Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-28
HOSPITAL At HOT SPRINGS
Location Of ssnitarium for Disabled Soldiers
Win Be Settled Soon.
GOVERNMENT BOARD GOES TO INSPECT
of h National Soldiers
Home ana Branches Taking steps
70 Secure Early Opening
of the Institution.

frV"oters OF the prosperity and impor- /
lance OF Hot Springs. S. D., will be busy
To-Day and tomorrow escorting over the
Hills town several member Of the board
OF managers OF the National Home for Dis
aoled Volunteer Soldiers, who are to select
there q site for a tenth branch Of the
bomeS which branch will be in the nature
OF 3 sanitarium for the worst ailIng Of the
inmates Of the other branches.
The party came to Omaha yesterday
morning, breakfasted with Captain II. Z.
Palmer Of the Willard. was given a drive
: over the city from 10 o'clock until 1 O'Clock,
when luncheon was served for the visitors
and General and Mrs. Charles F. Mander-
son at the Omaha club. All left at 3 D. m.
In a private car over the Elhhorn road for
the Springs.
The party includes General NJ. T. McMa-
hon Of New York, president OF the board;
Colonel George w. Steele OF Marion. Ind,
It's secretary; General c. NJ. Anderson OF
Greenville. o.; Colonel Sidney G. Cooke Of
Herington, Kan; General Thomas J. Hen
derson OF Princeton, ILL.,, and G. B. Patrick
OF New York, the assistant general treas
urer OF the board. Besides these ~ofhcials
there were Mrs. Steele, Mrs. Anderson,
Thomas B, Henderson and II. B. Dunbar. In
speaking of the work Of the board Mr.. Pat
rick sid:
Adjourned from June Session.
This is practically a meeting adjourned
from the quarterly gathering in New York,
June 30. The board members get together
every three months, usually in Washing
ton In April, when the president, the chief
Justice and the secretary OF war, who are
ex-ofhcios, to meet with US; in July at New
York; In September at Dayton and down
south In the winter. From these points
they go to visit the branches nearest.
"PriOr IN The of-El vrnr 4. - -
nome for volunteer soldiers, but the Day
ton or central home was provided for in
1857 under the organic act OF March 81,
1865. In order Of establishment the others,
which are known as branches, came thus:
milwaukee, 1858; Togus, Me-, 1858; Hamp-
ton. Va, 1863; Le~avenworth, Kan, 1885;
Los Angeles, 1887; Marion, Ind, 1889; Dam
vile, Ill, 1897; johnson City, Tenn, 1901,
ano then this last for the Springs.
The mountain branch in Tennessee isn't
ready for occupancy yet. but at those al
ready established we are caring for about
$4,000 OF the old veterans. 5000 Of whom are
at the Dayton Institution. The rest are at
the various branches to the number Of be-
tween $500 and 5000 each-which is more
'han any branch was originally intended to
accommodate.
Why Homes Are Needed.
-. may seem somewhat surprising that
we have now more wards than ever before,
but 1t must be remembered that in the last
Two years OF the civil war there was a very
heavy enlistment of very young men. WHIT
are now just entering their sixties and
feeling the effect of old wounds and dis
eases. From The ranks of those who fought
in the late wars we have received very few
as yet-pcsslbly less than 100. The average
age Of the inmates now is between 81 and So
wears The 0nlv raouirapnonfu ora bararo
BILE discharge from the service and wounds
or disease which date from the war and now
render them incapable of supporting them
selves.
The premises of all the homes are in
high state Of Improvement and the proper
ties represent millions. Each home, too
has its own cemetery. kept in the very best
Of condition, and whenever an inmate OF the
home is called he is given a military fu.
neral with martial band and honorary es.
cort, and lie buried in his uniform. 1 men.
tion these things not as news particularly
but as reminders Of how considerate the
government that he helped to save is OF tn,
American soldier, even after death. By
contrast the pension paid by the British
government CT the invalage Of the French
seems small indeed.
Aid for state Homes.
And in addition to the expense OF thes,
national homes the government pays
through our board, money for. each sol
dice cared for at the state soldiers
homes at the rate Of 800 per year. minus
one-half the amount of pension none!
which some Of the state homes sometimes
retain. This latter figure is very small
however, and of the disposition Of tn
money given we have nothing to say. 81
far as we are concerned a state hom,
may spend Il as II sees At, but a quarterl,
report is made to this board that we ma.
have knowledge Of what Is being done
The aim is that the state homes shall
provide for their inmates as we'll as tn
national home does. There are twenty
nine OF them In twenty-six states (Ne
braska, New York and New Jersey eacI
have two) and their inmates numbe
about 10000. / believe.
For the Hot Springs establishment
there is an appropriation Of $4,000 an
2 5000 for the transportation OF me
who are TO be sent there and for simila
expenditures that will be necessary. Ho
Springs, / understand. is to furnish tn
ground and doubtless Captain Palmer ha
had some correspondence with the peopI
there, but the board has not been ~oficiall
in communication and we from the cas-
have nothing to tell until we have bee
ahorau