The Johnson City comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1916-1917, 1916-02-03
SOLDIERS HOME
NEWS AND COMMENT ON TOPICS
OF INTEREST TO MEMBERS
AND FRIENDS
(BY KELLY

(BY KELLY
DR.. ]. r. Pierce, formerly Surgeon
here, resigned a like position at the
Leavenworth Home, and returned tC
Tennessee to enter private practice.
Robert F. Collier, Fifth Tennessee
Mounted Infantry. has entered the
Western Branch.
=
The four year term of the Home
postmaster expires this month, and il
is likely that Bob Bailey the soldier
incumbent, will hold over for a year
and possibly longer, as over 1906
members of this Branch have en-
dorsed his administration in a petit
ton to the POstmaster-General for re-
tention.
At last the fifty-ffty split of pen
sion money has unnerved the old he
roes from getting married, as was
the fad the past decade. They will
not even look intently at a strange
female.
War conditions have changed the
usual order of games of cards in the
barracks. The Allies play at poker
forty-five and setback; the Central
Powers at pinochle, euchre and crib.
bage and the Neutrals at solitaire.
Last week the entire staff of the
TOgas Me.) Branch resigned by re-
quest.
Several members who deprecated
their intermittent convivial tenden
cies and climbed on, the H-2-O wagon
New Years Day have not fallen off
but some of them deliberately stepped
down. Others are recklessly indulg
ing in coca-colas and awaiting pen
sion day.
Soldiers arriving att the ages of 70
and rs are receiving their increase
pension checks, under the Sherwood
law, as soon as received by the Treas
urer. The promptness and cheerful
ness with which Major Lyle conducts
the business of his office, especially
in the payment of pensions, is highly
commendable and gratefully appreci.
ated by the beneficiaries.
Il Il
President Close and Surgeon Miller
of the Board of Managers are ex-
peeted here soon. Complaints with
grievances will be given an audience.
Some o fthem should be headed up a
blind alley, but there are some who
will present suggestions that the
Board will act upon.
Il II
A field agent from the Pension Blu
reau was here the past week inter
viewing prospective pensioners.
& & Il
Now that the Board of Managers
have ordered hip pockets in uniform
trousers and outside pockets in
blouses, members who for years
have sweat, sworn and striven to at
tain ways and means to carry essen
tails will hereafter display ladylike
department when the cork comes out.
+
While all the other branches have
had an epidemic of la grippe but
few isolated cases appeared here as
most of us are immune from such
dlONtlDCS AilON %
colds. The increases in the death
lists at Dayton, Hampton and Dan
vile, due to gripp, was unusually
large in January
This is Federal election year, and
members are already playing at the
game of political argument. Many
Of them, deprived of exercising the
right to vote because of membership
here. are only mixing the cards.
Those strong enough to mark NAL
lot contemplate transferring to other
branches SO as to cast a ballot for a
politician-and thereafter display
grief.
Last Sunday a cross between an
incorrigible youth and an adolescent
outlaw sauntered into the reservation
with a wood pussy, commonly called
4 skunk, in his arms. A guard, who
had previous knowledge of the beau
tiful animals preparedness for de-
tense, was not slow in making the
pair hit the trail.
The general depot will be moved
from Dayton to Kansas City, Mo-,