The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1899-05-27
Noble Work of the Charity lIos-
pital-Current News Items ol
Interest.

nome LOT lndlultu ana llulkthl
Confederate soldiers has been
several times acted upon by the
Legislature of Mississippi, the
editor Of this department will |
submit a few reasons why this
duty should be no longer delayed.
On Sunday afternoon, 2lst
May, it was our privilege TO visit
the Soldiers Home Of Louisiana,
under the escort Of President b.
T. Walshe and Gen. f. II. Lom-
bard, another member of the
board of directors. We were sur
prised and delighted at the extent
and completeness Of the Home,
for a home it is to the old veter-
ans. The religious services usu-
al on Sunday afternoon had just
been concluded, and the veterans
were strolling over the grounds
/ of Camp Nichols, or seated
on comfortable benches, underI
shady trees, We improved the
time until the five-o clock roll
call in a minute inspection Of the
entire premises-the dormitories,
reading rooms, infirmarY, kitch-
en-, and dining room, exchanging
greetings with the men, and lis
tening to their requests Of, and
suggestions to the directors. The
sic eping rooms are provided with
large iron cots, comfortable
mattresses, and clean linen, with
cases for clothing. The sleeping
rooms are provided with standard
and miscelane neous works, and
Thousands Of magazines, so that
those who are studiously inclined
may thus pleasantly occupy some
of the abundant time they. have
| on their hands. AT 8 O'Clock the
veterans were called TO the main
hall when the roll was called.
There are 140 in the Home, and
except few that were sick or
| absent on leave, all we're in line
and answered to their names. 1t
was our privilege tosaddress them
some CHEEKY words, and to eX-
press our admiration Of the State
that had made such timely and
liberal provision for the men who
had fought under her banners,
and who are now unable to care
for themselves. Except a dozen
or more received, pending full
! inquiry into their military his
. tory, all wear the Confederate
gray. When we suggested tha
! these must be recruits, the
old veterans laughed at wha
they considered a good joke a
the expense Of the recent comers
Louisiana appropriates, annu'
ally, St30 per capita, for tho sup
port Of the Home, and Of thii
81 90 per month goes to eaci
+ man for pocket money. SO tina
: the maintenance fund is onl!
Y S12S per capita. or say S18, 8,00i
per annum. This is not quit,
: sufficient. About S25, 600 a yea
G would keep the Home in goo,
n shape. Last year the director
a were obliged to cut off the tobacci
: rations, and it was not restores
Z, until some financial aid was re
II ceived from the police juries 0
II several parishes.
Y Special care is exercised in tn
n admission Of beneficiaries NJ
/. man is admitted whose record a
! Confederate soldier does nc
it pass the closest scrutiny. Tn
Is Home is "for the reception an
K care Of ell Louisiana soldiers VIII
y may have been manned or other
e wise disabled, and who are no
al already pensioned or provide
5, for by the U. S. Government. -
e What Louisiana has done, Mis-
sissippi can and should do. Som
a OF our enterprising towns woul
j. no doubt furnish the site, or tn
rs building could be erected on tn
ut grounds OF either Insane Asylum
j, and when the Home is no longe
ss needed, the improvement to be
st come the property Of the State
in The Home would not ,have to b
continued more than fifteen {
twenty years.
is 1t was the writer's pleasure
8. recently, to travel with Hon. Ed
20 win Marks, of New Orleans. II
28 has long been identified with th
lis great charities and fraternities I
ed that city-a Grand Master of Ma
90 sons, now a director of the So
/. dieTs' Home, and treasurer