Annual Reports
Of
H.
V. SMITH
PRESIDENT
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
OF
THE
Home
For
the Term Ending November 30, 1901
Annual
Report
Of
the
Colorado
Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home
His Excellency,
JAMES
B. ORMAN,
The Governor, Denver, Colorado.
Sir: I have the honor to submit the annual report, required by the statutes, of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home for the year ending November 30, 1901.
At
the commencement of this fiscal year the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home Commission
was constituted as follows: T. C.
Graden, of Durango, president; H. M.
Orahood, of Denver, department commander G. A. R., ex-officio Commissioner,
vice-president; H. V. Smith, of Monte Vista, secretary and treasurer; M. J. Hogarty, of Greeley. Six meetings of the commission have been
heldo during the year.
Early
in April the terms of office of T. C. Graden, M. J. Hogarty and H. M. Orahood,
as Commissioners, expired. At the board
meeting, held April 12th, R. J. McNutt, of Silverton, T. D.
Heiskell, of Fort Morgan, and L. E. Sherman of Colorado Springs, the
newly-elected department commander G. A. R., appeared and presented credentials
as Commissioners, but it appearing that T. D. Heiskell was not an ex-Union
soldier, sailor or marine, his eligibility as a Commissioner being therefore in
doubt, under the statutes, the organization of the board was deferred until the
Attorney General could be consulted.
At
the meeting, held May 9th at the home, the board organized as
follows:
H. V.
Smith of Monte Vista, president
L. E.
Sherman, Colorado Springs, vice-president
George
West, secretary
R. J.
McNutt, Silverton, treasurer
At a
meeting of the board on the 10th of July, Hon. John H. Shaw, commander,
Capt. Samuel West, adjutant, bookkeeper and clerk of the board, and Dr. R. W.
Cary, surgeon, were re-elected to their respective offices for one year from
the date of the organization of the present board; also, J. M. Blakey, a member
of the home, was elected quartermaster and commissary for the same period, in
place of H. W. Green, resigned.
These
officers have attended with faithfulness to their duties, and Commander Shaw
has proved himself to be an industrious, efficient officer, especially showing
himself to be capable in the care of the grounds, farm and extensive garden of
the home, which has improved greatly and brought into a much higher state of
cultivation than has ever been accomplished before.
For
the record of the work done---of the state and accounts of the finances and of
the records of the population, of the attendance and record of the hospital and
sick and of the supplies of the home---I respectfully refer you to the detailed
and full reports of the commander, adjutant, bookkeeper, surgeon, quartermaster
and commissary.
Much
embarrassment was experience in regard to the finances of the home, from the
uncertainty about the revenues of the state, until October the appropriation of
the last general assembly of $20,000 for maintenance for this year being
entirely unavailable. However, supply
dealers were reasonably accommodating, and no suffering for lack of necessary
provisions, clothing or general supplies resulted. Confidence in the willingness and ability of your Excellency and
of your coadjutors to somehow secure the necessary funds was almost universal,
which confidence was not misplaced, for on October 3d, while the board was in
session in Denver, you invited the Commissioners and officers to an audience,
at which time you introduced Hon. Charles W. Crouter, Auditor of State, and at
your instance he announced that the $20,000 would be immediately placed on his
books to the credit of the home. We
afterwards learned through careful and judicious financiering on your part and
that of the state officers, the warrants drawn against this credit were cashed
by the State Treasurer. This freed the
home from debt and gave us the long hoped-for opportunity of purchasing more
cots, mattresses, blankets and other greatly needed supplies.
I know
that I am only expressing the sentiment of the Commissioners when I say that we
are deeply grateful for your earnest and well-directed efforts in behalf of the
old “Boys in Blue.”
We
are hoping to obtain the use of the $10,000 appropriated for improvements at an
early date in the coming year. The
hospital sorely needs enlargement and increased facilities. It is so crowded now that we are compelled
to delay the admittance of some who greatly need to be cared for in hospital,
and the need is steadily growing more pressing as “age creeps on.” We need an assembly room, or chapel, and
offices for headquarters. Our present
accommodation in those regards are very inadequate and disgracefully
shabby. There are many other permanent
improvements needed to make this institution worthy of this great state.
I am, very respectfully yours,
H. V. Smith,
President Board of Commissioners
Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home,
Monte Vista, Colorado, December 14, 1901
H. V. Smith,
President Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home
Commission:
Dear
Sir—I herewith hand you the reports of my adjutant and quartermaster, for the
fiscal year ending November 30, 1901, from which you may get a comprehensive
idea of receipts and expenditures
And general condition of the Home during the year
just closed. That there has been no
increase in the population of the Home is not for the reason that all eligible
and worthy comrades in the state are cared for, but simply for the reason that
we lack the facilities to properly care for a great number. This state of affairs will be remedied to
some extent should the appropriations voted last winter become available, when
I would earnestly urge that some provision should be made for destitute wives
of some of the old comrades, who are forced to find a refuge in the Home, and
the widows of those deceased, left destitute.
The
general health of the Home has been good and will bear favorable comparison
with other Homes throughout the country.
Nearly all our mortality has been of long-standing, chronic cases; the
number of deaths has been less than for two years past. The medical care has been as good as could
be obtained, or expected under the circumstances. In this connection I would urge upon your consideration the
proposition of providing, what in any even must soon be done, a resident
physician for the Home. The additional
benefit could hardly be computed.
The
improvements by way of repairs authorized at your last meeting have been
complete and, I trust, will prove satisfactory to the board.
The
general contentment and behavior of the members of the Home I attribute largely
to the generous and faithful co-operation of my subordinate officers and to
their constant care and interest of the general welfare of the Home.
The
farm and garden have been paid all help in garden, farm, teamsters for the
year, feed for stock, etc., leaving a surplus of over $400.00, besides
contributing to the reduction of cost of maintenance, as shown by the
quartermaster’s report.
As to
recommendation for further improvements, I will state my views personally at
the next meeting of the board.
Thanking
you and the members of the board for their courteous treatment of me and their
evident and manifested interest of the welfare of all under my charge, I am,
Very respectfully yours.
JOHN
H. SHAW,
Commander
Soldiers’
and Sailors’ Home,
Monte
Vista, Colorado, December 14, 1901
H. V. Smith, Esq.,
President
Board of Commissioners:
Dear
Sir—I have the honor to submit the following report as surgeon of the Soldiers’
and Sailors’ Home for the fiscal year ending November 30, 1901.
I
took charge of the medical department of the institution on the 1st
day of December 1900. At that date
there were 172 members on the roll of the Home, and nineteen patients in the
hospital. During that month I made
twenty-five visits and examined and prescribed for twenty-five patients, on an
average, each visit. There were no
deaths that month.
In
January, 1901, I visited the Home twenty-five times, and, owing to an epidemic
of la grippe, I examined and prescribed for about fifty patients each
time. The hospital building was so
crowded that we were unable to accommodate all of those who were sick,
therefore, had to visit and prescribe for patients in general quarters, as well
as in hospital. One death occurred in
January—L. W. Chandler, aged fifty-eight, committed suicide by taking cyanide
of potassium and aconite. This man was
addicted to the immoderate use of narcotics; was melancholy and despairing
because he could not stop the habit, which resulted in the desperate act.
In
February the epidemic of la grippe continued, and I made twenty-four visits and
examined and prescribed for about as many patients during each visit as in
January. One death occurred in
February—William Drening , aged sixty-eight years. This man had suffered from chronic albuminuria for some time
before, and a bad attack of la grippe in addition to the chronic trouble ended
his life.
In
March I made twenty-two visits and examined and prescribed for about thirty
patients at each visit. No deaths in
March.
In
April I made fifteen visits and examined and prescribed for about thirty
patients each visit. One death occurred
in April—William Fihling, aged-sixty-eight years, a chronic paralytic, and
quite helpless for many months.
In
May I made twenty-one visits, examined and prescribed for an average of
twenty-five patients at each visit.
Quite a goodly number of the members went away on furlough this month,
some for only a short time and some for all summer. No deaths during May.
In
June I made nineteen visits and examined and prescribed for about twenty-four
patients at each visit. One death
occurred in June—John Shike, aged seventy-six years, from strangulated
hernia. He had right and left inguinal
hernia. Several times much trouble had
been experienced in reducing the strangulated hernias; sometimes both would get
down at the same time, and I had been very particular to keep on his double truss,
but it had to be drawn so tightly to keep the contents of the rupture up, that
he would displace the truss at times.
On June 22 he did so and the strangulation took place. The taxis was employed, with and without
chloroform, as the anaesthetic, and utterly failed. I then called in Dr. H. H. Abbott in consultation, and he tried
the taxis with the same result. Then we
deemed it best to operate, but with little hope, but it held out the only.
Hope. The operation was performed
successfully, but owing to the advanced age of the patient, he died from
collapse twenty-two hours after the operation.
During
the month of July I made eighteen visits and examined and prescribed for an
average of twenty-six patients each time.
On the morning of the 15th of July, Matthew Clune was
stricken down with the rupture of a blood vessel at the base of the brain, in
close proximity to the origin of the pneumo-gastric nerve and paralysis of the
heart, lungs and stomach was the result.
He died the next day, July 16, thirty-five hours after the accident,
aged sixty-one years.
In
August I made sixteen visits and examined and prescribed for twenty-seven
patients, on the average, at each visit.
No deaths in August. During the
month many of the members returned from furlough.
In September I made fifteen visits and examined
and prescribed for twenty-five patients each time. One death occurred at the hospital in September; a man by the
Arthur Dunlap, who had been heartlessly shipped here from Trinidad in a dying
condition, from consumption; without credentials he as admitted into the
hospital for humanity’s sake. Evidence
received later on showed that he was not eligible to membership in the
Home. He died the second day after his
arrival.
In
October I made twenty-three visits and examined and prescribed for twenty-seven
patients each visit. During October I
performed the operation of dilatation of the urethra and partial destruction of
the prostate gland. There was complete
retention of urine and it was almost impossible to introduce any kind of
catheter; but since the operation there has been no trouble; the patient is
apparently well. Two deaths occurred in
October. J. R. McCoy, aged seventy-two
years, died of pneumonia; Isaac H. Rhoads, aged eighty-seven, a chronic paralytic,
died of general paralysis.
In
November I made twenty-one visits and examined and prescribed for twenty-eight,
on the average at each visit. One death
occurred in November, Ezra Jackson, aged sixty-one years, from cirrhosis of the
liver.
On
the 1st day of March, 1901, I performed the operation of removal of
caries from both femurs. The patient
was considerably benefited, but not cured.
On November 11th I operated again on the same patient for the
same trouble, assisted by Dr. C. M. McGuire, of Walsenburg. The patient is doing well at this time.
In
May, 1901, I operated a hydrocele and removed nearly one quart of H2O. The patient is apparently cured.
As
time advances the veterans grow older and feebler, and theneed of more hospital
room is very evident. At the present
time the hospital is well filled, and should we have any kind of an epidemic,
we should be unable to accommodate all the sick ones from lack of room, as was
the case last winter. I will urge
emphatically that the hospital capacity of this institution be increased.
Very respectfully yours,,
RALPH
W. CARY, M. D.
Surgeon
and Physician in Charge
Soldiers’
and Sailors’ Home,
Monte
Vista, Colorado, December 10, 1901
COMMANDER JOHN H. SHAW,
Soldiers’
and Sailors Home:
Dear Sir—I have the honor to submit herewith my annual report for the fiscal year ending November 30, 1901, as follows:
ISSUED TO MEMBERS DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING NOVEMBER, 30, 1901, AS FOLLOWS:
74 Coats @ $6.70 = $495.80
60 Jumpers @ $.75 = $45.00
90 Vests @ $1.92= $172.80
143 Pants @ $4.18 = $598.30
294 Shirts @ $1.00 = $294.00
271 Drawers @ $.50 = $135.50
542 Pairs stockings @ $.12 4/5 = $79.05
77 Pairs shoes @ $2.18 = $168.00
71 Hats @ $1.00 = $71.00
116 Pairs suspenders @ $.25 = $29.00
218 Handerkerchiefs @ $.05 = $10.90
110 Neck ties @ $.25 = $27.50
52 Pairs slippers @ $.87 = $45.24
245 Undershirts @ $.50 = $122.50
Cost
of repairs to clothing $181.85
Total value of issue $2,593.78
Average cost of clothing per man per annum -
$13.51
Wage of cooks, waiters, etc. - $1,285.00
Total $11,656.46
Average cost per capita per day – 22 2/3
Eggs and poultry - $84.00
Hogs - $308.23
Total $1,613.74
Respectfully
submitted as correct,
JOHN M. BLAKEY,
Quartermaster
and Commissary
Soldiers’ and
Sailors’ Home,
Monte Vista,
November 14, 1901
COMMANDER JOHN H. SHAW,
Soldiers’
and Sailors’ Home:
Sir—I have the honor to submit my annual report
for the fiscal year ending November 30, 1901, consisting of finances, showing
balances, receipts and expenditures, a statement of expenditures in detail, a
list of donations received during the year, a muster roll of the present
membership, descriptive lists of members admitted, discharged and deceased
during the year, and a summary of the population of the Home, comparative with
that of last year.
Very
respectfully,
SAMUEL WEST
Adjutant and Bookkeeper
We have not included the expenditures in detail, as it is of little consequence to researchers. If you would like a copy, please email Linda and Dan.
DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING NOVEMBER 30,
1901
December 10, 1900 – From
Colorado Springs Women’s Relief Corps No. 4:
Ten bed quilts, one rug
December 17, 1900 – From Denver Circle No. 1, Ladies of G. A. R.: Ten dollars for Christmas
December
22, 1900 – From W. P. Harbottle, Salida:
One large framed photograph of himself, with letter of Christmas
greeting.
December 23 - Women’s
Relief Corps, of Manitou: Three jars of
preserves, five glasses of jellies, three cans oranges, four pounds apples,
eight magazines, three pounds candy and six pounds mixed nuts
December
23 – From U.S. Grant Women’s Corps, Greeley:
Two barrels of turkeys and one large box of cranberries and other
delicacies for Christmas
December
23 – From Women’s Relief Corps, Pueblo:
one bed quilt and two large cakes for Christmas
December
24 – From Joe Hooker Women’s Relief Corps, Monte Vista: Fourteen chair cushions
December
24 – From U.S. Grant Circle No. 4, Ladies of G. A. R., Cripple Creek: One package of dates, one lot each of
chewing and smoking tobacco, 250 cigars, two boxes salt sprays, one can of
grape jelly, one box each of ginger snaps, graham, vanilla and oatmeal cracker,
one jar and one can of jelly one bottle each of whisky, claret, rock and rye,
cherry wine and “Yellowstone;” one cake, one jar each of olives, chili sauce,
chow-chow and mixed pickles.
December
24 – From Pfeiffer Women’s Relief Corps, of Alamosa: Sixteen jars of jellies, one set of Captain Marryat’s works in
nineteen volumes.
February,
1901 – Through the active agency of Department Treasurer of Women’s Relief
Corps Mrs. Clara Rapp the following-named corps made donations to the home, to
be expended for reading matter, as follows:
J. C.
Fremont, No. 45 - $3.00
Geo. G. Meade, No. 6
- $2.00
W. T. Sherman, No. 24 -
$2.50
J. A. Garfield, No. 8 -
$25.00
Veteran, No. 10 - $10.00
G. H. Thomas, No. 26 -
$5.00
George Washington, No.
42 - $3.00
Reno, No. 21 - $3.00
R. A. Cameron, No. 18 -
$1.00
J. W. Anderson, No. 23 -
$5.00
U.S. Grant, No. 15 -
$2.00
Gunnison, No. 12 - $5.00
Total
$66.50
With
which sum subscriptions for one year were made for the following periodicals,
to wit: Christian Herald, Century,
McClure’s, Harper’s Monthly, Harper’s Weekly, Leslie’s Monthly, Leslie’s
Weekly, Munsey’s, Bookman, Success, Review of Reviews, Public Opinion,
Cosmopolitan, Self-Culture, Saturday Evening Post, Lippincott’s, Pearson’s,
Atlantic, and three months subscription for the American Review of Reviews;
also, twenty-six of the newest and best novels, handsomely bound, for the
library, and seventy-five glasses of jellies and two jars of pickles for the
hospital.
The
above listed reading matter has been greatly enjoyed by the members of the
home, and is of the best sort of donations that can be furnished. The material and physical needs of the
members are abundantly supplied through the generosity of the state and the
general government.
February
25, 1901- From the Methodist Episcopal Church, of Monte Vista: Thirty-nine Moody & Sankey hymn books,
somewhat worn.
March
20, 1901- From Victor Circle No. 1, Ladies of G. A. R.: One large sack of second-hand magazines and
books.
November
27, 1901 – From Denver Circle No. 1, Ladies of G. A. R.: Five dollars for delicacies for Thanksgiving
November
26, 1901 – From the Butler Circle No. 4, Ladies of G. A. R.: Six books for library, one handsome quilt,
two pairs socks, four shirts, two pounds assorted candy, six neck ties, two
quarts preserved fruit, one pint of jelly and one quart of pickles.
November
28, 1901 – Leadville Circle No. 2, Ladies of the G. A. R.: One large case of quilted covers for chair
backs and similar head rests.
November
28, 1901 – From Kit Carson Circle No. 9, Ladies of G. A. R. – One handsome bed
quilt
November
28, 1901 – From Victor Post, G. A. R.: One hundred and fifty cigars
November
30, 1901 – From Salida Circle No. 12:
Cash, $150.00
November
30, 1901 – From J. C. Strawn & Son, Monte Vista: Twenty magazines, Recreation, Railway Trainmen’s Journal, Sports
Afield.
Dailies—The Rocky Mountain News, Denver Times, Denver Republican, Denver Post, Durango Democrat, Aspen Times, Colorado Springs Gazette, Pueblo Chieftain, Cripple Creek Citizen’s Times.
Weeklies
– Durango Herald, Army and Navy Journal, New York Clipper, Alamosa Journal,
Monte Vista Reporter, Monte Vista Graphic, Sentinel of Liberty, Colorado
Transcript, Saguache Crescent, Hooper Press, Mosca Herald, Signs of the Times,
Central Christian Advocate, Golden Transcript, Monte Vista Journal.
Non-commissioned officers present for duty November 30, 1900 – 4, November 30, 1901 – 4
Members present, on extra duty, drawing wagers November 30, 1900 – 31, November 30, 1901 – 31
Members present, sick in hospital November 30, 1900 – 19, November 30, 1901 – 31
Members present for duty November 30, 1900 – 87, November 30, 1901 – 68
TOTAL Present November 30, 1900 – 141, November 30, 1901 – 134
Members present with leave November 30, 1900 – 32, November 30, 1901 – 38
TOTAL membership present and absent November 30, 1900 - 173, November 30, 1901 – 172
Daily average of members present during the year November 30, 1900 – 135, November 30, 1901 – 133
Daily average of members present and absent November 30, 1900 – 167, November 30, 1901 172
Members admitted during fiscal year 1900 – 52
Members admitted during fiscal year 1901 – 33
Members deceased during fiscal year 1900 – 13
Members deceased during fiscal year 1901 – 9
Members discharged during fiscal year 1900 – 30,
Members discharged during fiscal year 1901 – 25
Net gain during year 1900 – 9
Net gain during year 1901 - 1