The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-04-08
CT n E VS..
~ j me- w.
The SOLDIER F'.E]| J.
why the W. R. G. Is Working to
Secure Soldiers Home
Cottages. y
The Plan Would Aid Many Feeble
Veterans Now in
Want. II


/ but the man who knows her story Will
not deny her right Stos.the title. 1T siss a
tale that would moyesto pity and even
| tears if she did, not forbid sympat thy by
Eher cheerful self reliance. sasa 80
| Seventy eight years old, with a life
tragedy which would have wrecked most /
women many years ago, and with no
! money or friends to- help her, she proudly /
declines charity Of every kind and tolls |
/ away for her daily bread like a woman
Of half her age She Is one OF the silent
heroines, none the less worthy because her
life is humble and amonotonous, and her
name will never, be blazoned abroad.
I Mrs. Perry sStarkweather, chairman OF
the soldiers home board of the Woman I
Relief Corps Of Minnesota, found her while
engaged in the work Of relief. The old
lady told her story briefly. Her husband
and four sons, all she had, went to the
4 war, and none of them returned. They |
died on the battlefield. in the hospital or
in prison
Mrs. StarkWeather. il.
II guess you didn't live in those days
or you would, know more about how we
felt - was the simple reply
She was then asked If she didn't need
some help i'll her declining years. NO,
she said II don't have to take nothing
from anybody as long as I've got four
81 fam lilies to wash for - .&
Isn't that too hard work for you at
your age?" e. u. x .ss =
mo: I only wash until noon. I don't
do much in the afternoon, except one att
ernoon a week I clean out the post hall,
and Saturday afternoon dust the seats
in our church" - -. IL. +!
4 + ~. Care Of the Less Fortunate.
So this CHEEKY independent little wom-
an leans on her own staff IN her decnn-
ing years. But not all the widows OF vet
Grams are so hale in body and mind as
NJ In, r1t
ineligible to pensions The soldiers re-
lief fund of the state is spread out mea-
gerly to a great many, more than q wv
sharing in the distribution Of $6S,S46s6 IN
the last fiscal year.
! This method of caring for the depend
ent widows is Inadequate and they are
| in many cases thrown on the charity OF
the counties where they live. 1t is the
same way with many feeble veterans
4 whose wives are living. They Will not
leave their wives to go to the solo1ers
home, and so exist in perjury and want.
1t is to partly relieve this condition OF
things that the ladies of the Worlan's Re
lief Corps have brought before the leg rs
lature S. F. 513 and H. F. 762. These pllis
provide for building cottages near the sol
|diers' home. to which dependent wives
and widows may be admitted. The lnten-
ton IS to acquire a site and to bulld az
- first two cottages, one for. the WIDOWS
and one for married couples. lhese are
to be surrounded by a plot OF ground
Whore the veterans can busy themselves
il Fair weather with gardening, which will
partly. sustain them, while the state Will
do the rest thru the relief fund. ~ Z
f These bills have been approved by the
"a soldiers, home committees OF Dotn houses
but as they carry a $50, 900 approprlaaion.
/ they are now in the hands of the hnance
| / committee of the senate and the. house
appropriations committee. - =" .- /
| The w, r, C. at Work. ~
To-day an address was sent to the leg
is1ature by the soldiers home board OF the
Woman's Relief corps. 1t sets forth some
of the foregoing facts~in interesting 1ash-
ion. and many others, making an appea
which it seems the members can hardl,
End it. in their hearts to resist. 1t sets
forth the fact that Of the persons reachee
by the soldiers relief fund in this state
! 1922 are children Of tender years; l,lo:
are old soldiers with wives, who are al
=. most without exception aged and lnt1rm
I els are old soldiers, without familles;:s
are widows of soldiers, GIT of whom ar
over SIS years of age; 1885 are deserted
wives of soldiers, and there are 4s de
pendent persons, 81 of whom are mother
of soldiers and who are now between Z
and 95tyears Of age: Z. Il: .. - $s =.
! The communication closes Win the 1ol
flowing eloquent appeal ~ .. =
+ "All the states which lie around us hav
& these homes. Why not Minnesota
IS | Michigan, INDIANA, llllllOlS. "AsdHsdS. ANC
braska, = Wisconsin and Iowa have mad
d this provision for those whom the wa
made dependent-why may not we? Sha
4 Minnesota whose proudest boast to-day
that she led all in service and in bravery
fear to follow in gratitude and in lovin
care? .;s. 8. ..'..-..z'- ...s5 ia, :, -.
n when President Roosevelt wished
compliment us, he referred to the: charg
4 Of the First Minnesota at Gettysburg
4 I Poet, orator and historian have strive
4 / in. vain to find eulogy sufficiently expires
sive of the bravery and the nobility {
! sacrifice which were there made NANTES
q Shall Minnesota say to the women VIII
were that day widowed: Those whol
you sent forth to fight for us with
i / Godspeed, have made state glorious
but for. you, in your old age and in yor
poverty, we have nothing" We cannc
believe that 50 great a wrong shall
IL, done You have it in your power to ave-
= it. Will you not then lend your best et
.5 forts to prevent so heavy, a. stain fro1
falling upon our rich and prosperous state
l IN. L. Starkweather, Nettie M. Morton
Marion Salisbury, Ruth. r. Van San
Mary E., Leavens. Anna Keller. Esth,
= co1r7 {ore IJ~,,, 49, EQ0or