WHERE DEFENDED OF THE
NATION, NOW DESTITUTE
AWAIT
STD. C HUMPHREY.
IX ons of th mwt Iwautlful of all tha
famous vallaya of the I'mpqua Is lo
eatd the Orcron Soldiers' Home.
FVoin the Southern Pacific depot at Rose
burr It Is one mile to the Home. The
Fouth Vmpqua makes a lance bend In the
form of a horseshoe, and In the mtd.lle
rf a rich valley thus formed Is situated
the Home. In either direction fine fruit
farms and prosper0"" homes make the
scene a delightful and restful one, and a
fitting place for the old veterans to pass
the few remaining years allouca to mem.
Thousands of visitors stop at Roseburg
annually and visit the Home. Going
from this rlty one crosses a suspension
bridge spanning the South Vmpqua.
round Mount Nebo. and the Home with
all its beautiful settings lies before you.
The Home i composed of four large
buildings, the main building, the bar
ra.ks. the hospital and the assembly
hall, the latter havirw been' completed
wlihin the last year. In the rear of the
main building is a storage-room, which
aiu-ncrs Innumerable purposes, serving
f .r a niilkliouse. fruit storehouse and also
for meat, vegetables and wood. All of
the v.-getaNes used for the Home are
Kron on the Home farm. Enough hogs
are als raised to supply the Home tables
u.tli all the meat of this nature used.
A litrse. line orchard furnishes fresh
fruit during the Summer and Fall.
The main building l occupied by Com
mandant XV. W. Klder and his family,
and It is here also that the offices of
IMmnnmlant and Adjutant D. H. Palm,
are I.h ated. Part of the old veterans are
housed in this building also.
Model of Cleanliness.
The hospital building is equipped with
full stock of druss. and the operating
room Is supplied with all the Instruments
known to modern medical science. It Is
here that one sees how time levies tribute
on the sged veterans. The hospital al
ways has a largo number of inmates.
Heart disease and paralysis work more
havoc with the weakened constitutions
ot tlis old soldiers than any other disease.
Twenty-three have died this year, and
the hospital Is full of U-e who have
l.t the use of a leg. an ami. and in
some cases both, but they cling to life a
little l.ng-r bilore. they answer the Unal
rollcail.
it u here that one cannot but notice
the state of cleanliness which is every
where evident. An unceasing warfare
aaint dirt In ail Its forms is being
constantly waged. The regular physician
to the Home is Ir. E. V. Hoover, the
present Mayor of Roseburg: but his as-
. i p.i..,r i in constant at-
..,ni at the hospital. Mrs. Palmer is
the head nurse, and has an able staff of
assistants, and the faithful service given
. - 4a are&tlv aOITecl-
ated by the veterans whose infirmities
connne .utwu
On the lower or basement floor of ths
hospital bulldintt is contained one of the
two d:r,lng-room. of the Home. Break
. i, ihnw at 12 and supper
last as . " . . .
at are the eating hours, and all must
be on time. lryone nas ""-'
. . V. in anH KtRtld behind
sst. ana an - .
," tii stroke of a bell
. ti,. ...l.iiers are well fed
seats in-'". v.-
-i. tr fvorab!y with
those of many of the first-class hotels
Interested In Politics.
In the new assembly recently completed
are comfortable settees. Mere lune.a-
& FINAL ROLL CALL' ymmmMimT la'N
Roman and American Builders
IVU1110.11 ftUM .. . -will rncle Sain
toinpariou Between S00 B.
PT B M. BRERKTON. C. E.
WILL the Ameri.-an Nation ever ri
val the ancient Roman in viewing
the construction and maintenance
of g.wd roads of paramount Importance to
the welfare, well-being and prosperity of
every class? True it is that the Ro
mans primarily built their splendid roads
for the creation and maintenance of their
great Mediterranean empire; but thetr
commeme and agriculture always formed
main rhjrrts. Rome and the chief cities
were connected br wonderfully we!l-cn-atxuotetl
roads, yti-& bava excited Jia
SERENELY
and lectures are held and Sunday aerr-
lees are conducted by a pastor from
some of the Roseburg churches. How
ever, the average old soldier Is not much
of a churchgoer, and would go much fur
ther to attend a political gathering. In
times like the present, when the National
campaign is on. the old soldiers are like
a hive of bees. When at meals or in the
presence of officers politics are not men-
i . ,v.- . n themselves things
uoneu. www " " - -
on merrv. the Old fellows
being greatly In earnest In their opinions.
It was during tne campaign ui ..
mor that excitement ran highest. Every
old veteran who had ths strength to walk
the distance attended every pviiuv..
meeting held In this city. Chamberlain
i lv.ia. . h Issues, and the re
spective admirers were at sword's points.
and It required tne time
diplomacy by some of the cooler heads
to prevent the disputes from becoming
serious. .
n-1 in .Uanln nrtments building.
A UB .' ' ' ' - r. r
or barracks, contains the majority of the
sleeping rooms. The rooms are large, light
and airy, and are team-ne-j.
tire interior Is scrupulously
with brush and broom every morning.
Several of the Inmates have made very
coxy and unique dens of their rooms, and
in these they spend the greater part of
their tune.
Maintenance of the Home,
rk. vinmj. was huilt in ISM. the present
commandant assuming charge In 1903. Tha
state appropriates annually I1S.0O0 for
the maintenance or tne ome- i win
ed States supplements this fund by pay
ing to the State Treasurer 1100 a year for
each occupant of the Home who was
mustered Into the United States Army.
There are now at the Home 32 veterans
of the Indian Wars, three of the Mexican
War, three of the Spanish War and 98 of
the Civil War. Forty acres of land Is
contained In tne nome groumu.
In making application for admission to
the Home, the old soldier must prove
that he has resided In Oregon 12 months
prior to the time of making application,
that he Is in destitute circumstances, and
.v.-. i . ..- nn BHemiAt means of suDDort
and that he Is not receiving a pension of
more man - per
prove all this to the satisfaction of the
County Judge of the county in which he
resides, he Is sent to the Home. Many of
the old soldiers gave away their house
hold goods and other property when they
received the opportunity of being sent to
the Home.
Rales Not Strict.
The rules governing the Home are not
..,t,-t atM commandant Elder is very
lenient with toe old warriors. Caaea of
dismissal from the Home are very rare
Indeed, and then only for the most re
..t.4 violation of the rule. Upon re
ceiving their pension money some of tha
veterans nave uveii - -.e,'"
-w- vuib-i tint ff4nr4 Douelas Coun-
tne iiuiti'6
ty went "dry" at the last election nothing
of this Kind nas occur.
v.. r.i.nni Is from 60 to 90 years, and
n - l.rss number there must be
manv whose tempera have not grown any
milder with the advance of the years, but
owing to the excellent management ev
erything Is as harmonious as if they wera
all one big family.
At a recent session of the legislature
money was appropriated to build four
cottages, so that when any old soldier
was sent to the Home and did not wish
to leave his wife, they could occupy these
cottages. The number authorised to be
C
a 11 U iwvfr - - - " "
astonishment of the ancient and modern
world during 1300 years.
Rome was proud of her road enterprise.
"All roads led to Rome." wss the an
cient boast. The Curator Viarum. or
Superintendent of the Ways, was ever
an officer of the highest standing among
the Romans. Julius Caesar was the first
Curator of the great Appian Way. Cae
sar Augustus was Curator of the Fla
mlnlan Wav. Consul Tertullus was Cura
tor of the Aemllian Wsy and Consul Mar
cellus of the Lattn Wsy. Pliny and Sta
ttus wrote about these surveyors of the
wsys as holding the most honorable offl
a of Si mi) Ira, -
TIIE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX, rORTLAXD, OCTOBER 11. 1903
y&sr&mt'vjxz .i'jt3&' city
built are now occupied, and being
double cottages they hold eight fami
lies. Thev are permitted to draw from
the Home stores anything they may
need.
Interesting Individualities.
The visitor will miss one of the most
enjoyable parts of a visit to the Home
if he fails to make the acquaintance of
Mike Flinn. Mike served through the
Civil War in a Massachusetts regiment,
and was present at some of the decisive
battles of the war. and Mike can tell
many Interesting anecdotes of those bat
tles In a manner peculiarly his own.
Mike Is 71 years of age, and came to the
Home from Portland. With him he
brought his pigeons and chickens, and
for a length of time the Inmates of the
hospital were provided with many choice
bits of chicken and pigeon until an un
feeling management (not the present
one) caused the disappearance of the en
of Public Road
Ever Klse to His Duties?
Before the Christian era Rome had
built !9 of the grand roads connecting her
empire with herself, amounting to 4S.000
miles. Among these were (1) the Ap
pian Way. 350 miles In length, which con
nected Rome with Brunduslum (modern
Brlndlsi) on the Adriatic Sea. it was
Rome's greatest of all roads, and was
called the "Queen of the Roman Ways";
(I) the Flaminlan Way which connected
Rome with the ancient town and port of
Arlmlnum (modern RImlnll on the Adri
atic: on this road there stands today the
bridge of Augustus, one of the most per
fect of ancient bridges; (3) the Aemillan
Waya. which, also connected Boma with
y -' jl- n ; ' ,,v - - x?
" ' rrr ' .,mrPS- home -ossbvssg
11 j
. A
11 1
II s I
It I
II
I I
I I
7
tire lot of Mike"s pets. He has not for
gotten the deed to this day, and the
visitor is never failed to be informed of
the event. Another Interesting indl-
Ariminum: (4) the Aurellan Way, which
connected Rome with Gaul (Germany and
France). It was this road, over the Alps,
that Napoleon Improved, In 1801-05 for
the passage of his armies, via the Slm
plon Pass: this forms one of the grand
est achievements in road building in the
world. It has a carriage way with a
grade of about 3 per cent through and
over an immensely rough mountain
range, and will remain a lasting memorial
of that great soldier and engineer.
England contains today remnants of
some of these Roman roads. I have, for
six years, had the superintendence of the
annual repairs of some of them, and have
traveled over some of those in Italy. Por
tions of many of these ancient roads,
which have endured for over 2000 years,
show very few traces of wear and decay
in their original foundations and forma
tions, because the Roman builders were
careful to exclude moisture from them.
vldual is Luther King, familiarly known
as "Snake" King. Tears ago aunng xne
month of August, he was bitten on
m . , . ...tinBoiip and now every
year during that month his foot swells as
It did when first Dinen. i V"1"""
... II A nnn tit
completely ertiunicu nv...
system. The case baffles tne bkiu oi m
best physicians.
1- or recreation tne . . i.t . -
.i ., t -munria and at all times
lO IIIO v;iwhwc ft ' .
during tha day when the weather permits
the croquet grounos are o.
In bad weather they can play at chess.
cards, checkers, or, as the Home nas a
good library and receives man B--zines
and newspapers, they can put In
the hours at reading.
The old Civil ana mamu ' ,
ine away, and it will ever
be remembered by a grateful Nation
that their declining years -
comfortable and happy as is done for
them at the Oregon duiuioi
Roseburg. Oct. 8.
Over 60 generations of posterity have
used these roads and are using them to
dav Truly posterity has benefited by
a.y: .1 .nt.mriu in this useful
tneir antenna -r
i. - internal communication, and
could well bear a portion of the first
cost of construction.
What Has the United States Done?
. .v, nw.A- mil Fathers of tha
in iioi, nns - , ..... . -
Constitution provided therein for the gen-
-li - "yV. Pnnmci
era! wenare as iunu-.
shall have power to establish postoffices
and post roads." (See Article S.) Has
Congress ever exercised this power for
the general welfare of the Nation In the
.. hii niut roads? The answer
is yes; but In a most paltry fashion
compared with the growth or population
and commerce. In. 1823-5, under the ad
ministration of the Democratic-Republican
President Monroe (the "era of good
fueling", and when Henry Clay was
' i
JiOSPlXA-L. J3UILPIN
Speaker of the House, Congress aopro-
UIIUICU ,wv,vi
public road from Cumberland, in Mary
land, to Ohio. This road was specified by
Congress to have a width of 100 feet, but
It was given only a width of 30 feet. Since
then Congress has at various periods do
nated several millions of dollars to the
establishment of military roads; but not
a single cent for the establishment and
support of postal routes In the shape of
public roads throughout the United
States.
Statistics given In Whittaker s Almanac
show that In 1907 the Government Postal
Service had established 62.663 POt''s
within the United States and used 463,406
miles of the public roads for the distri
bution of the postal and parcel matter.
The volume of this matter amounted to
12 255.666,387 pieces. For the transporta
tion and distribution of this matter the
. . in -aiimnris Rta?e lines.
aepanmem. i.u ' """ - tv,, I
$78, 809,083 ; DUt not unc
Consequences to
Benefit to the Farmer
BT JOHN STROUP.
GITATION for a general parcels
post has been going on for many
.-! several of our Post
master-Generals have seen fit to recom
mend its establishment. It seems rather
inconsistent when I can send a pack
age of merchandise from jrurnu.
t - hnif a cent an ounce, but if a
XlnJll"9 . .'
similar parcel is to be carried from th a
to Vancouver, wasn., uuu.c
n i -essarv. Again a auuaoie
parcel weighing 11 pounds can be sent
from here to almost any European coun
try for 12 cents per pound; Mrs.
may want to send a parcel to Mrs. Smith,
who resides on the same rural route
u. 4M.nt. but she must pay ll cents
per pound postage to do so It is gener-
ally understood uia.i - ;
to a more equitable arrangement In this
country has been the fear on the part
of merchants in small towns of the cat
alogue houses in Chicago. If a material
Injury should result to the country mer
chants it Is a debatable question whether
a general parcels post would be a good
thing for our people.
The bill now pending before Congress
providing for a local parcels post for
the delivery to patrons on rural routes of
parcels weighing not to exceed 11 pounds
originating at the respective offices of
these routes, or originating on the rural
routes for delivery at the distributing
postofflce or to a patron on a route out
of that office. The following rates are
proposed :
parcels not exceeding 2 ounces.... to
Over 2, ounces and not exceeding 4 c
Over 4 ounces and not exceeding 8 3c
Over 8 ounces and not exceeding 12..... 4c
Over 12 ounces and not exceeding 1 '"
Each additional pound up to 11 pounds... zc
Perishable articles such as meat, eggs
and butter, may be accepted at sender's
risk when offered for mailing not more
than three hours before the scheduled de
parture of the mails.
If this bill becomes a law it will be
possible for the farmer In the busy season
to mall his grocer his butter, eggs and
other produce at' 25 cents for each 11
pounds and to order by telephone in re
turn his bread, meat, sugar, coffee and
almost any other article he needs and
have same delivered by mail at a very
small cost. The immense benefits to both
merchant and producer, would appear In
calculable. At the present ratt the cost of sending
large packages is prohibitive. To send
a pound of coffee by the rural carrier
costs almost as much as the coffee Is
originally worth.
Several times has some such local
service been recommended by former
Postmasters-General, but the rates pro
posed were always a straight 5 cente
per pound. The rate of 2 cents per
pound after the first pound Is more
liberal both to merchants and patrons,
and still further protects the former
against the competition of the mail
order houses.
The machinery for the added service
Is all here. True, some carriers may
be compelled to provide the adquate
conveyances 'they now should have.
There Is fear on the part of some car
riers and Postmasters that the facili
ties may be swamped, but it is not
likely that there will be any danger of
that. Should the service become so
successful beyond bounds, then the
use of the above mileage of roads!
If the framers and fathers of the Con
stitution, in the day when the population
was only 11,000.000. thought It necessary
to give the Congress power to establish
post roads in connection with postoffices
throughout the United States, surely the
same National policy is far more urgent
and important in the present day! The
Eastern States wear the mantle of commerce-trade
and manufactures the Mid
dle and Pacific Coast States that of ag
riculture; the former can better aftord
the burden of road construction and
maintenance than the latter. The publio
outcry for good roada Is yearly on the
increase in both the East and West: the
farming community Is expected to pay the
cost. Is It not time, is it not more ra
tional to appeal to Congress to exercise
Its Constitutional power In this National
work? Posterity could well afford to bear
a nnrtlnn it the first OOfit.
Woodstock. October t.
Us of Parcels Post
and to the Country Store.
Increased revenue would be sufficient
to provide the additional facilities for
the carriers. There Is no prospect of
any hardship In this respect or of any
added cost. On the other hand, the in
creased revenue reasonably expected
will go far toward wiping out the pos
tal deficit. On July 1 of this year 39,
290 rural routes were In operation; by
the last of December the number will
have been increased to about 40,000.
Three packages a day on each at the
maximum weight would be $9,250,000 a
year.
This local service ought to add to the
trade of thousands of country stores.
The commercial bodies in several cities
have, I understand, had this measure
under discussion and have resolved
against it, on the ground that it is but
an opening wedge for a general par
cels post system. But even if the gen
eral rates were to be somewhat re
duced, the local merchants would al
ways maintain their aavaniaBe, uwn.s
to the extremely low local rate.
A general parcels post would never
be established at a rate less than the
actual cost of the service. From the
records of the special weighing of the
mails In 1907, it was determined that
the average haul of second-class mat
ter Is 640 miles. At this rate It is es
timated that the average cost of han
dling fourth-class matter is J212.10 per
ton or slightly more than 10 cents a
pound. With the local rate of only 2
cents a pound, it Is obvious that the
general rate will always be many times
as high. The Postmaster-General Is
now advocating a general rate of 13
cents per pound, which is six times
that of the local rate. At that rate,
there would be a profit to the depart
ment of $27 per ton. The local rata
can of course, be made only because
there Is no cost of transportation and
no additional cost of handling. The
increase In revenue would be clear
profit. , ,
It would seem that the opposition to
tills local service must be based upon
misunderstanding of what the pro
posal means. It is probably much like
the communication from a certain com
mercial club which appeared in the
Congressional Record of January 4,
1908, arguing against the 12 cents a
pound rate. --
The Postmaster-General Is quoted as
saying: "The free rural delivery has
improved materially and Intellectually
the life of the farmer. Is it too much
to ask that the department snail inane
a further use of this important system,
a use which, while adding appreciably
to the postal revenues, will directly
and vitally benefit every man, woman
and child within reach of a rural
route' The countryman would hava
the necessities of life delivered at his
gate at an average cost of 2 cents a
pound, thereby facilitating and in
creasing consumption. This would mean
augmentation of the trade of thou
sands of country merchants. It would
inevitably tend toward the improve
ment of the roads. Better roads and
improved postal facilities in the rural
districts would result In Increased val
ues of farm lands. The rural service
as now organized has accomplished
something in this direction; Its en
largement would add to the good at
tained." Pjrtland, October 8.