Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-12-02
Letter from California.
SOLDIERS HOME,
Los Angeles Co., Cal.
Nov %. 1897.

Mr.. EDITOR. Perhaps some OF my
old comrades of the 6lst Pa. Vols. and
also of the 9Th Heavy Artillery may be
interested in reading few lines from
one of their old comrades, and l take
this opportunity of informing them that
/ took small interest in ranch IN Nye
county, New, with the intention OF
forming colony, l. with others, left
Pittsburg on Dec. A. 1895, via Chicago
and then to Kansas City, through some
| fine country until we arrived in New
Mexico, and then we crssed mountains
and valleys which for me to try to de
scribe would te useless as | think they
have to be seen to be appreciated or to
have faint idea of their grandeur.
Arriving at Manvill, / had to take
stage for the ranch, S5 miles: arriving
there found fine ranch situated IN
what is called Pharulnp Valley and the
ranch in history is called Pharump, In
Indian meaning much water | re.
mained there until Sept. 20, 1876, and
| then for reasons best known to myself
left and landed in Los Angeles Cal, q
beautiful town of iron 90, to 100, 600 IN
habitants, which was Is years ago but
village, situated 1S miles from the
coast. 1t is winter resort for tourists
| from cold climates, such as Pennsylva-
MIA. Remained there until Sept. 1897,
when / concluded to go to the Soldiers
Home and see if they did live as well
and as comfortable as the old boys
would tell me when they came mp to
town, provided the Governor would ad-
nit me without my discharge, but after
thorough examination by DIR. Hasse, l
was admitted. Now found, as | call,
a godsend to the old boys. They are
living here on the fat of the land, the
best food the market can supply, as 1t
has to stand inspection, and plenty OF
it, well cooked; good clothes and plenty
of them, good clean beds and all the
comforts and privileges that any rea-
sonable old soldier could ask, and moth
ing to do; and a majority of them draw
a pension of which they don't have to
give part to the Home as they have to
do in some of the State Homes in Penn
sylvania for instance. | think that is
unjust to ask an old soldier to pay his
board or part out of his little S6 per
month scarcely enough to keep him in
tobacco, when they can come here and
get their pensions to do as they please
with, and if they don't draw pension
get their tobacco, the result think VIII
be they will leave those State Homes
and 20 to those u. s. Homes where they
are treated as Uncle Sam promised US
incl. We have : fine buildings that are
calculated to hold 200 each, that is !"
company, and fine hospital with al.
modern improvements, and B doctors IN
charge, with several female nurses, with
the old boys to assist them. There are
other fine buildings, such as headquar
tiers, Gov. Smiths residence, and others
and they are now building u hall or
theatre which will seat from 1900 to
1900; which gives it homelike appear
ance with the delightful groves and
flowers of all description in proIuslon.
1t is about years since this Home was
organized and / see by the numbers that
there have been 300 admitted, out OF
this see the deaths average about 10
per year, and at present there are IN the
Home about 1900 or 1900 with 300 or
ont oD furlough.
This Home is situated i'll Los Angeles
county, about 1S miles west of the town
of Los Angeles, and miles from Santa
Monica, a small town Of 2000 on the
cost, where small boats land carrying
freight and passengers, between San
Diego and San Francisco, which we can
see passing every day. We can also
distinctly see mountains 100 miles dis
tant in Rivesside county and old Baldy
capped with snow the year round 80
miles away. This is beautiful day,
clear and warm, thermometer registers
81 in the room. while us old boys are
sitting here nice and comfortable, LOOK
ing at those snow-capped mountains,
telling our travels, interspersed with a
war story.
Your Comrade,
GEO. w. HAYES.