The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1902-09-19
ANOTHER LETTER
: FROM THE FAR WEST.
The Confederate Home at Austin.
Texas.

gladly received on the 3rd inst. thev
wore very interesting reading. trough
it ned politics had been very
Wa, ia down there as well as the
weather. Well we don't have much
of either warmth out here, the spells
are very short and we are glad of it
as the bum politician and the Office
holders are about the only ones who
come out ahead.
Well | had promised to tell some
thing about the State of Texas and
the Confederate Home at Au tin, the
name Home implies a great deal
more in this case than it does in q
great many institutions that 1 have
seen bearing that name and 1 am
very sorry you didn't have time to
visit the Capitol city, aud more es-
peeially the Confederate Home, while
you were on your tour of the West.
This is State institution built by
the State and principally supported
by the State, though there are a
great.many philanthropists both north
and south who have made donations
at various times and such gifts are
always welcome because they are
always needed. The State appro-
PIRATES forty-6ve thousand dollars
per annum for the support of the
Home, but there are so many small
items that must be had. besides there
are more than twenty-five employees
whose salary has to be paid out of
the appropriation, all of which usual
ly takes up the amount before the end
oft year. The Home is built about
one and quarter miles west of the
Capitol building on very high and
rough piece of wooded land of about
s25 acres. And electric street car
runs within about four blocks of the
Home, which is on West Sixth street.
The Home vas built by piece work,
that Is a building or two at time,
80 there is no record or approximate
of the real cost that can be ascor-
tanned, but from the cost of the last
and largest building, which was fin
ished only short time ago, it is
very likely that the Home has cost
TO build altogether at least 800, 900.
There are about one dozen brick
buildings besides several wooden
structures. The newest and largest
building is used for the dining room,
and kitchen on the first floor and the
other floors are used as headquarters
for the physician's, superintendent's
and quartermaster' families, these
are the only families on the premises,
all other employees are single men.
There is one of the oldest buildings
off about one hundred yards from the
others on little ridge all by itself,
which the boys call the Buzzard
Roost. They say when fellow gets
10 tough and troublesome that the
others cant have any rest for him,
they bsnish him to the buzzard roost,
but of course ne goes to the head
quarters for his meals.
There has been very little improve
ments TO the grounds, though they
have two roads cut through the rocks
around The hills so that any one can
drive up to the buildings at the top
of the hill and then all the grounds
are accessible. There were several
of the old soldiers working on one of
the hill sides leveling it down and
making ditch to keep the water
from washing the land away. Those
who were able to work got pay for
their service, but there are very few
who are able to do days work at
hard labor, but all are required to
keep their own rooms in order at all
times and make their own beds like
all other bachelors of the west, except
those in the hospital, who are cared
for just as though they were at a
private hospital. The editor made a
mistake about the number Of old SOL
diers at this Home, and also about
Sanger Brothers, of Dallas, paying
all their fares to the Reunion at
Dallas last April, however he is to
be excused for this time, because he
was In too big a harry to see what
was going on in the empire State, as
no man can get any fair idea Of what
there is in Texas in such short
time as our editor spent at Dallas.
However he was correct in saying
tbat Sanger Brothers paid the fare
for all the old soldiers from the Con.