Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-10-22
THE oLp FOLKS.

/ lSG OLD FOLkS.s
The old folks and the care of them
hTter they have become no longer able
to care for themselves is a subject in
| which nearly all are interested and one
very closely allied to our religion and
our Civilizations While as people we
term ourselves pretty we'll civilized,
there is still Il lot of barbarity pSac-
ticed in this connection. None of us
has to look very far or very long to
see cases which make our blood boil at
the ingratitude and lack of filial re-
gard on the part of children toward
their parents, some permitting the old
folks toSspend their last days in some
| poorhouse or asylum, others permitting
them to exist outside such places in the
direst poverty or indifferently allowing
some kind hearted son or daughter to
bear the entire burden of the old peo-
pies support. Now, here is little plain
talk for the old people themselves, or,
rather, those who know they will be in
! that class in a short time. If as a re-
suit of your toll and labor you are pos
sessed of a little property, you just
| hang on to it hard and tight. Don't let
1T go to help some son or daughter, no
matter whHt may be the emergency. So
| long as you have money or property
others will care well for you, and de-
pendence, the very heaviest bureen of
age, will not be yours to carry. In
| general way it is best for old people to
have their own home unless death has
divided them. Age brings a certain
amount of crankiness even to the best
of us, and the right to say what one
pleases and do as one wishes is proba-
bly, appreciated more when one reaches
seventy than ever before The love of
money may be the root of all evil, but
nevertheless the possession of good
hard cash or it's equivalent will do
more to smooth the days when the
grasshopper has become Il burden than
any other thing. Old people should eat
away at the principal of their little
capital and should not deny themselves
needed comforts or even Injuries in
order to hand down their property in
tact to their heirs. Let the heirs scratch
and earn some for themselves. Some
where we have read of the pathetic
at the expense of others, had figured
out the cost of the funeral expenses
and had worked hard and long to lay
aside the money needed for this pur-
pose and who practically starved her.
self to death rather than touch a penny
of the hoard. 1t Should be, il children
are rightly brought up and a family
bond of love and affection binds the
family together, then when father and
mother become helpless and old they
would be most welcome guests at the
home of any one of their children, but
we feel almost justified in saying that
such cases are the exception rather
than the rule. The next best thing is
for old people to hang on to their prop
erty, for money will sometimes 60 far
ther than affection
THE UNTOUCHED WOODS.
We found our way into a bit of the
old forest not long Since a small tract
of the primeval woods lying in a val
ley up among the hills. which the ruth
less hand of man had not yet despoiled,
no trace of his work visible save a
healed scar OH the side of some of the
big sugar naples. showing where he
had tapped the tree for its sweet.
There We're big basswoods elins and
naples whose tops shut out the sun
hundred feet in the air, some ancient
and decayin~ relies lying prone, on the
earth. victims OF some summer wind
storm, and moss covered feeding their
more lucky kin Here was the i'm
pressiye silence of the woods, the calm
OF the chanccl Of great cathedral, be-
You'd the reach and sound of the rush
and riot of an outside world, Il silence
broken only by the bark of fox sqliir-
rel, the mufiied drumbeat of the lord
of the woods and the tinkle and babDle
OF a little brook fretting down the glen.
Here grew the most exquisite ferns
and MOSES, an inch in depth. like the 4
pile of Wilton carpet. All too soon
the spirit of greed and of progress. you
Will call ii, while we call it sayagery.
viii invade this lovely retreat. and the
blows of the woodman's ak will sound
like the tolling of the bell over depart
ing souls. Then will come the strielu-
lent, rasping sound of the saw, AND
these monarchs of the woods will be
sacrificed TO make plank for hogpens
and washing machines, fork handles
and tubs. Then the fire will get in Its
work, and. as with the end OF Tho
world. all that is left will be burned
up, and the hillside spring will dry uH
and the little brook cease to run and
sing, and some hairy. club listed hu.
man will turn it into a hog pasture or
scar the once beauty spot to raise
tobacco or taters And then
just think OF any man made in the i'm
age of God doing such a dirty piece of
business! But he'll do it and keep do
ing it as long as he can make dollar
by doing it.
CLEARING A FARM IN WASHINGTON
We all know in a general way that
there grows big timber out in Oregon
and Washington, but only recently
have we realized what effort and ex.
DpnSp ara nnppontod with fIo