The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-16
A FEDERAL VETERANS HOME.
PROPOSED TO DE BUILT AT CASTLE
PINCkNEY, CHARLESTON.

n
Recommendation. Pat WaIsh's Can
didacy.
Among the visitors in the city
HAt u;siit v=s Mr. A c. kaufman of
Charleston, one of thc best known workers
for charity and a reunited country in the
south. Mr. kaufman is now especially IN
terested in a plan for establishing a home
for aged and disabled federal veterans on
the site OF the famous fortress, Castle
Pinckney, in Charleston har5or. He takes
a great interest in Georgia cities and Geor-
gia politics, and talks Interestingly with
regard to them. In the course of an inter
view last night he said:
Il am glad to be once more in your bus
ting, progressive city. 1t has been long
time since my last visit here, There are,
however, the marked evidences of activ-
ity, Improvement and growth which I eX
pected to see. Savannah, Augusta and
Atlanta ore amongst the representatives
cities Of the grand old state of Georgia.
In fact, they have the energy and vim in
their people that make them great They
are cities of which any state, north or
south, might well feel proud to claim
as their own. The citizens
of Charleston are watching with
no little interest the mayoralty
contest in Augusta. OF course, we are
ell on the side Of the genial editor of the
Chronicle. We hope and believe that he
will he elected. In fact it would be diff
cult to say which would be the more hon
ored in his election"
Now / answer your question. What
~
any time in her history, land / say this
with deliberation) has Charleston shown
more manifestations of business growth
than at present. Her railroads are stretch
ing out for business. New and old lines
are promising to center there. The expor-
tation of grain to foreign ports has been
tried successfully, and promises to make
her an important avenue for commerce. A
splendid electrical city railway has recent
ly been completed. Our large cotton fac
tory has been reopened under practical
management, and is doing well. They
have now employed five hundred skilled
operatives and soon they will have seven
hundred and fifty. Besides there is a
knitting factory, a shoe factory, a barrel
factory sash and blind factories, and
many other smaller but profitable indus
tries. The expectation is that before Iona
no honest workingman, who desires en-
ployment will be unable to find it,
There should be no jealousies between
Charleston and Savannah A generous
rivalry We should court. This Is right
Rivalry between cities like that between
business men stimulates to effort. Earth
er than this the feeling should never go
and in this case will not.
THE enterprise in which I
am now directly concerned Is
one that is well known in every
part of this country. 1t Is the conversion
.xFH Tel, ,s.t,
stands an obsolete fortress owned by the
government into a home for the disabled
and aged officers and enlisted men of the
regular and volunteer army and navy of
the United States. The island contains a
tract of forty-seven acres and when re-
claimed will be as one who knows has ex-
pressed it a perfect Paradise on earth,
"As to the healthfulness of the site, DIR.
E. II. Kellers a well-known physician of
Charleston, Of large practice, who was
surgeon in the confederate army, was
stationed at Castle Pinckney for eight
months during the war. Here is his eX-
perience: I know of no healthier spot
than Castle Pinckney Island, in fact, can
conceive of none. The climate is perfect.
1t is far enough from Charleston to be
freed from epidemics that may prevail.
there, and yet near enough to be reached
In a few minutes sail. To sum up the
perfection of the island in a few words,
! would call it an Ideal spot" This is
the concurrent testimony of all the officers
and men who have served there. l have
never heard an opinion to the contrary.
I'm most carefully prepared article on
the sanitarium, the Cincinnati CONNER
cial-Tribune uses this language: 1T is
Mr. Kaufman'S idea that here, in the
balmy climate of the southland, where
flowers blossom all the year and the heat
of summer is tempered by the great ex-
panse of salt water, is a fitting place for
the erection of a sanitarium for northern
soldiers, and that it should be named for
the hero of Fort Sumter, so that it may
be given the utmost significance as a
token of the fraternal feelings of a re-
united country
''As to the practicability of retaining
the island, Mr.. s. Lewis Simons, an ex-
perenced engineer, and Alderman Henry
n. Pregnall, a practical mechanic of our
city, have gone over the ground carefully
with me and laugh at the idea of doubt
therein. Later. Mr.. w. B. w. Howe,
whose ability as an engineer is well
known in your community, is equally en-
phatic in his opinion confirming all that
these gentlemen have said.
1.-THE project was started last April by
a petition to congress, signed by our state
and city officials the governor of South
Carolina heading the list Bankers, mer>
chants, clergymen, editors, railroad men,
confederate and union veterans followed.
Bills were thereupon introduced into both
houses of congress by Senator Tillman
and Representative Elliott The indorse-
ment of the Grand Army of the Republic
was next invoked Gen. James p. Averill
of Atlanta and Capt. James o. Ladd of
Summerville, S. C, became active work.
ers among their comrades to this end.
Gen. Ghaddens s. Clarkson of Omaha,
Neb., the patriotic commander-in-c chief
was next appealed TO. Gen. Clarkson at
one responded with generous warmth in
it's support and is to-day one of the most
active workers for the measure. In truth,
1t was his controlling influence with the
G.. A. r. that secured for us the unani-
nous support of that most powerful or
ganization All honor to his name.
1T was during the session of the encamp-
ment that Rev. Dr. Bays, the manly and
eloquent Methodist divine, in charge of
Bethel church, Charleston, made by invi-
tation OF the G.. A. r. his thrilling plea
for national harmony as contemplated
through this medium. The words of the
ex-confederate soldier swayed the vast a1-
dience as If by magic. or, as Gen. Clark
son strikngly put it, OR. Bays, you have
swept the encampment from its feet" Up
on the vote of Endorsement Immediately
following, every member rose-a most i'm
4g4wFA