Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-02-09
THE SOLDIERS HOME.
HOW VETERANS ARE CARED
FOR AT ORTING.
The Reform School Choir Cheers Up Their
Spirits by Concert--200 Comrades Answer
at Roll Call-The Home" Inadequate for
the Service How the Vets Pass the Time

at Roll Call-The Home" Inadequate for
the Service How the "Vets" Pass the Time
Etc.
The Chchalis Bee Nugget publishes
the following interesting account OF a
visit to the "Soldiers' Home" ut Or
ting, in company with Supt. Weston
dorf, of the Reform School, and the
boys choir from that institution:
The Home is located at Orting in
Pierce county, 10 miles from Tacoma.
The visit of the Reform School choir
had been long expected by the COM
rades at the Home and they were out
in force Thursday night at the concert
which was given in the assembly
room. The program consisted OF two
parts. The first eleven numbers were
mostly quartettes, but two or three
solos were given. Included in the lat
ter was piano solo by Professor Wes-
tendorf, entitled "The Battle OF Nam
assas" in which much of the old war
music that thrilled peoples souls in
the early sixties played an important
part. The old veterans enthused
properly on hearing these old tunes
again. The second part of the choir's
program was entitled ain Darkest
Africa" and gave the boys chance to
do their negro minstrel show acts to
their hearts content. 81 Guess I'll
Have to Telegraph My Baby" Hell
10, My Baby" together with encores, a
red hot cake walk, and lively sketch
were all done in very creditable
manner and many an old soldier came
around jollied the boys up properly
after the entertainment with the ful.
some praise that it was the best show
they ever had at the Home. Each OF
the boys was presented with cane as
a souvenir of the visit.
There are nearly two hundred COM
rades at the Soldiers Home. Of this
number about twenty-five live in Or
ting where owing to the boom a few
years ago, they now rent houses very
cheaply and keep their families.
These men draw 81 per month in sta
pie rations that are purchased at
wholesale and this, together with the
pensions that most of them get and
little gardening, ETC., enables them to
live out their remaining days with
their families. The regular residents
OF the Home are free to come and 60
about the place at their pleasure,
there being but little restriction in
this regard.
To secure admission man makes
application to be admitted and If the
case proves a deserving one of a man
who is unable to care for hipself and
he has no means he is allowed to en-
ter on producing the necessary creden-
tials showing the facts of his service,
etc. The national government allows
the State 500 for each 365 days at
tendance at the Home and the officers
in charge make reports of this attend
ance every ten days. every thirty days
and every three months. The allow
ances are made quarterly. In addi.
ton to this support the last appropri.
alton by the State was $4,000 for
maintenance for two years. The
State appropriation was, however,
made on a basis OF 125 inmates and
the number has increased SO fast that
the most rigid economy will be neces-
sary to make the fund hold out.
The location OF the Home is Eot the
best that could have been made, it be.
ing out in the woods q mile from the
town of Orting. The ground on
which the buildings have been placed
has all had to be cleared and one can
not see but short distance in any d.
rection unless he looks upward. BY
doing this he can get good view OF
Mt. Rainier. The buildings include
the following: A commodious home
for the commandant, a cottage FOR the
physician, two other cottages for at
tendants, two store rooms, four root
houses, two large barns, and necessary
accompaniments, large hospital build
ing, a dining room, kitchen, laundry,
ETC., three large dormitories, and an
amusement hall. Steam heat and
electric lights are provided. What
impressed the writer most was that
those who planned to build home for
the survivors of the war never planed
broad enough. The result of this has
been that to-day the place is uncom.
fortably crowded. Partitions have
been torn out, others put in, and
everything possible done to provide
sleeping quarters for the increasing
number of men who are being forced
by sheer circumstances as they grow
older each year to avail themselves Of
the benefits of the Home. Inasmuch
as this number will surely increase
during the next few years greater &C.
commodations must be arranged.
There are nearly thirty cases in the
hospital. Most OF these are chronic
cases of one kind and another. Some
are very distressing. One old veteran
has been bedfast at the Home for over