Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-01-02


somely appointed new home erected
and maintained by the members Of the
/. o. O. F. in this state. Mrs. Lewis
scores of friends in the city will read
with interest her letter which is Civ
en- herewith:
Mrs. Lewis Letter.
editor Courier Thinking that the
Odd Fellows of Ottumwa and some OF
my friends would like to know some
thing about the Iowa Odd Fellows and
Orphans home. | write you briefly
concerning it. This home is one of
beauty and comfort. 1t is situated
one and one-half miles west of Mason
City on the electric car line that runs
between this city and Clear Lake. The
building is of red pressed brick and
contains sixty-five rooms The floors
in the bed rooms are of hard pine and
in the halls, dining room and school
rooms, maple and the interior finish
is of yellow pine. The rooms are all
furnished alike. Brussels rugs and
golden oak furniture. Each bed room
has rug, dresser, table, two chairs,
including rocker, fine iron bedstead
and there is large clothing closet in
each one. The parlor is furnished
with velvet rug, mahogany furniture
and leather Davenport and rockers.
The nursery is fine suite of rooms.
One has six little crib beds and the
other is the nurses room. The library
and reading rooms are very nice and
we have very fine library to which
the wards have access.
tHTbo form in connection with the
home is a fine rolling piece of land
chard and pasture for cattle and
horses. We have seven COWS, large
number of chickens, hogs and horses,
and raise great deal of our produce.
Nov as to the wards of the home.
We have twenty-one in all, seven
old brothers and fourteen chill
dren; baby seven months
old, two that are two and one-half
years old and the rest are from 8 to
Is years of age. They all seem to be
happy and contented. We have a
nurse who looks after the little ones
and man who takes care of the fur
mace and looks after things il gener-
al We have our own gas AMI water
plants and the building is heated by
steam. A large cold storage plant
is among the equipments and we will
have new steam laundry by the first
of the year. We keep three girls to
do the other work and a farmer to look
after the farm. who lives in cottage
near the building. The trustees have
employed a landscape gardener from
Minneapolis, to lay out the grounds
and they will be in fine shape before
next October when the grand lodge
meets here.
we have Sunday school in the home
every Sunday and preaching service
often. We had a short program and
q Christmas tree for the wards of the
home. 1t was the first Christmas and
we desired to make it one of pleasure
to them. like the work very much
and it is quite interesting. 1t is al
ways sad to me the first few days aft
er the little ones come and their folks
leave them. They get homesick and
want to go home and cry with them
for remember when l was a child
how lonely / was away from my faith
er and mother and these children are
no orphans. they are half orphans.
some have father and some of the
others have mother. And it is sad
breaking up of old associations which
they had formed in their younger
years, and to leave home where every
thing seems familiar and come here
where things are so different and all
are strange to them, is not as easy to
do as one would think But time is
great factor in changing one and after
they have been here a while they get
accustomed to the home and it's
rules, are satisfied and happy. l have
been a little homesick myself some
times to see Ottumwa or someone from
there. Captain R. T. Cameron of OF
tumwa wrote to know if trio Of light
Brahma chickens would be acceptable
IN the home for Christmas present.
wrote Immediately and told him we
would accept the present and that L
would be glad to see even a chicken
from Ottumwa.
Our visiting day at the home is
from 2 to o'clock and since May 20
we have hadS 725 visitors, so you see
have been entertaining considerably.
My duties are to manage the home,
W lue puylHS, answer all the cores
pondence. keep the books and to see
that all do what work is assigned to
them. There is variety of work SO
one does not tire of it.
Great credit should be given the
board of trustees of this institution for
the manner in which they have con-
Quoted affairs here. There is nothing
left undone in the construction and
furnishing Of the home. They are all
good business men and could not have
taken more interest in their own
homes than they have in things here.
often think what blessing this
home is to the aged and orphans.
When the storms of winter are rag.
ing without it is like summer day
inside and they do not have to be ex-
posed to the cold l think what a.
grand old order the l. o. o. f. is and
its teachings will be exemplified in
the building and maintaining of such
an institution as this. | fear / will
worry your patience and will close by
wishing you 2 Merry Christmas and a
Happy New Tear.
as