Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1906-10-05
STATE SOLDIERS HOME
Interesting Facts About Past and Require
meMts for Future.

his financial report to the commission
ers of the Soldiers Home at their
meeting last June. 1t covers the
period from July lst, 1904 to July 30,
1906. We excerpt the following from
the report:
During the first year of this period
the daily average number of members
present, including two regular army
soldiers, l4S.
During the.second year of this period
the daily average number of members
present WAS lS1, an increase of 33
members over the LIST year.
The maximum number present at
one time during the first year, was 1870
members. The maximum number
present at one time during the second
year was 22S members; an increase of
3S members.
The largest number of members
present at any time in the history of
the Home prior to the last year cover
cd by this biennial period, was 2O9
members in 1891; so last winter when
we had present at one time 22S mem
bers, we had 23 more members present
than ever before.
| During the first year of this bienni-
al period, we had in the employ of the
Home a daily average of 9 civilians,
not members of the Home; and during
the second year of this period a daily
average of eleven such civilians.
During the first year of this period
the Home subsisted eight cottage
women (the wives of members occupy
ing Home cottagesl: and during the
second year twelve.
During the entire time the Home
has subsisted on an average four child
rem.
So the first year of this period the
Home family comprised daily aver
age of l69 persons; and the, second
year daily average of pit persons,
gain of 4S persons.
The cost of subsistence purchased
the first year was Sll, sol. .13, being S 10
l3 per person per day.
The cost of subsistence purchased
for the second year was Sl4, ,44O. IL, be
ing S.1S23 per day for each person,
which is a little less than 64 ceuts per
meal for the two years.
Everything in the line of subsistence
used at the Home is purchased-eN-
cept milk and a small amount of fruit
grown on our young orchard. not
enough to last week We have nei-
ther farm nor garden. We raise nei-
ther beef, pork nor fowls; as most
Soldiers Homes do where they have
farms and gardens. Hence it takes
more money to subsist our people than
it does where they have these advan
tages. Still if we had water we could
raise vegetables and fruit.
Last winter we we're very much over
, crowded; every room was full, with
, two in the halls, and the rooms were
too much crowded, in the main build.
ing uncomfortably SO. and in the hos
pital dangerously so. We we're com.
PEELED to crowd two each in a number
of the rooms at the hospital, only large
enough and only intended for one per-
son; of course this was neither pleas
g ant nor sanitary for the occupants.
Our population will probably still
l increase in membership, and certainly
g in employees; il so we will be compell
q ed to have more room or to turn away
applicants for membership.
The average age of the civil wal
membership of the Home only lacks g
fraction of year of being three score
years and ten. Ninety eight members
are past seventy years old; forty six Of
them are past seventy five years ole
and eighteen of them are past eighty
D years old: and only thirteen of then
e are short of sixty years old. A few
& are mentally, and many are physically
u incapable of taking care of themselves
s. because of the intirmaties of age, anc
G of course they will continue to grow
more aged and more feeble until tht
Home will be hospital simply, 1t i!
now impossible to find enough mem
bers able to do the work and nursing
for the Home; not because of sickness
for there is very little of that at thi
Il writing not member out of l65 pre-
>, sent being in bed sick. but because o
~ old age and feebleness. HenceI woul,
~ recommend the immediate building o
% an additional hospital building larg
enough to accommodate at least one
- hundred persons and sufficient mum
Der of nurses to take care of them
We need more help at better wages
We are now paying from $40 to 81;
per month for help in the hospital, an
out side the hospital, with the excep
n ton of the chief cook and chief engi
of neer, from Sc to S25 per month. O
u : course we can employ none but men
n bers and women at these figures, an