but there are In
| Indiana many noble women who bend
| ing over the .washtub and some ON their
1 and pleasure tread" who have spent their
| earlier. and stronger days i'm helping to
der husband who came back from his
| country's battlefelds broken down in
health, wrecked in his country's cause
Shame to the man newspaper who has
no sympathy or charity for such as these,
AS the State has erected an incompatible
monument to her departed heroes let her
in harmony with that devoton-unslr-
passed in all the world-have due regard
4 for the deserving ones who still abide
| that they may not die homeless and in
want. Ii Is TO for these that the
| Grand Army OF the Republic is asking.
| and the good people of the State are de-
| manding the helping hand OF the State in
building up the State Soldiers Home 1t
Will not be an expensive investment to the
State. The general government will donate
! $lc0 per annum for the support of each SOL
| der inmate of the home, SO that the cost
| of maintaining the home, when once es-
| tablished will be less than Is now expended
! by township trustees and county commits
| sioners for the support of the same per-
| sons Every dollar that the State appropri-
| ates to the permanent Improvement of the
| place will prove a profitable investment
| In a few years there will be no old sol
| dierS there, nor their wives nor widows
| The State will then have property worth
| more than the amount she shall have eX-
| pended upon IL for the purpose of a mil
! itary rendezvous, for any charitable in
stitution she may desire. Let the Legs-
lature make liberal appropriation, and
/ no one. not even the editor of the Craw-
! louisville Review. will ever have cause TO
/ regret it. CHAS. N. TRAVIS
/ Charlottesville, Ind, Dec 81.
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