Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-05-20

| The system OF water works having bee
introduced in 1887. Previous to that a
the water used was taken from Greel
pond. The sewer system Is perfect, an
notwithstanding the great amount 0
work done by this system, there is neve
a suggestion of sewer about the place
In 1890 the Kennebec Central Railroa
was built. from Randolph to the hom
and opened for passenger service July %
Of the following year. The first freigh
was hauled over the road July 1st, am
curiously enough, was carload OF beer
The building Of this yoad was one Of TIL
greatest improvements ever inauguratet
at the home. Before that time tn,
supplies were all hauled overland by
team, the coal from Randolph and tn,
greater part of theLstores from Augusta
| and no estimate can be made of tho
amount of hard work that has been done
in years gone by along the billy roads
from Randolph and Augusta.
There are but three men at the Home
today who have seen all these changes
| and were members of 1t at the start.
They are: Major A. l.. Smith, the pres
L 80 - SHdS. iAeIlflSlO1l, 10.
Il, Sd Me. Vols. and Daniel Anterior,
Co. G, 9th Me. Vols. In conversation with
Journal reporter, recently, Major Smith
said II was interesting to look back over
the years, and note the changes that time
had wrought.
When the Home was organized he went
there as chief clerk and acting steward,
and as can be seen, came In for a great
deal Of work. All the papers relative to
instituting the home were drawn up by
him.. copies of which can be seen in tht.
vault today. There were no printed
forms and all blanks had to be ruled by
hand.
When the Home was opened there were
about 200 members, not the old men we
see today, with whtened hair and forms
bowed with years and infirmities, but
young men of from IS to Is years. But
these same young men were for the great
er part crippled for life by the loss of an
arm or leg, or sometimes both, or wasted
by disease-pitiful tributes to the horrors
of war. Though they were incapacitated
for work, Ii was the smallness of the PEN
sion allowed that brought many of them
NdAis " tHt oily 30 pei IHDulH
was allowed for the loss OF an arm or leg,
where now man draws from $50 to $780,
Under the new law a man has only 10 es-
tablish claim Of partial disability in or
der 10 secure pension of from Sc TO $l2
per month
One of the first movements made after
the Home was opened was to organize a
band. during the winter of 1S6e-67 The
instructor and leader of the band was Ac-
ton p Thompson, who could extract from
a cornet every note of music within it's
capablity. Mr.. Thompson is still living.
and is passing his days quietly at Ran
dolph. Many members of TINS band were
one-legged men and generally appeared
i'm public in barge.
1t is interesting to look over some of
the old records and compare them with
those of today. The reporter was shown
the first register opened at the Home. In
it are the names Of the first men who be-
came members, their place of birth, COM
pany, regiment, cause of disability, date
of transfer, discharge. or death, and
cause of death, and in looking over the
pages one is surprised to note the num-
Der of men who had suffered the
loss of a limb. Fully IS per cent of the
men whose names appear in the book suf- |
fered gunshot wounds which We're fol-
lowed by amputation.
Major Smith knew every one of these |
men, and in turning over the pages of /
the register, scarcely a name would be
passed without his recalling some little
incident connected with him who had
borne it.
Since those days the membership has
increased until today there are
about 200 names on the books, and appli- /
cations for admission are constantly re-
ceived. Since the Home was instituted
the number of men who have been adj
mitted, discharged or died, is 1l.44O.
The first man admitted to the Home was
James A. Nickerson of the 18th Massa-
chusetts Regiment, in October, 1866 and
the first death was that of Joseph Forest
Co. /, 1S7th Pennsylvania Vols, April 90 |
1867. The body was buried in the ceme-
terry on the HILL and Major Smith assist
ed in the burial. The cemetery, so beau
tiful today. was then unbroken forest, but
now there rest beneath the shade of oak
and maple the ashes of more than 1870
heroes who gave their lives to their