Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1910-02-10

spending millions of dollars in the
construction Of new lines through this
rich and fertile country-known as the
Big Horn Basin of Wyoming.
GARD MAKES STATEMENTS
Regarding Management of the State
Soldiers Home Here.
The following article together with
the aftidavits is published at the re-
quest of Orville r. Gard, until recently
employed at the State Home.
"As there are several different rumors
afloat as to why l resigned my posi-.
tion as Assistant Adjutant Of the
South Dakato State Soldiers Home, l
take this opportunity of stating the
real facts in the case. The reason
resigned is because Colonel Geddis,
Commandant of the Home, requested
me to do SO, and the reason he request
ed me to do SO was because | took up
the cause of the old soldiers against
him. few weeks ago Colonel Geddis
heard that made complaint to Mr..
Fitzpatrick, Secretary of the Soldiers
Home Board, in regard to the meals.
l do not deny telling Mr.. Fitzpatrick
that the meals, with the exception of
the noon meal, we're very, very poor
and they we're.
Since that complaint they have i'm.
proved to certain extent but the sup
pers especially are still below par.
Even we're they good-it would be
nothing for the commanding officer to
brag about He has no limit put on
him, financially. The first six months
of this years Colonel Geddis had saved
over Ss,30OOO from the Maintenance
Fund, and said he was going to save
more than that amount the next six
months. Can any one tell why he
would rather turn about $1S,OOO.OO
back to the state treasury than to buy
plenty Of good wholesome food for the
old soldiers with it? OF course the bill
of fare looks good on paper, but am
like the Editor of the Sioux Falls
Argus Leader, it seems rather "silly."
As L. d. Smith is not able to do the
work of adjutant, | have really acted
as adjutant since Mr. Geddis has been
Commandant. Consequently l am
aware of most of the happenings at the
Home since May 1st 1909.
| have not the time nor space in
this issue to mention every thing but
l will just call your attention to few
matters that happen to come to my
mind. In the first place there has
been from seventy. five to eighty men,
bers of the State Soldiers Home dis.
charged and dropped since Geddis has
been Commandant-nine months. In
some other issue / may tell you how
many have been refused admission.
1t is time for the people to sit up and
take notice when the Commandant of
our old soldiers Home refuses to allow
the body of dead oomrade to be
brought into the chapel while the
funeral is being preached. No, he
makes them leave the corpse in the
hearse-out in the middle of the rosd(
Colonel Geddis has only made one
call at the Home hospital, for the ex-
press purpose of visiting the sick,
since he has been Commandant. There
are men in the hospital who would not
know him were they to meet him on
the street. The call mentioned was
made on Christmas day, when he made
them each a present of cigar, paid
, out of state money.
In this same issue is printed the
aMdavits of few old soldiers who
: have been discharged, etc. Several
others volunteered to make an affida-
Wit, but they will have an opportunity
later on, if necessary.
l understand Colonel Geddis says
that there are not over fifty members
) of the Home that would come out and
say that they we're dissatisfied with
the present management. Perhaps
!. not, while he is still Commandant.
They have seen what has happened to
others who have spoken their mind.
AS l have said before, l have not
time nor space in this issue to go into
details and Furthermore, 1 do not
know as l wish to, unless it becomes
necessary l will say this: That Mr..
Geddis says there is no such word in
the dictionary, as "patriotism." He
says that no old soldier ever enlisted
out Of love for his country; that some
we're carried away by excitement,
others enlisted for the change Of scene
or to hear the girls clap their hands
when they signed the muster roll.
Perhaps Mr.. Geddis will say that
this is spite work on my part 70 got
even with him for dischsrging mo.