The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1902-10-16
A SPLENDID HOME
Is That Provided BY Indiana For Her
Veteran Soldiers.
FINE INSTITUTION AT LAFAYETTE
Where Net Only the States Soldiers,
but Their Widows and Wives Are
Generously Provided for-The Insti-
tuition Under Efficient Management
A Creation of Republican Legisia-
ton.

tuition Under Efficient Management
A Creation of Republican LesisIa-
ton.
Especial Correspondence
Lafayette, Ind. Sept 23.-"Beauttfnl
for situation" describes the State Sol
diers' Home near this city. Growing
the highlands which overlook the Wa
bash at point four miles from Lafay-
cite along the picturesque Tecumseh
trail, i. commands a panorama OF
meadow, stream and forest, stretching
away Unit! broken by the towers and
spires of this handsome Indiana city,
unsurpassed for beauty elsewhere in
the state. The immediate surround
ings are no less attractive, for the
sixty buildings of the home stand in
the midst of a natural forest now in
the first flush of autumnal color. The
atmosphere is one of quiet and con-
tent under the well-ordered discipline
OF typical Indiana state institution.
This institution, like the Soldiers
and Sailors Orphan Home at Knights
town, is a creation of Republican leg
islation. The law providing for its
establishment was enacted by the leg
the latest among the states to pro-
vide state home for disabled soldiers.
The government has provided a splen-
did chain of national homes, model
among them being located at Marion,
but the soldiers of 1865 are reaching
the age of decrepitude by brigades every
year, and the demands made upon the
national homes exceed their capacity.
The Indiana home is one of two in the
United States in which the family plan
of maintaining soldiers is in operation.
Some states provide separate homes
Tor the widows and wives of soldiers /;
one or Two separate the sexes in the
same home. 1t is the generally &C
cepted theory that women are a dis
turbing element in such homes, but
Colonel Stormont, the commandant of
the Lafayette institution. says that his
experience leads him to a contrary
opinion, and that soldiers allowed to
be with their families are better con-
tented and more easily governed than
in institutions under other conditions.
Government Helps Maintain It
The aggregate membership of the
Lafayette home is in the neighborhood
of $50, but at this time more than 200
members are on furlough, leaving the
actual number in quarters at some
thing like $50. The existing state law
makes an appropriation of $3.50 per
month per member for maintenance
only the number of days during which
the member is actually present being
taken into account. On the same ba.
sis the national government allows
800 per year per soldier to the state.
The state derives from the general
government on this account something
like $4,000 dollars annually. 1t will
thus be seen that the cost of main.
tenance to the taxpayers of the state
is exceedingly low.
The plan of erecting county cottages
has resulted in giving to the home a
which considerable proportion of the
membership lives very comfortably
Thirty-eight of these cottages have
been erected by counties, to which the
Grand Army of the Republic, the Wo.
mans Relief Corps and kindred organ.
izations have added a considerable
number of similar buildings. The
county cottages have been erected at
cost varying from $500 to $4,000
each, and each bears an inscription
designating the county providing it.
The time will come, doubtless, as the
membership of the home increases
when at least as many more of the
counties of the state will provide for
similar representation.
System of Inspection.
The State Soldiers Home is subject
to double inspection. The board OF
trustees and the state officials give to
1t the same careful supervision extend
ed to all other state institutions, and
in addition the war department period
ically sends an inspector who looks
carefully into the conditions and dis
cipline of the Home as well as the pre-
vailing methods of management. The
same methods of accounting prevail In
the offices of this Home as have been
established in other state institutions
such a system of checks and bal
ances being in existence that the most
minute discrepancy would appear al
4 glance. Supplies are purchased only
after competitive bids have been re
ceived, and then by the board from the
lowest and best bidder; they are is
sued only on requisition and paid fol-
on warrants issued by order of the
board, which is bipartisan
The Home has had three command
ants since its establishment-Cap
Megrew, now chief of police in the
capitol at Washington, General Jasper
Packard of New Albany. the veteran
soldier and editor, who died in Office
and at his own request, was buried in
the Home cemetery by the side of his
comrades; and Col. Gilbert Stormont
the present commandment There has
been no complaint as to management
from any responsible source since the
Home was founded. 1t holds today and
will continue to hold, high place il
the regard of the people of Indiana
whose deep appreciation of the ser
vices of the states veteran soldiery IL
embodied in this splendid institution
Fatal Accident on q Race Track.
Vincennes, Ind, Oct. ia terrible
accident happened on the race track
at the fair grounds here yesterday. A