The Johnson City comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1916-1917, 1917-03-01

dispotion of the bonds and other Sc
curities of the funds as might be for
the best interest of the home. Fol
this responsibility and trust he is re-
suirei to be bonded for no: less than
$150,O00.
The Home Made Up OF Homes
Each of the several branches com
prising the home has its own individ-
ual officers for the administration of
its local affairs, who are appointed by
the Board of Managers. The local
commanding officer in each of the
branches is known as Governor, and
the members of his staff are the
heads of various local departments.
The home is comprised of 10 homes
called "branches," and their names
and locations are as follows:
Central Branch. Dayton, Ohio.
Eastern Branch, Togus, Maine.
Mountain Branch, Johnson City,
Tennessee.
Marion Branch, Marion, Indiana.
Danvile Branch, Danville, Illinois,
Northwestern Branch, Milwaukee,
Wis.
Western Branch, Leavenworth, Kan
Battle Mountain Sanitrium, Hot
Springs, S. Oak.
Pacific Branch, Santa Monica, Cal.
The Central is the largest and most
beautiful of all the branches. 1t
crowns the hilltops beyond the west
ern limits of Dayton, and is the larg-
est governmental institution of its
kind in the world. 1t is city in
itself, with water, heat, light, church
es. theatres, hotel and various other
structures, sufficient for the housing
and maintenance of more than 5000
veterans.
Chelsea Hospital, the old military
asylum for the invalid soldiers of
Great Britain, and the Hotel DIES In
valides, in Paris, are miniature gar
tiens compared with it. Nature and
generous government have made
this home a veritable earthly Eden.
Since it's establishment in December
1866, more members have died there
than are now living within it's broad
domain of nearly 600 acres. Those
who are sleeping in the comradeship
of death are buried around stately
monument, which, as the patriotic
sentinel of a grateful nation, is point
ing out to new generations the graves
of thousands of heroes.
Among the rapidly failing survivors
are men from every state in the Un-
ion, and from many foreign countries.
They are battle-scarred veterans,
bearing the real scars of hardfought
battles. They are of the blind, the
halt. and the lame-the worn and bro
ken Boys in Blue who assisted in saw
ing the Republic from dissolution!
Who gave the best years of their man
hood for their country. Each one OF
them. though still living represents
a vacant chair in some family circle.
What is SO largely true of the Cen
tral is also true of the other nine
branches Their total reservations
comprise S,6S0.SO acres, with an ap-
praisal value of $12,97S, ,059.33. The
600 buildings and other permanent
improvements of all the branches are
appraised at $10,629,345.33.
The Home Established in lS66-67
This National Home was establish
ed in 1S66-67 by a joint resolution OF
congress, under the initiative of the
late Gen. Benjamine +. Butler, who
home"
1t is open to all honerably discharg
ed officers, soldiers and sailors who
served in the regular or volunteer
forces of the United States in any war
in which the country has been engag-
ed including the Spanish-American
war. the Provisional Army (authoriz-
ed by act of congress, approved
March 2, 1S99), in any of the cam
paigns against hostile Indians, or who
have served in the philippines, in
| China, or Alaska, who are Disabled by
disease. wounds or otherwise provid-
ed for by law, and by reason OF such
| disability are incapably of earning
their living.
Members eligible for admission or
readmission ON applying in person at
anv branch are admitted and carried
an the returns as temporarily at
most In case of readmission the
record of the member at his former
branch is obtained, his papers are
then made up and forwarded to the
local manager for approval. When
the local manager is absent attend
ing stated meetings of the board or
for other causes, these papers are
usually held until his return. During
all this time the member is living in
the branch, wearing the civilian outer
clothing which was in his possession
at the date of his arrival at the branh
is Justly called, "The Father of the
CONTINUED on page Four)