Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-09-22

$500 or 5000 each, but there is not much
upstairs to them. for the occupants
are too old and feeble for any unneces-
sary stair-climbing. The trees are left
in great numbers to garnish the
grounds, and as one looks down Mil
waukee street, for instance. the effect
is of row Of summer cottages. pictur-
esque in the extreme. 1t suggests COM
fort and peace. and one almost wishes
he We're ar old soldier and had done
his fighting. and that the time had
come for rest and retirement from the
turmoil Of life. The dining room is
common to all. The old people come to-
gether,' couples often hand in hand, and
eat together; and there are dogs and
cats as pets who follow in their train
to be remembered in due season. The
lake is a favorite resort and a beauti-
full reach of waters is the "Waupaca
chain" The boat landing is lined with
little boats for those who desire to go
fishing or rowing There is a store,
suggestive of the England crossroads.
Many of the cottagers have their gar
dens and the canary bird sings from the
veranda. The women are much given
| to flower culture
The Temptations of Leisure.
There is a world of leisure for these
400 or 500 men and women and the in
evitable result follows. Idleness is not
provocative of harmony and people will
talk There is considerable grumbling
not necessarily because there is any
thing worthy of complaint, but when
a group of men get together for an aft
ernoon smoke, or score of good wom-
en- meet on the veranda after dinner
| ~. ~.
| would not be natural to omit an air.
| ing of local conditions, the quality OF
| food and the personal traits of those
in authority. There have been occa-
| sional Investigations as a result of this
| human unrest, but the government of
the institution is usually indicated and
the old veterans light their pipes and
| the wives and widows sit down to their
| knitting concluding that as this poor.
old world goes, they are pretty we'll off.
| In the dining room the company sits
in groups of six or eight people and the
bill of fare is enough to satisfy any
body. Thus, take the Sunday menu:
Breakfast-Oat meal, potatoes, beef
steak, Irish stew or eggs, bread, but
| ter, coffee ard tea, milk.
| Dinner-Roast pork, boiled potatoes,
| gravy, bread, butter, mince pie, tea and
milk.
| Supper-Bread, butter, sauce, cake,
| tea cold meat. milk.
There is pretty little chapel. seat
ing 200 presented by women. at which
the two chaplains-a Methodist and a
Catholic priest hold services, and an
amusement hall. The G. A. r.. of course,
has a post here of 100 members; Good
| Tap1nlarc Il picy ,f
represented, and for time the w. C.
Il. L. was supported by the women. The
question of sewerage is vital prob
| lem in SO considerable a community,
and not solved. There is brass band,
which plays in the park, where a foun-
| tain displays, and the music at such in
stitutions is always good. because the
| players have leisure for practice. Many
| states, notably in the west, support
such homes as this at Waupaca, and
their commandments are banded into an
organization. Besides the forty-eight
cottages of three rooms each, which
/ house the married couples, there is the
administration building, the dining hall
and kitchen, the widows hall, assembly
! hall (for single men only, old peoples
! building, the old mems building and
| others mentioned, farm buildings, etc.
| The names Fairchild, Rusk, Marsdon
and others applied to the public build
| ings suggest Wisconsin history. One
recently erected building has forty-nine
| rooms, for two persons each. The
| striking feature of the whole commun-
| ity is the absence of children-they have
| all grown up, married and disappeared.
| The walters on the table are old men.
| The veterans and their wives are re-
| lieved of all cares, even their washing
is done for them, and if they enjoy no
pensions, their clothes are given them.
| When they are sick the big hospital,
| the skilled DR. Noyes and a nurse are
in waiting for them On recent date
! eighty-four We're on the sick list. The
| commandment is Ellis, and a success he
| is making of his work The popula-
| ton of the home is growing. At the
! end of 1886 there were 364 members; at
the end of 1897, AGO, and a recent visit
| showed 500.
An Army Passing Into Eternity.
! A government expert in war statis-
tics has compiled an interesting table
/ showing the gradual disappearance
| from the face of the earth of the men
/ who fought in the civil war Excluding
deserters (of whom he estimated nearly
| 122, 000) he says there We're in 1890, L.
| 2S5, III. The decrease is cumulative.
! Next year the number will be but a
trtle over 100000 men. Ten years
| hence it will be 666, 900. In 1920, when
the babies of today will he coming of
age. there will be but $4,000 "old sol
diers''-decrepit old fellows with fifty
| five years intervening from the close
| of the war. Those who enlisted even
at the end of the war at 16 years of age
Will then be Il years of age, and men
who We're 20 when the war broke out
will be close to so years of age. From
| 1920 on the mortality will be very great.
! In the next five years over one-half of
| them will pass away. In the following
/ five years two of every three will die.
There will be in 1885. 6.296 survivors: in
| 1940 $40 and five years later not one
| of the 2,GI2.341 men furnished to the
army and 105, 1863 to the navy in the aw-
/ full conflict of 1S6l-5.
on Fame's eternal camping ground
Their silent tents are spread;