lands likely to be needed in the near future, so that now the state owns a clear title to 1021 acres of good land. The rest of the bonus, in accordance with a verbal agreement with the officials of the city of Chippewa Falls, has been used in grading and laying out drives and walks through 190 acres of this land set aside for the park grounds of the institution. In the plans and arrangements of the buildings the Board has given much careful study and consideration. Visits to similar institutions in other states were made by members of the Board and the architect, in order to profit by the experiences and experiments of others. The first point to be settled was the ultimate capacity of the institution. The highest authorities in the land were consulted and they agreed that no institution of this kind should contain over 1,000 inmates. The Board, in view of the fact that the census shows about 3,000 feeble-minded and idiotic persons in the state, decided to cover the extreme limit and set the final capacity of the Home at 1,000. Everything so far has been constructed with that object in view. The power-house and heating plant has been built large enough for all future requirements; and so has the laundry building. The sewer system, the water-works pipes and the electric light mains are all large enough for any future use. It wil be only necessary to put in additional machinery. The underground pipes will not have to be disturbed nor will the buildings need to be enlarged. When the institution has been completed to its limited capacity of 1,000, there will be abou twenty buildings, as follows: An administration building; a dormitory for boys of 1st grade; a dormitory for girls of 1st grade; a dormitory for boys of 2nd grade; a dormitory for girls of 2nd grade; a dormitory for boys of 3rd grade; a dormitory for girls of 3rd grade; a dormitory for boys (epileptics); a dormitory for girls (epileptics); a custodial cottage for boys; a custodial cottage for girls; a gymnasium and assembly hall; a school building for boys; a school building for girls; a kitchen and general dining room for both classes; hospital building, laundry, power house, shops, farm colony, barns, railway station, etc. The appropriation of $100,000.00 made by the legislature of 1895 has been used as follows: Contract for one custodial building and one dormitory. Contract for power house and laundry. $57.987 10,350 Preliminary work, architect's plans, surveying, superintendence of construction, lumber, implements and tools.... 4,037 The capacity of the present buildings will be about 250 and at a cost not to exceed $400.00 per bed, and in this is included the cost of the power plant, laundry, sewerage, lighting and heating systems. The buildings have been constructed with a view to solidity and permanence. and not one dollar has been spent for ornamentation. Nevertheless the cottages are handsome and imposing. There is nothing cheap and flimsy about them, but every kind of material used is of the very best. The roofs are slate, the gutters and cornices of copper, all the partitions are of brick and the buildings are of slow-burning construction throughout and as nearly fire-proof as is necessary. The estimated cost of maintaining inmates for the next two years is as follows: For 1897 for 250 inmates at $3.50 per week........ For 1898 for 250 inmates at $3.50 per week..... $45.500 45,500 Total $91.000 Less $1.50 per week paid for 250 inmates by counties at the end of year 1897 19.500 Total for 1897 and 1898 $71,500 It should be understood that many of those who will become inmates of this Home are now in poorhouses, etc., and maintained at public charge. To provide for them all under one roof will be no more expensive in the end and will be vastly more humane. THE WISCONSIN VETERAN'S HOME. BOARD OF TRUSTEES. J. H. MARSTEN, PRESIDENT. A. O. WRIGHT, VICE PRESIDENT. J. H. WOODNORTH, SECRETARY. R. N. ROBERTS, TREASURER. O. F. CHASE, A. J. SMITH, D. LLOYD JONES, (Dept. Com. G. A. R., ex-officio,) MEMBERS OF BOARD. Fxecutive Board. A. J. SMITH, O. F. CHASE, R. N. ROBERTS. COMMANDANT. C. CALDWELL. MATRON, MRS. IDA J. CALDWELL. The Wisconsin Veterans' Home was founded by the Grand Army of the Republic, Department of Wisconsin, November 16, 1887, to care for honorably discharged indigent soldiers, sailors or marines of the War of the Rebellion, who cannot be received into any national home for disabled volunteer soldiers, and for their indigent wives or widows, for whom no provision is made at the national homes, and who hitherto have been separated, the wife to go to the poor house, while the husband goes to the National Home. The home is built upon what is known as the cottage plan, each cottage being for two persons, in every instance, man and wife. The cooking is done in a large centrally located building and meals served in a commodious dining hall in connection with the kitchen, thus relieving these old people from care of any kind. The home now consists of forty-two cottages, an administration building, dining hall and kitchen, and widows' hall, Jerry Rusk Hall for sixty people, amusement hall, hospital, assembly hall (for single men only) old people's building, old men's building, chapel, laundry, ice houses, farm house, barns, etc. Since 1889 many Improvements have been made and the accommodations enlarged. The property is now owned by the state, but is controlled by a board of trustees elected by the department of the G. A. R. It is supported by an appropriation of $300 per week made by the state for the maintenance of these people. The capacity of the home is 400, having at this date on the rolls 385 present. The total valuation of the property is $200,000. It is situated on the shores of Hicks Lake, one of the chain of lakes near Waupaca, and is unsurpassed for healthfulness and for its beautiful scenery and surroundings. The Grand Army of the Republic and W. R. C. of the state have expended In buildings, grounds and furnishings $50,000, and are justly proud of the institution. The state receives from the government the sum of $100 per annum for each male inmate, and up to the present time has received from this source nearly $75,000. The liberal appropriations made by the state has made it competent for the trustees to make this one of the best institutions of its char acter in the United States. NATIONAL HOME FOR DISABLED VOLUNTEER SOLDIERS. BRANCHES AND POSTOFFICE ADDRESSES. Central-National Military Home, Montgomery County, Ohio. Eastern-National Home, Togus, Maine. Southern-National Soldiers' Home, Elizabeth City County, Virginia. Pacific-Soldiers' Home, Los Angeles County, California. MANAGERS. THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES; THE CHIEF JUSTICE; THE SECRETARY OF WAR-Ex-Officiis, Washington, D. C. GENERAL WILLIAM B. FRANKLIN, President, Hartford, Connecticut. Term expires 1902. GENERAL WILLIAM J. SEWELL, 1st Vice President, Camden, New Jersey. Term expires 1898. COLONEL JOHN 1. MITCHELL, 2d Vice President, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Term expires 1898. GENERAL MARTIN T. MCMAHON, Secretary, Times Building, New York City. GENERAL ALFRED L. PEARSON, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Term expires 1900. Number of members present date of last annual report, June 30, 1896. 2,313 2,695 2,437 2,787 The Northwestern branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers is beautifully situated about three miles from the city of Milwaukee, with which it is connected by an electric railway line. The main building, which affords quarters for 800 disabled veterans, is an imposing structure, from the lofty tower of which floats the national banner. Four other substantially built barracks furnish comfortable quarters for the remaining members. The Lospital is a commodious and well lighted building, in which about 400 sick and decrepit old soldiers receive kind care and attention, bestowed by the attending surgeons and a corps of skilled female nurses. A theater, in which entertainments are given by professional actors, hired for the purpose, a fine military band and orchestra, billiard, card, and reading rooms and a library of about 7,000 volumes provide recreation and amusement for the disabled veterans. The Home grounds contain 400 acres, of which about one-half is cultivated. The remainder is a wooded park, traversed by shaded walks and drives, beautifully undulating, with several charming little lakes upon which pleasure boats are kept. REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION. FIRST. An honorable discharge from the United States service for service in the war of the Rebelliou or the Mexican war. SECOND.-Disability which prevents the applicant from earning his living by labor. THIRD.-Applicants for admission will be required to stipulate and agree to abide by all the rules and regulations made by the Board of Managers, or by their order; to perform all duties required of them, and to obey all the lawful orders of the officers of the Home. Attention is called to the fact, that by the law establishing the Home, the members are made subject to the rules and articles of war, and will be governed thereby in the same manner as if they were in the army of the United States. FOURTH-A soldier or sailor must forward with his application for admission his discharge paper, and when he is a pensioner his pension certificate, and if he has been a member of a State Home, his discharge from that Home, before his application will be considered, which papers will be retained at the branen to which the applicant is admitted, to be kept there for him and returned to him when he is discharged. This rule is adopted to prevent the loss of such papers and certificates, and to hinder fraudulent practices; and no application will be considered unless these papers be sent with it. If the original discharge does not exist, a copy of discharge, certified by the War or Navy Department, or by the Adjutant-General of the state, must accompany the application. On admission he must also transfer his pension certificate to the Home, and the moneys secured thereby, and empower the treasurer of the Home to draw the said moneys, and to hold and dispose of them, subject to the laws of congress, and the rules, regulations, and orders which have been or may hereafter be made by the Board of Managers of said National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. MEM.-Soldiers or sailors whose pensions exceed sixteen dollars the month are not eligible to the Home unless the reasons are peculiar, and are explained to the manager and are satisfactory to him. Those who have been members of State Homes must have been discharged from those Homes at least six months before they can be admitted to a Branch of the National Home except by a vote of the Board of Managers, and soldiers and sailors who have been dishonorably discharged from State Homes can only be admitted by a vote of the Board of Managers. Admission to the Home may be procured, when vacancies exist, by applying to Colonel Cornelius Wheeler, National Home P. O., the Governor, of the Northwestern Branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. |