The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-11
SOLDIERS HOME REPORT
THE CONDITIONS ARE LAID BEFORE
GOVERNOR MOUNT.
Kind Words for the Former Com
The Need for
New Buildings.

The report of the Indiana State Soldiers
Home for the year ending Oct. 81, 1900, was
fled with the Governor yesterday. The re-
port states that the general condition of
the property is excellent, the buildings.
boilers and engines being in the best of
repair. No other State, the trustees say,
except Minnesota, has such an excellent
site for their soldiers home. They insist,
however, that 1t is time the State is doing
something towards identifying the
grounds which surround the home. All
other States, they maintain, have expend-
ed vast sums of money in the original pur-
chase Of grounds and the construction of
buildings, etc, while Indiana had the
ground for her soldiers home given to her
with the addition of $1,000 in money. The
money was expended on the buildings that
have since been erected and the State has
been at comparatively no expense. The
report pays a high tribute to the memory
of General Jasper Packard, the former COM
mandant, who died a year ago this month.
In speaking Of him the board of trustees
say: From the moment that he first
stood before his old comrades in the home
and announced that he was there not only
i'm the capacity OF an officer of the home.
but as q comrade as well, the hearts or
the veterans and their wives were drawn
to him in companionship and love"
Owing to the growing OF the
veterans the board of trustees has found
il necessary during the past year to aban-
don the system of using members of the
home as nurses, and have established q
training school for nurses in the home.
Under the provision of the statutes and
by the rules of the home every applicant
for admission to the home agrees to pay
into the home such a portion OF his or her
pension as the rules of the home may re-
quire, and during the year the receipts
derived under these agreements amounted
10 $2,6S9. The money is used TO purchase
books, and to help those who need it with
personal nurses, etc. If, however, the
law was strictly followed, the trustees
would be compelled TO pay the money thus
derived from the soldiers pensions into
the general und of the State TO be used
for any and all purposes. The trustees
have heretofore refused to pay this money
into the State treasury, preferring to spend
Ii on the veterans from whom 1t is de-
rived. But they say they are getting tired
Of breaking the letter of the law, and want
II amended so they can legally expend the
honey
The total membership of the home for
the year was 642, of whom $50 were veter-
ans and 262 women. The average age OF
that of the women sixty years. The home
now has eight cottages that have been
built by the G.. A. r.. three that have
Ladies Of the G.. a. r.. and thirty-three
by different counties OF the State. The
cottages have a total capacity of 479 peo-
ple. Notwithstanding these cottages which
have been built in addition TO the home,
tho trustees say the home is crowded and
they cannot accommodate any more I'M
Ill there are some vacancies.
The trustees an enlarged
hospital with a capacity of not less than
200 beds at an approximate cost of $4,000;
q widows or old womsn's home at an APP
proximate cost Of 10000; a building for
matrons and nurses to cost $50 a barn to
cost s., 1000 and an appropriation of $500
for the Improvement and beautifying OF
the grounds.
The total receipts of the home for the
year were SS7, 612. Al; expenditures. $S5,SSS.96
leaving a balance on hand OF 81, IS.