The National tribune., 1899-03-02

there being $50 veterans who find gener-
Gus food, comfortable clothing and shell
ter within its walls. 1t is possible that
the capacity Of the Home may be e1-
tended so as to shelter in all 900, but
this will no doubt be the extreme limit, as
il will be difficult to get from the State an
appropriation larger than $50 per capita.
This amount with the 500 given for the
support Of each member by the Federal
Government makes a generous sum Tor
the old soldiers.
The Department of California and Ne
yada is in good condition both numeri-
cally and financially. The whole num-
Der of comrades, Dec. 81, 1893, was $500.
Cash in hand belonging to Post funds,
SIC, eco: relief funds, S11 500; real estate
and collaterals, $4,000; furniture, etc.,
50 COO; or grand total OF over $4,000.
Lincoln Post, !, and Geo. IL. IhomaS
Post, 2, of San Francisco, vie with each
other i'm keeping up membership, OF which
each has about 400. Since Gen. Edward
S. SalomOn, Past Department Commander,
has again taken the Communicating of
James A. Garfield Post, 81, il is rapidly
reaching the old position it once occu-
pied as third Post in the Department.
WASHINGTON AND ALASKA.
Comrade S. w Clark, Assistant Adju
tant General, Seattle, Wash, writes:
"The Department OF Washington and
Alaska is doing quite well, and the boys
continue to get younger as they grow
older In times past the small end Of the
Department was in Alaska, but If this
gold excitement goes on much longer the
larger part viii be up there, and the boys
will be hunting nuggets instead Oh John-
nieS.
Experience shows that none are too
old or too feeble to strike the trail where
dust is found at the other end. and one OF
our comrades celebrated his 10th birthday
on a clainl-no, in a c!aIm-on the klon-
dixie, diligently burning a hole towards
The center OF gravity in pursuit OF the
filthy lucre, while the mercury was l!irt-
ing with the CO.'S below; and the fact that
he lost Il small part OF a frosted nose In
the work cuts small figure in the case.
He said he had enough left for all practi-
cal purposes. The fact is, the thermomc-
ter can't hope to conquer men VINO could
make a Gettysburg or a Chickamauga or
climb the sides OF Missionary Ridge.
Il am led to think, however, that you
Door fellows who can't get away from the
cylone, blizzard swept Eastern States
are apt to overeStimate the terrors of the
Alaskan Winter. A letter just received
by the writer from one who IS digging
away the Winter on Eldorado Creek says
that while at work the coat and vest are
thrown aside-are not wanted-and that
he prefers the Alaska Winter to one in
Boston; and he spent his younger years
in that city.
II beg pardon, Mfr. Editor, ! have strag-
gled from the ranks, and, coming back to
Grand Army matters, permit me to say
that, notwithstanding the hard times, the
gold excitement, and other causes, we
are holding our own in very good shape.
We have rs Posts, and while we have not
gained any new ones, we have not lost
any during the past year. Our report to
National Headquarters for June 80, 1893,
gave 2,O48 members in good standing, and
nv report Just sent in for Dec. 81, 1898,
gave 1852; showing fairly good percent
age of gain. In fact, while we don't claim
TO be the big brother in the family, we
are willing to show our hand with most OF
the Departments.
Financially, our Posts have more than
held the bank account good. Nearly all
our Posts have Relief Corps attached, and
they are doing grand good service for the
sick and needy.
Finally, Mr.. Editor, the strangers who
call in TO see lis at our open meetings for
literary entertainments, and our Camp
fires for the boys only, are always taken
in and not allowed to get away until they
admit they have had a good time
A bill has been introduced in the Mis-
souri, Legislature by Hon. Homer Hall,
son OF Judge Advocate Hall, prohibiting
the wearing of the GAR. button by any
person not member OF the Order.
w. II. L. Wallace Post, Ell Dorado,
Kan., at a recent meeting appointed Com
mander A. d. Pattee, Adj't w. l.. Riley,
and Comrade A. E. Myers a committee to
draft resolutions on the death of Com
mander -in-Chief Sexton.