Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-02-22
MANAGEMENT
OF THE HOME
Bitter Attack on the institution fos
Diabled Soldiers at Columbia
Falls.
VETERANS ARE MADE TO LABOR
Letter Received by Representative r
J. Hilnan, of Iathead-Nothing
in Confederation of Charges.

Helena, Feb. lS.-RepfeSentatlVeH
]. Hlman. of Flathead county. wht
has introduced several bills in thu
lower house looking to the bettermen
Of the conditions surrounding the vet
Grams in the state soldiers home a
Columbia Falls. is in receipt of com
munication that deals with the situa
ton at the home without gloves ant
gives statement of affairs thai
makes good food for thought. The
letter is written by a gentleman who
recently visited the home. and the
picture he draws, if not alluring, Is al
least vivid.
There are about G5 old soldiers in
the home now,' the writer says. the
youngest being SO and the Oldest
years old, and their rank in the army
from private to major. Beside the
hospital steward, two women cooks
and two waiter girls. the home EN-.
ploys one man. The work this man
cannot do is performed by the old sol
diers, and mostly without pay. Two
OF them are detailed each week to 60
into the kitchen and wash all the
dishes, pots and pans, prepare all the
vegetables for cooking, scrub the
floors twice week-all without pay
In the Harvest Field.
another lot of the boys, known a.
the chaingang. are subject to call
any time for all sorts of work-saw
ing and carrying in wood, keeping W
the fires, etc. In the summer they as
sist in the harvest field. hauling and
stacking grain and hay, looking af
ter the planting and care of all veg
etables and garden truck-in fact
do general farm WORK, without pay
At present they are cutting and haul
ing ice, without pay-such healthful
homelike work for these old cripples
"ln the main building there art
four large sleeping apartments-cOr
rails, the boys call them. as they are
herdei together in them like cattle
The largest room is about "a 40 anG
contains IS single beds, each one oc
cupied. There are II small wash
stands for the Is occupants of the
room. Health, comfort and decency
demand the partitioning of these cor
rails into rooms, each to contain mol
more than four single beds. Results
would justify the expense.
The other three rooms are smaller
Notwithstanding the crow ued condition
of the rooms, there are two large from
rooms, being set aside for the exclu
sive use of the members of the boarx
of managers at their tri-yearly visits
A front room on the first floor is Sc
aside for their use as an Office
The Bill Of Are.
Referring to the bill of fare at the
home the correspondent has this t.
say: Syrup, salt, pepper. vinegar
soda crackers are on the table all the
time. Here is the list for the daily
meals:
'Breakfast-Oatmeal. mush anG
milk. hash or stew. fried potatoes
bread, oleomargarine, coffee. On Sun
day, bacon instead of hash.
yinner-Soup twice a week, boiled
corn beef, boiled potatoes. either cab
bage, turnips or carrots. bread, oleO
margarine, tea, dried fruit pie twice
week, pork once a week instead Of
cornell beef.
"Supper-Bread, oleomargarine, tea
fried potatoes, boiled ham once s
week, rice or cornmeal mush once {
week each, dried fruit sauce.
"A plate OF hot cakes, a beefSteal
or an egg is curiosity. Chicken o.
turkey is served three times year
The oleO is cOlOrless, tasteless an(
odorless and would ruin the stomach
of crocodile. The coffee is the cheaI
Decent Arbuckle brand. One pack
age of this stuff zone pOund) is al
that is allowed to be used at break
fast for about so men. The use o
napkins is an unjustifiable extrava
gance. For cleansing purposes YOU
must use your handkerchief or thu
tablecloth or your coatsleeve, or 70,
may let the soup tailings percOlatt
down through your whiskers onto YOU
shirt front.
Dump the TaiIings.
When your meal is finished you
may not get up and walk out like
man; you must gather up your soil
ed dishes and the accumulated tail
there place each dish with it's kint
and dump the tailings. You may Their
sneak out with this fresh evidence
OF your smallness in mind.
You will note the splendid descrip
ton of prizes offered by the Arbuckle
outfit to the purchasers of their cot
fee. | am unable to learn who the
beneliciaries are for the coffee con
sumed here. 1t might be well for yo,
TO note the style of jewelry worn BY
members of the board and see if it tai
lies with the Arbuckle brand of lew
elry."
The writer tells of his asking Ont
OF the veterans if they asked a bless
ing before meals. "JehOsaphat-No.'
was the reply, and he went on to re
mark that if there was a blessing [,
be said the most appropriate on,
would be that of the Doarder at
house where hash was offered him q
each meal for several days, until h.
declined with the remark: Hebrew
1873" c'Jesus Christ, the same yesteI
day, today and fcrever.D. Contin,
ing, the writer says:
THE clothing issued is fair to loo
upon. but of the cheapest materia
and on account of the long mild wiz
tiers no overcOats are issued. Thos
unfortunates not possessing an owe
coat must initiate the grounding an
remain inside during the six month
of winter.
Il will not attempt description {
the hospital further than to say ths
q promiuapt doctor in Ka1iSno11 Inn