FoE\. WHA'f HE WAS PRESIDENT BOARD OF TRUSTEES, SOLDIERS' HOME IN MASSACHUSETTS, Nov. 2, 1883-0Ct. I9, 1900. In memoriam. While this annual report was in process of publicatiou, death removed from the Board of Trustees our honored and beloved President, WHO DIED SUDDENLY, OCT. 19, 1900 CAPTAIN ADAMS was oue of the founders of the Home and worked euergetically for its establishment. Ou Nov. 2, 1883, he was unani­ mou~ly elected President of the Board, to fill the vacancy caused by tbe resignation of onr first President, Gen . Horace Binney Sargent. For seventeen years be discharged faithfully the duties of that arduous position, missing scarcely a meeting of the Board in all that time. Words are inadequate to express our appreciation of our clear friend and comrade. Ever faithful to every trust confided to him, :able, :fl3ra\?e, lLo)2al, n:rue anb \Senial at all times anb unber all circumstances. 1be will be misseb at tbe Solbiers' 1bome. Realizing the great loss we have sustained, we can in no better way cherish his memory, which will ever be dear to us, than by a faithful discharge of our duties as Trustees, keeping up the standard of the Home where he had placed it and making comfortable and happy those comrades who are under our care and protection. GEO. S. EVANS, BOSTON, MASS., Nov. 1, 1900. Secj'etaj'Y Boaj'd oj Tntstees. ttbe tttustees of tbe $olbtets' 1bonte in /m assacbusetts. 11 n memor~ of John (1;. 18. Rbams t 1J)resibent of tbe :fl3oarb, 1883 :::1 900. CAPTAIN JOHN G. 13. ADAMS, PHESIDENT OF OUR BOARD, DIED OCTOBER NINI~TEENTH, NINETEEN HUNDHED. DEATH CAME SUDD ltNLY, nUT l'OUND HIM AT HIS POST 01" DUTY, AND TUR FATAL BLUW FELL UPON HIM ENFOLDED IN THI~ AHMS OF A COJlmADE. SO WOULD HI~ HAvm CHOSEN TO DIE; AND SO WAS STILLED THE HEART OF ONE OF THlt BRAVEST, TENDEREST AND TUUEST OF MEN; SO WEUE HUSHED FOREVER TI!Ii: CHEERY VOICE AND RINGING LAUGH; SO SPED FROM EARTH THE SPIRIT WHICH SHED UUMAN SUNSHINE l~VERYWln~RE AND BLESSED ALL LIVES WITHIN THE WIDE RADIUS 011 ITS INFLU1':NCI~. OUH LOSS IS IHIlEPAI{ABLE AND Wg WILL NOT PHETEND TU BE RECONCILED TO A BEImA VEMItNT SO DI,mp AND TllTTlm; nUT WE now HEVERENTLY TO THE DIVINE WILL, AND UECALLlNG THE REVEILI_E SOUNDED AT THE BUlUAL OF OUR COMIlA])E AND FRIEND, LET US RF:COG· NIZE IN IT HIS WISH THAT WE SHOULD LOOK BEYOND THE SHADOWS OF THE NIGTIT TO TIlE DAWN OF THE ETEHNAL DAY AND TO THAT JOYI' UL RF:UNION WHICH I"AITH TELLS US SHALL BE OUR~ AT TllI~ GREAT ENCAMPMENT. UPON THE GIlIEF OF THOSE WHO SAT WITH HIM AT HIS HEAHTH· STONE AND STIARED HIS INNlm LIFE WE WOULD NOT INTRUDE SAVE WITH A GENTLE TOUCH UPON THF: BOWED ImAD AND THE WTIISPERlm MESSAGE: "WE, TOO, DEARLY I"O\' ED HIM MAY GOD BLESS YOU." The T1'ustees 01'dp.1'ed that thi~ tj'ibute be 1pl'ead upon the j'ec01'ds of the Board, and a copy sent to the family of Captain Adam.,. EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES 1 OF THE SOLDIERS' HOME IN MASSACHUSETTS AT CHELSEA FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 30TH, 1900 I BOSTON: E. B. STILLINGS & CO., PRINTERS, 55 SUDBURY STREET. 1900. OFFICERS. PRESIDENT. JOHl\ G. B. ADAMS SECRETARY. VICE-PRESIDENT. 'j'llEASURER. GEORGE S. RYANS. ELISUA S . CONVEHS I':. WILLIAM MOLIN. ASSISTANT SECRETAJlr. .JOSEPU B. MACCAUE. TRUSTEES . HOHACE BI1'INEY SAHGENT, Santa Monica , Cal GEORGE S. EVANS, Cambridge. HENHY CABOT LODGE, Nahant. SAMUl~ L DALTON , Boston. PETER D. SMITH. Andover. 'V. SYJ\IINGTON BHOWN, Stoneham. ELISHA S. CONVERS~;, Malden . ANDREW J. BAILEY, Charlestown. JOSEPH B. MACCABE, East Boston. JOSEPH F LOVEHING, Boston. ELI IV. HALL, Lynn. JOHN G B. ADAMS, Lynn. CRANMOHlC N. WALLACE, BrainLree . CIIAHLES W. WILCOX, Milford. EDWARD H . HASKELL, Newton. SAMUEL P TENNEY, Chelsea. AHNOLD A . RAND, Boston. WILLIAM M. OLIN, Roxbury. SlLAS A. BARTON, Waltham. JOHN W. HERSEY, Springfield. .JOHN E. GIL;YIA1'I, Roxbnry. CO.llilflT'l'EE ON ADMISSIONS. GEORGI1; S. EVANS. PETEB D. S~IITII. ELI W. HALL. FINANCE CO j"IMI'l'TEE. JOHN G. B . ADA~I S . GEORGE S. EVANS. CHARLES W. IVILCOX. ELISHA S. C0NnCRsg. SILAS A BARTON. EDWARD H. HASKICLL. AUDITfNG COMlJ{[7'TEE. CUANMORl!; N. W ALLACIC. JOHN E . G IUIAlS'. BUILDING CO,"IMITTEE. PKfER D . SM ITH. DR 'V. SYmNGTON BBOWN . SUPERfNTENDENT. CAPT. GEOBGlC W. CHEASEY. lJfATI/ON. MHS. GEORGE W. ClmASEY. RESIDEN'1' SURGEON. DR. ISAAC W. STAHBIRD. ASSIS'l'ANT SURGEON. DR. HOwAlm K. GLIDDElS'. CONSULTiNG S URGEO,\·S. DR. J . COLLINS WARRI';N Boston. DR. H l ~ NRY O. MARCY Boston. DR. CHARL l ~S C. ODLIN Melrose. D I ~ . JULIUS S . CLARK Melrose. DR. RO!:)COE E. BROWN Everett. Dl~ . SAMUEL CnOWELL Dorchester. DR. W I LLIAM R. CHIPMAN Chelsea. DR ARTHUR J . SHAW (Oclllist) Boston. 4 BEQUESTS AN-D DONATION-S. Thefollowing are [J1·ate.fully remembe1'ed by the inmates of the Home:- Capt. Joseph B. Thomas, Boston, donation in 1881 of $10,000 O(} I Miss Elizabeth P. Sever, S::tlem, Mass., legacy, amounting, wi th ill terest, to 4,164 82 r I Mrs. Caroline M. Barnard, Everett, Mass., furnishing Cud­ worth Ward, in hOf'pital 3,000 00 HOll. J. 'VVarren Merrill, Cambridge, donation 1,000 00 Gen. Draper, Esq., Hopedale, Mass., per annum, since the opening of the Home up to time of death 100 00 William Montgomery, E~q" United States Hotel, Boston, annual donation up to time of death 100 00 Mrs. Lyman Tucker, Boston, Mass., a Soldier's Monument in Soldiers' Home Lot, Forest Dale Cemetery, Malden, and legacy of . 2,000 00, Gen. William F. Draper, Hopedale, annual donation , . 100 00 Otis E. Weld, Boston, annual donation up to time of death 100 00 Mrs. Aun J. Baker, legacy . 300 00 Mrs. Joanna L. Merriam, legacy . 50 00 Capt. Gideon Skull Holmes, legacy 2,620 25 Mrs. Susan M. Weston, legacy. 250 00 Mass. Division Sons of Veterans, furnishing Dormitory in Sargent Hall 776 00 Department of Massachusetts "Toman's Relief Corps, fur­ nishing Dormitory in Sargellt Hall 750 00 :Moses Wildes, 2d, Cambridge, legacy 6,000 00 5 P~ESIOENT'S ~EPO~T, To THE Tl~USTEES OF THE SOLDIERS' HOME IN l\1:ASSACHUSETTS. Gentlemen: I have the honor to submit my eighteenth annual report. Accompanying this are the reports of the several officers of the Home, which are so perfect in every detail that very Ii ttle Jleed be added. Again we have been called upon to pay the last tribute of respect to two of our associates. Maj. Nelson F. Bond of Fitchburg, died July 25, 1899 He had been ill fo r several years but, regardless of that, had Jlever failed to attend t he meetings of the Board, nor to perform any duty required of 11im . He wa" a gall ant soldier, an earnest worl,er in the Grand Army of the Republic and an exemplary citizen. On Feb. 17,.1900, Maj. George S. Merrill passed to a higher life at his home ill Lawrence. No man was better known to the Union veterans in this State and the nation than Major Merrill. Since the close of the war he has been very active ill their behalf. He was a charter member and first Commander of Post 39, G.A.R., Department Commander in 1875, Commander-in-Chief in 1881, and for many years served as chairman of the National Committee on Pensions. His genial, kindly manner made him a lovable companion. He was strong in his convictions, and belie\'ing he was right, did not fail to battle for his principles to the elld, - a good citizen, a true comrade, a faithful friend. Let us ever cherish his memory and feel that it was a blessing to be associated officiall y with him. The death rate at the Home has not been so large as last yeal', yet the nurnber of patients in the hospital has increased; but I call your attentiOli particnlarly to the reports of the Superintendent and Surgeon in this respect. At tim es we have had as rnanyas one hundred and fifteen in the hospital, with mallY outside who daily responded to sick call. Visiting the Home in June I found that Dr. Starbird was seriously ol'el'worked and I feared, unless some assistance was given him, would break do;vn. After conferri ng with the Superi Iltelldent, the matter was laid before the Emergency Committee and it was decided to em ploy an assistant surgeon temporarily, until the meeting of the Board, vVe were very fortunate ill securing the services of Dr. Howard K. Gliddell, who has had hospital experience, and at the time of employment was House Surgeon in the Lynn hospital. I 1Lllderstand that his services have been "ery satisfactory and recommend that the office of Assistant Surgeon be made permanent. 6 In this connection I would call your attention to the importance of increased hospital accommodations. I am of the opinion that it would not be wise to erect additional buildings, but believe we should so arrange our present quarters as to make them more desirable for use. Some arrangements should be made in regard to accommodations for the female nurses. This force will undoubtedly be largely increased as years pass, and there are no satisfactory quarters for them in the hospital building. The finances of the Home are in a satisfactory condition. Last year we received five thousand dollars from the legacy bequeathed us by Moses Wildes, 2d, of Cambridge, and believing that we should ask for only sufficient money from the State to cover our actual expenses, at our suggestion the appropriation was reduced to thirty thousand dollars.