Veterans Home View01

Waupaca Record

July 27, 1905

ANOTHER VIEW OF THE HOME

ARTICLE AS PUBLISHED IN WAUKESHA FREEMAN

WRITTEN BY DR. HUGO PHILLER

Gives a Tribute to the Management and to the Late Major R.N. Roberts

Last weeks publication of the Waukesha Freeman contained a very interesting account of the Veterans’ Hoe and our lakes which was written by Dr. Hugo Philler, after a recent visit to our Home. He pays a glowing tribute to the management and to the late Major R.N. Roberts of this city thru those efforts the Home was located at Waupaca.

“On invitation of Dr. Barth Bantly, surgeon of the Wis. Vet. Home I spent last week a few days at the institution and returned home, fully realizing the natural picturesque scenery, its healthfulness and the magnificent government of the colony, instituted for the benefit of aged survivors of the war, and their wives. I always had the impression that Waukesha county, with its beautiful lakes and thriving farms was the Eldorado of this state until I saw and admired Waupaca county.

Tho “Home” is situated on the shores of sixteen beautiful lakes, four miles from the city of Waupaca, comprises an area of 100 acres and is unsurpassed for its healthfulness and charming surroundings. One lake in particular, Rainbow lake took my fancy, bearing its name rightfully, the reflection on its surface showing at different times during the day, but mostly at sunrise and sunset the colors and concentric bands of the spectrum. Taking a boat ride in one of the well equipped steam launches, thru the different lakes, you will admire nature’s grandeur, combined with man’s good sense of industry, for all the beautiful lakes are lined with tiny summer cottages and majestic birch trees find roots clear to the water’s edge. The scenery is enlivened by the tunes of numerous winged songsters, orioles, bluejays and other finely plumaged birds (woodpeckers included) and even the blackest hypochondriac must be induced to smile at such displays of nature’s beauty. The shore named Rainbow Lake has been fitly compared by tourists, the woods are full of them every summer – with the lake at Interlake n, a town in Switzerland, or with the lake Killarney in Ireland. The common adage, “to see Venice and die” might be changed to “To see Waupaca Rainbow Lake and live”.

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 and marines of the war of the Rebellion and for their wives and widows, and for whom no provision is made in any of the national homes. It was built originally on the cottage plan, but in the course of time it became necessary to provide larger buildings, and Fairchild Hall, Jerry Rusk Hall and Marston Hall accommodate men and their wives, and three more buildings shelter single men. The buildings for men and their wives each have a large dining room and kitchen attached; the single men, the occupants of the cottages and the widows, who occupy the widows dormitory, all take their meals in the main dining hall. A well equipped bakery with the latest improvements, furnishes the staff of life, which is used by the officers and inmates and always declared good. I age some tea buns which cannot be duplicated by our well known caterer, Martini, in Milwaukee.

From my standpoint as a medical man I cannot find words enough of praise regarding the perfect sewerage system by farm irrigation, the sparkling ice cold water, and last, but not least, the well equipped hospital erected in 1899, an institution which has been repeatedly pronounced by Government Inspector General Curtiss, the finest hospital connected with any national or state home in this country. At the time of my visit the hospital, (there is no ward system, but each patient enjoys a separate room) harbored 126 patients of both sexes. The surgeon has full charge of the plant and with a cops of well “drilled” (I hate the word “trained”) nurses and a competent licensed pharmacist is tireless in attending to the medical and surgical wants of his patients, all his comrades. He holds a so called “policlinic” mornings and evenings, when the “whistle” sounds “Surgeon’s call” and many a practitioner would wish to see his reception rooms so well filled with customers, as my friend, Dr. Bantly, enjoys daily. Inquiring as to the occurrence of acute infectious diseases, he assured me that he had not seen a case of typhoid fever and only a few cases of pneumonia during his connection with the home for a period of over two years, but that he has plenty of work in attending the many chronic ailments and natural concomitants of old age, general paresis, paralysis, arthritis, kidney, and bladder disorders, etc.

I am satisfied that the old soldier and his wife could not receive better medical treatment and more careful nursing in any other hospital or in the best equipped private family home in fact, the whole institution in all its departments makes the impression of a home. It fascinates a visitor, when he listens to the animated conversation of the old boys, sitting on the shady veranda of the hospital, smoking the pipe of peace and fighting the old battles over, (commonly styled “swapping lies”). I had no opportunity to listen to the gossipings of the old girls, but I suppose, it will be of the same caliber. Very little grumbling, fault-finding and criticism is heard, every one of the large family during the winter months of over 800 heads seems to be happy and contented, and “Harmony and Duty” is the daily watchword. Sitting last Sunday on the front veranda of the doctor’s private cottage, enjoying the “dolce far niente”, and looking at the many boats on beautiful Rainbow Lake, I was regaled with melodies of a military orchestra, composed of inmates, who played national patriotic hymns as well as operatic airs. It seems to me, that the old boys and girls might take a little more outdoor exercise for in my opinion they live too well and many bodily functional defects and disorders might be avoided. Every one has a pet, be it a parrot, a canary bird, a couple of orphan bluejays, but even these pets become lazy from too good living. One of the ladies I understand at one time sported fifty pet cats and kittens, who were too lazy to kill rats or mice, but rather indulged in the diet of the many plumbed songsters of the parks. Some restriction for the protection of the birds had to be made and I noticed the only dog in the colony, who is not alone ornamental, but also useful, having a pronounced antipathy against the feline tribe and kills them at short notice, whenever the opportunity offers. (I hope, “Major” will be informed of being honorably mentioned in this cursory report of my visit to the home). Of later improvements I will only mention the new water system with a steel tower of 80,000 gallons capacity, which can be worked by steam power or electricity, the many cement walks finished and under construction; a new brick laundry is nearly completed and the old laundry will be remodeled into a billiard room, to give still more means of exercise and amusement to the warriors, (a ten pin alley would not be amiss either from a medical view, rendering the crepitating joints of the many rheumatic veterans more limber). Not enough words of praise and commendation can be given to the ladies of the Woman’s Relief Corps, an auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Republic. These ladies stock the library, provide luxuries, ornaments and comforts, wherever they see a chance to show their patriotism and affection for their enfeebled comrades and their wives; a year ago they surprised the institution by a gift of an upright piano, which at present takes a prominent corner in the dining hall of the hospital and lessens by its tunes the pangs and pains of the sufferers and is of great use, when divine service is held Sunday evening for the patients in the hospital who cannot attend the services in the chapel of the colony.

In conclusion to these rambling remarks, I may add, that the State of Wisconsin can be proud of the institution and that men like Major R.N. Roberts, deceased, and Judge Benj. F. Bryant of LaCrosse, have erected for themselves a monument more lasting than marble or ore, by being instrumental in locating, instituting and perfecting the Wisconsin Veterans’ Home to its present usefulness and merit.