The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1913-11-01
GEN. bEAOLE
Man Who Saved Millions to the
State 10 Practically
Destitute

o. ". Coursey of Mitchell in Sioux
Falls Argue Leader: Some two or
three weeks ago the newspapers OF
the state announced that General
Beadle, owing to a lack of funds
with which to maintain himself long
er at the lake Park hotel in Madi-
son, this state). where he had lived
for 30 long, had gone to the state
soldiers home at Hot Springs, South
Dakota A few days thereafter. a dis
patch was sent out from Pierre, and
circulated in all of the leading news
papers ia the state, to the effect that
he had gone 10 the home through choice
rather than from necessity; that, in
addition to his soldiers pension, the
state educational as ociation had, Mt its
last session in Mitchell, voted him
an additional pensi n of SEQ per month.
! There was no foundation for such a
report, and the party who started this
item of news over the state was entire
ly misinformed. While |. personally,
with hundreds of others, regretted
TIC DISQUALIFICATION Va SUN AhtsA N9ih6
information. yet ] did not intend to
take public cognizance of it, until l
received from several of General
Beadle's admiring friends in both Da-
kotas repeated requests to do 80.
1t is true that General Beadle does
receive a soldiers pension of $50 per
month, but this small amount lacks
considerable of being enough to keep
a man at a hotel, clothe him and pay
bis doctor bills. 1t is not true that
the state teachers association PEN
stoned him. 1t has no funds, either
temporary or permanent, upon which
to draw for such a purpose. It's only
fund Is its enrolment fees received
each year. and this fund scarcely meets
its running expenses.
at the session OF the association,,held
in Mitchell. last year, at the instiga-
tion of Prof. W. W. Girton, of Madi-
son, who was taken i'll and could
not be present, / WENT before she mem
beis of the committee having in
charge the 81. 900 excess of the fund
raised by the school children of the
state with which to erect a statue OF
the General in u state capitol, and
urged them to set aside this fund for
General Beadle's personal use and make
1t subject to his check. They declined
to do so. Two objections were raised.
The first was that they were preparing
to use this fund 10 erect an educational
building on the state fair grounds ut
Huron. The other was that his on
in-law was rich and should take eare
of him in case he needed help. With
regard to the latter objection, | have
since Investigated the matter and found
it untrue. When bis daughters fam
lily had prolonged and expensive ILL
ness in it. a couple of years ago,
General Beadle used his last dollar to
assist them.
The committee did, however. reach
an agreement at Mitchell. and did so
vote, to give General Beadle the in
ter-st that had accumulated on this
excess fund in the bank in which it
was deposited. This was done soon
thereafter and the governors private
secretary sent him a check for the
same amount, $197. 81. But. mas
much as the general had just had a
long sick spell and had contracted a
number Of obligations, this amount
was only q pittancs.
J Since that time, during the past
summer, a friend" gave him $3.50.
But these small amounts would not
keep him, and the only course ct pres
| emit seemed TO be the one he tokyo
to the soldiers home, like an old race
horse whose earning power had ceased,
and which had been turned out in
the barn yard to die.
1t shows the utter lack of apprecia-
tion on the part Of the public for q
man who has given his life to educa-
tional work. It was General Beadle's
brain and pen and tongue and fnan-
cial sacrifice that gave to us the
enormous school fond we have il this
state, and which. when completed.
will aggregate $125, 900. OO9. How
u~ngrateful we are. True. the school
children Of the state raised q fund with
which they erected in our capitol build
ing a life-sixe statue Of him; bat
neither tina stony fingers Of this mute
image nor the weary hands that now
hang idly by his sidee, Z earn =
livelihood for tho great heart that
heats within his manly bosom. Hia
day Of ~sslf-support 10 gone. Will the
public promptly forget his servicssr