Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-04
HEARING ON SOLDIERS HOME
G. 4. II. Representatives Get In a
Good Word for Hot Springs he
fore Military Committee.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3-(Special Tele
gram.)-Captain H. E. Palmer, General C.
+. MandeTson and Representative elect
Gamble Of South Dakota had a hearing to-
day before the military affairs committee
OF the house relative to the establishment
of a Soldiers Home at Hot Springs, S. d.
The sanitarium is intended for the occu-
pancy of disabled soldiers of the civil war
and the war with Spain.
Captain Palmer, chairman of the COM
mittee OF seven appointed by Grand Com
mander Sexton of the Grand Army of the
Republic submitted a. petition. which was
in part as follows:
We come as committee from the Grand
Army OF the Republic, representing nearly
half million survivors of the unicn army,
and present resolutions adopted by that body
al its last annual meeting held in Gin
cinnati in September, 1898 We ask that
an additional branch OF the National home
be located at Hot Springs, s. d.
AS to the need OF the home or sani
tarium and to the particular location we
ask to be considered We beg TO quote from
a letter TO the honorable secretary OF war
by General w, B. Franklin, president Of the
Board OF Managers CT National Soldiers
Homes, under date of April q, 1885, in
which ne says:
There is no question in my mind that
another branch of the National Home for
lished in the territory between the Mis-
slssippi and the summit Of the Rocky noun
tains; that the one now In existence is
being constantly overcrowded and unable TO
meet the requirements. The location at
Hot Springs is an eligible one and with
the appropriation hospital could be erected
which would relieve the hospitals OF the
other branches at once"
The location we offer Is midway in the
territory mentioned by General Franklin
and at the place recommended by him. 1t
Is accessible by two OF The great railway
systems of the northwest, namely, North
western and Burlington, running trains
from Chicago directly through Hot Springs.
In the report of Senator Sewell he speaks
OF Hot Springs as follows:
1T is a location possessing advantages
that cannot elsewhere be acGUlrel--adVan-
tages provided by nature and 50 rare in
their combination that they are duplicated
in only a few Instances the world over,
From the surrounding hills come forth un-
falling streams or water, medicated and
tempered In the great laboratory Of SUBJ
terranean earth. endowed with health CIV
ing properties in re,ative proportions 80
exact that man. with all the skill that
scientific knowledge imparts. may strive In
vain 10 improve upon, end at last ran only
Initiate 1t is the product OF centuries OF
processes part OF the g.and scheme OF
nature, which in preparing the earth for
mnu's habltatlon, made provision also TO
combat the ills to which man has fallen
heir"
An objection that has been offered is
that or the expense OF building material at
that point. In answer we assure the COM
mittee that Immediately surrounding the
city OF Hot Springs, S. D.. there are the
finest open quarrles Of sandstone, as fine
as can be found in the Uulted States. The
magnificent pine forests in near proximity
afford a great abundance Of good lumber.
SO that eyerything-lumber, stone. lime,
hard plaster-eXcept the small item Of
hardware-!s a bome production. cheaper
than elsewhere in the United States. The
Dakota Soldiers Home at Ho, Springs is
All imposing substantial building OF nearby
sandstone and native lumber. II cannot
be duplicated for its cost IN any state OF
this union.
Very soon there will be thousands OF
malaria-strlckea soldiers from Cuba, Porto
Rico and the Philippines. sanitarium or
home N the pure atmosphere OF the Black
Hills OF South Dakota. 3,iS2 feet above
sea level few baths IN the naturally
heated hot springs where Tor more than
a thousand years the wild and untutered
Indians have gathered their sick 10 bsthe
IN waters that have never failed to cure
it Is question for future as well as pres
ent nee'i
Situated slmOst In the geographical cen