The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-11-18
SOLDIERS HOME
AND ITS NEEDS
An Appeal From the Women
of The State.
lrDnTC NCTuC NI(II( MAID
HEROES OF The CIVIL WAR
How the State Thanks Them For
Their Bravery and Blood.
ARE REPUBLICS REALLY UNGRATEFUL f?
All Chapters Of Daughters Of the Cont. deracy
Urged to Take Up the Burden Of Car
ing FOR Those That The State
is Now NegI, cling.
is Now NegI, cling.

On the second day of the late convention
of the North Carolina Division of the
United Daughters of the Confederacy a
request was brought to them from the
chairman of the executive committee of
the Soldiers Home that they would try
to supply that institution with the bed
linen that was so greatly needed there
This request created much discussion,
and brought forth some very positive as
sertions that all such needs were already
supplied by individual liberality.
The manifest absurdity of the chairman
of the executive committee making any
such appeal if the needs did not exist
so impressed some of those present that
a committee was appointed to see Mr.
w. c.. Stronach and ask the state OF the
case.
The committee reported at the after
noon session that Mr.. Stronach said that
no provision had been made or promised
for bed linen or bed clothes of any sort,
and that while such articles were needed
for all the rooms in the hospital there
was urgent need for enough for ten Q0)
beds Immediately. In response to this
half of the funds in it's treasury $4,000
cut Of $63,27) to be given to Mr.. Stronach
at once for bed linen; and all the dele
gates were instructed by the president
to bring the matter of the needs of the
Home, especially the need for bed clothes,
to the notice Of their respective chapters.
After the adjournment of the conven
ton at an unfortunately late hour, we
were taken to the Soldiers Home, where
q reception was rendered us by the l..
OBJ Branch Camp Of Confederate Vet
Grams.
1t was my first visit to the Home, and
/ will never forget it, for l am the daugh
ter and the sister of Confederate SOL
der. Everything was in exquisite order,
and the whole establishment gave evil
-dence of. extreme care and thriftiness.
Several members of the camp of veter
ans and sons of veterans were there to
receive US, dressed in the dear, the beau
tiful Confederate gray.
We shook hands with those of the old
soldiers who stood waiting to give us
Tar Heel welcome, and then were car
ried into the new hospital, a very eX-
cellent and commodious structure.
Bright wood fires sparkled on the open
hearths, and the rooms looked so clean
and pleasant that we fairly longed for
them to be furnished and occupied.
After a visit to the sick barracks,
where ten or more sick men were con-
fined and noting the extreme baroness of
the room, the entire absence of any sort
of luxury or comfort, bare floors, wood
en- chairs, plenty OF white wash, and
clean beds, but nothing suggestive of ease
or repose / remembered what had heard
asserted before the convention in regard
to the supply of all things needed for
the Home and the new hospital, which
indeed, it was positively said had been
built, as well as furnished completely by
private generosity.
/ asked Mr.. w. c. Stronach cate
gorically, few question, and was assur-
ed that all such statements were found
cd upon :nisstatements; that the legisla-
tive appropriation for the Home was
wholly inadequate for its necessities, and
at present it had no source Of revenue,
nothing to depend upon, not even 'Iiberal
donat, rs"
| asied: "What do you need most?"
QUICK came the concise and emphatic