Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-01-19
FOCUS CHAT.
Notes and items Of Interest from the Soldiers
Home.

ian when making the trip to Togus on
the diminutive train OF the Kennebec
Central, to listen to the chance con-
versatiOn that is carried on with more
or less briskness by the veterans who
are travelling to and from the Home.
The smoker is the best place to STU
ate ones self. as there are always
quite a gathering there, both because
| 1t affords an opportunity for few
pulls at the pipe. and also because
there is a greater freedom of speech
permissible, than in the other cars
that compose the train.
1t is a good place in which to study
human nature, for here it is present in
all it's different phases. Take Tor IN
stance such group as one sees, or
can see, every day in the year. They
are thrown together haphazard, but
| just see the difference. over III the
corner, intent with the news which he
| hnds in his morning Journal, is
man upon whose every feature Is
placed the indelible stamp of good
breeding. His bright, intelligent eye,
his clear skin, and the erectness OF MS
carriage, all tell of life of sobrIety
and moderation, and his salutation 10
the conductor at once convinces one
that he is a gentleman. The man has
passed his 6Oth mile stone, though ne
| looks not more than 40
| Nearby, across the car, sits a little
old man, with white head. and body
bent by inhrmity. He has been 10
| Gardiner, shopping, as a bundle beside
| him testifies, and his evidently forgot
ten what he did With his pocketbooK.
| With trembling hands he searches one
| pocket after another, until at last, IN
| The inner pocket OF his vest he finds
the missing treasure, and as he holds
it close to his feeble eyes to assure
himself that it is all right, one cannot
help rejoicing with him.
Next to the man just mentioned is
| another type, which alas, is tar TOO
common to dwell at any length upon.
AS is his neighbor he, too. is doubled.
but not with age. 1t needs no physi-
clan to diagnose his case. He has
been off on furlough and is just get
ting home, sadder, to be sure, but
| whether or not wiser, cannot be said,
though probably he is not. His face Is
a written page of his experiences. Ut
terly oblivious of his surroundings
| he sits with head bowed low and sway
ing with the motion of the train, until,
after narrow escape from standing
on his head some one assists him to
an upright position and retains MN IN
it until the end of the trip Happily
this class of passengers is in the minor
ity.
| Over in the other end of the car are
two of another type-the kind that are
always glad that they are living and
make the best of everything. and who
live the longer just on account of their
disposition. Evidently they are cron-
les. They are talking over the late
war. and one is an old man-of-war's
man. From the occasional mention of
| "Cevery," one naturally guesses that
the Santiago fight is being discussed
Finally one, whom we will call Bill
said to his mate: 'Well, Harry, them
Spanish cusses called us Yankee pigs,
didn't they?" Yes responded Harry,
land we showed 'em how Yankee pigs
could root, didn't WEI Sure thing!
And / guess they found them same
pigs the toughest pork they ever
sally provoked shook the car, and even
| aroused the demoralized one, who
feebly muttered '"Thash so'
| The above is but one of many in
stances that have come under the no.
tice of the Journal man on occasional
visits to Togus. There it can be seen
on larger scale, but with the one
| unfortunate feature referred to above,
oil limo tod Tnlx
old soldiers at the Home are contented
and as happy as it is possible to be IN
a community composed entirely of
! men.
The work Of completing the hospital
annex is progressing very slowly, on
account of the delay occasioned by
the non arrival of the steam heating
apparatus. This had to be made by
contract, and as there will be used
1921 feet of piping for the direct radia-
tors, and 1872 feet for the indirect ra-
diators. besides all the fittings for the
toilet and bath rooms. it of course
takes some time to manufacture them.
There is some work being done IN
the building, and the carpenters are
putting the finishing touches on the
mess room, but the building will not
be ready for occupancy for some time
yet.
The work of housing the summer
supply of ice for the Home was COM
pleted, Saturday. About 200 tons were
housed, and the time consumed in the
work was six and one-half days. The
ice was taken from the pond near the
deer park, and was nearly two feet in
! thickness 1t Is of unusually fine quail
ity. and clear as crystal.
Some of the soldiers at the Home
are expert rabbit catchers. Probably
the most successful one is Porter II.
Latham. He tells the Journal that
| the rabbits are plenty in the swamps
and that he has eight traps in use
He uses the common box trap. baitei
with apple. and catches from one 10
three rabbits daily. He finds ready
market at Is cents each. and makes
quite a little sum Of pin money in
this way. Mr.. Latham Is a naval vet
| eran and relates with pride that nc
| was once shipmate with Admiral
Dewey. 1t was on the y. 8. s. Aga
wan in the Civil War. and at that time
the hero Of Manila hav was axacutiva