Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-28
At HOT SPRINGS, S. D.
Sanat0rium on Battle Noun
tain for Invalid Soldiers.
WHERE INDIANS FOUGHT
A Home for Veterans of the
State.
RESORT OF DIVORCE SEEKERS
Wonders of the Wind Caves Visited
by Tourists From Over ALI
the World.
HY WILLIAM r.. CURTIS.

b1 WILLIAM r.. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
HOT SPRINGS, s. D., July o6, 1909.
The federal government has recently
erected a sanatorium for old soldiers on
Battle mountain, just outside of the city
of Hot Springs. S. d. 1t is a beautiful
building of pink sandstone, after the mis-
sion style of architecture, similar to those
of Stanford University. which are of the
same school. Thomas r. Kimball of
Omaha. who designed one of the build
ings at the st. Louis exposition and those
at the Omaha exposition several years
before was the architect The reserva-
ton comprises 3.461 acres. of which 40
are inclosed. and the entire cost of land
and buildings up to date has been $780,
642.6S
The location is on Battle mount ain,
where many generations ago the Sioux
and the Cheyenne Indians fought four
days for possession of the hot springs.
whose curative powers have been known
to the aborigines from a time which no
man can name 1t overlooks a glorious
landscape. and the grounds are now be-
ing laid out by competent architects and
planted with trees and shrubbery. and
a portion has been set apart as a kitchen
garden to raise vegetables for the table.
The stone of which the building is con-
structed came from quarry within
sight of its threshold. and it is peculiarly
adapted to the mission style of archi-
lecture. The building was completed
April /. 1907, and covers about five acres,
surrounding a patio with fountain, in
closed by cloisters like those of an old
monastery. which furnishes cool Ioung-
ing place for the patients in summer and
protected promenade in winter. There
is chapel and library and long dor
mitorieS filed with cots in even rows, each
having a medicine table beside it and an
easy chair The kitchen. the dining rooms.
the bathrooms. the dispensaries and all
the other various branches of the es-
ia blishment on the most modern plan
and are equipped with all the conven-
fences that ingenuity and experience can
suggest
Hospital for Invalid Soldiers.
The local manager is Capt. Henry En-
erson Palmer of Omaha, who is vice
president of the board in charge of all
the national homes for volunteers. The
governor and surgeon-in-chief is Col.
James +. Miller, formerly of Des Moines,
who is assisted by several other sur
geons: the treasurer is Maj William A
Tucker; the quartermaster, Capt. James
Louis Denman. and the chaplain Capt.
Charles b. Clark. This is not a soldiers
home. but hospital for the treatment
of inva1ids from the nine national homes
at Togus, Me; Dayton. Ohio; Milwaukee.
Wis: Hampton. Va: Leavenworth, Kan
Marion, Ind: Danville, H.; johnson CITY,
Tenn. and Santa Monica. Cal
Under the acts of Congress any per-
son honorahly discharged from the regu-
10 or volunteer forces of the United
States. after service in any war in which
the country has been engaged, including
the Indian campaigns, who has no ade-
quate means of support and is incapable
| of earning living. is entitled to come
mere for treatment for diseases that are
renewed by the of the hot mineral
waters and the climatic conditions OF this
place. Preference is given to those who
are suffering from rheumatism and sim
mar diseases. and cases of incipient tu-
bereulosfs which justify reasonable hope
OF recovery are also received. 1t is in
| tended to erect a special building for tu-
| berculosis patients. where they can be
| isolated from the rest.
The hospital opened with fourteen pa
| tients in June. 1907; that number was
increased 10 321 in 1908. and 5O7 have
| thus far been treated during the first
! six months of 1909 There are 314 here
at present The rest have been sent back
TO the homes from which they came.
ago lao: patients have been treated,
mostly old veterans suffering from tuber-
culosis and rheumatism.
State Home for Veterans.
Occupying corresponding position
upon the opposite side of the wide gulch
in which the city is situated is a state
home for veterans of the civil and Span
ish wars. which was located here in 1889
at the last session of the legislature
of the territory of Dakota. The building
was erected the next year at cost of
S1aD0OO and can accommodate 30 old
soldiers. There are 80 here now. 1t is
purely for Dakota soldiers and thOr
wives. Those who enlisted in other
states but have residence in Dakota are
entitled TO it's privileges. The legislature
appropriates $3.50 annually for the sup
port of the institution. and the national
government contributes S1OO toward the
support of every inmate.
| In addition TO these two homes are
several private hospitals and sanitariums-
| That of Our Lady of Lourdes. which
has a capacity of'12o patients. is main
| tanned by the Sisters of the Benedictine
| Order of the Roman Catholic Church.
who were brought here from Switzerland
| by Bishop Marty of Yankton. 1t is not
| a charitable institution and every patient
| who can afford 1t is expected to pay the
| regular fees But those who are unable
| to do so are! permitted to pay what they
can. and there are good many charity
cases now and then. There is a large
private sanitariGm kept by Hargens &
Wheeler. and a cancer hospital recently
| established in new building which can
! accommodate 10 patients. The doctor
| tells me that he never uses knife but
| can cure ninetS-hve out of every hundred