Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-30
CAUGHT IN HOTEL LoBBIES
Travellers Tell of Their Observations
In different Parts of the
Country.

Judge John Reese Of Broken Bow is at
the Dellone, on his way to Lincoln. where
he will start out on his regular monthly
visit to the state soldiers homes at Grand
Island and Milford, with Hon. Thomas Hib-
bert. another member Of the board.
There are now 425 inmates at the Grand
Island home and 125 at the Milford home"
he said. THE legislature has recently ap-
propriated, or will appropriate 1880, 900 for
the erection Of a new hospital at the Mil
ford home and 81 500 for a new standppe
there. This latter appropriation is neces-
sary. from the fact that there is no fire
protection at Milford. The sum Of SIS, 900
has been appropriated for improvements
at the Grand Island home and $4,000 for a
new laundry and commissary storehouse
and $4,000 for additional cottages there
Both homes are now crowded to their ut
most capacity The increase OF applica-
tions for admission to the homes is about
20 per cent every two years. and this will
evidently increase right along The aver
age age of the inmates of the homes is 20
years. There are about 100 women at the
Grand Island home. They are largely
widows. There are about twenty-eight
couples there, and they are provided with
cottages. There are no women at the Mil
ford home. There are six or seven Spanish
American war veterans at the Grand Is
land home, but none at present at the Mil
/ ford home. Under a new rule adopted by
the board, pensioners who are occupants
Of the homes are required as a condition
OF their entrance to make over two-thirds
OF their pensions to their wives or minor
children. The members OF the visiting
board at present are myself Major r. S.
| Wilcox Of Omaha, Hon. T. f. HILBERT Of
Gage county. Mrs. Sweet of Creighton and
Mrs. Bolshaw Of Lincoln"
Grand Custodian Robert French Of the
Masonic grand lodge Of Nebraska is dn the
city and a guest at the Her Grand. OF the
progress Of the work in tho Masonic bodies
OF the state he said: "The work is in
creaslng rapidly and the interest in It is
growing. have had some very interesting
classes at Holdrege and Wilbur and else
where throughout the state. My visit here
is merely incidental and not official. and
shall leave in the morning. have much
work to do in the southern and eastern
parts of the state, and wherever I have
been find the interest in Masonic matters
growing rapidly. Tho lodges of instruc-
tion are Invariably we'll attended. We
are looking for great year In the Masonic
| field and have work enough mapped out
ahead to keep me constantly busy for sew
eral months"
james O'Neill, the actor, is a guest at
the Millard while In the city 1.-THE season
has been an excellent one with us thus far, -
he said, land we are now approaching its
end. 1t will continue fve or six weeks
more. We played at Kansas City last night
and will play at Lincoln Tuesday night.
We reached here at this morning. No,
we were not delayed nor was the Sunday
afternoon matinee declared of on account
Of our nonarriyal. We we're here in
| plenty Of time. The reason that we did not
appear In matinee Is because I am SON
| scientiously opposed to Sunday matinees
| and II was a mistake in booking us for one. 7"
Frank w. Barclay of Beatrice promi-
nently identified with building interests
throughout the state. as a contractor In
steam heating +, supplies, was an Omaha
visitor Saturday evening. He says OF the
building outlook in Nebraska: "I do not
know of any period in my ffteen years OF
experience when the general building pros
poets OF Nebraska we're brighter than at
the present time. / have all that 1 can
possibly do and such is the report from
other establishments in my particular line
of work. The labor question does not dis
turb us as much In other parts Of the
state as here in Omaha and the amount OF
building that WIN be done this season
throughout the state will be unprecedented
The general inquiry of prospective builders
is not how cheap but how well can a build
ing and its attendant work be done?"