The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-27
BRISTOW CHANGES ATTITUDE
HE is NO LONGER ANTAGONISTIC TO
THE RURAL SYSTEM,
But a Reform Has Been Inaugurated
in Its ExtensiOn-Other News
of the Capital.

poStoInce inspectors push the PROBE INTO tne
methods of August w. Machen, former su-
perintendent of free delivery. and George
w. Beavers. former superintendent of the
division of salaries and allowances, both OF
whom are under indictment, the more in
teresting become the developments reflect
| ing their administration of those two i'm
| portant branches OF the postal service.
| 1t is stated on high authority that GER
tain congressional districts in the United
States were swamped with postoffice allow
ances by Beavers, while rural routes were
showered on them by Machen with a prod
| igality that astonishes the official investi-
gators who are now going over the records.
Two notable cases of the "hogging'' done
by some representatives in Congress are
cited by an Official connected with the free
delivery service. Machen had promised,
and note of the fact has been found among
his papers. directing that during the current
! fiscal year two congressional districts
should be given complete county systems of
rural free delivery. One of these districts
is composed of six thickly populated coun-
| ties, and the other seven counties. The
State in which these counties are located
| is large one in the West, and the estab-
lishment of the county systems, as outlined
| by Machen, would have resulted in other
| sections OF the State in question being de-
| prlved or service that was manifesty due
| them. Other instances of this kind
| enumerated. II is learned that like
| dition of affairs prevailed in the division
OF salaries and allowances, and the state
ment IS made that certain districts
| literally supplied with clerk hire as TO have
| an appreciable effect on the whole service.
Among those who received these favors at
! the hands of Beavers and Machens were
| prominent Democrats as well as Repub-
| hcans. In justice to the great majority of
representatives in Congress, it is stated by
onnclals here that those who benefited by
the discriminating methods of Beavers and
MacheD were limited, the average member
accepting only what he thought his district
| was entitled to.
An effort is being made in the progress of
reorganization to establish the rural free
delivery system and the division OF salaries
and allowances basis where rural routes
will be allotted and postal allowances grant
ed on merit alone Such Is the purpose of
| Postmaster General Payne and the officials
associated with him in the investigation of
! the Postoffice Department
From all that can be learned the new
plans with reference to rural free delivery
will not interfere materially with the extern
! sion OF the service in Indiana during the cur
| rent fiscal year, except in far as the rule
| requiring one hundred families or more on a
| route applies. There is disposition on the
part of Fourth Assistant Bristow to antag-
ohize the Iurther development of rural free
delivery, although an effort has been made
TO put him In the attitude of so reorganizing
the present system as to reduce the number
or routes now In operation and curtail estab-
lishments in the future. The orders issued
every day providing for the extension of
the service are complete REPUTATION of the
lnslnuatlons against the fourth assistant.
Mr.. Bristow formerly regarded the rural
service with disfavor, contending that great
extravaganza accompanied its development
and extension. Since taxing charge of the
service the fourth assistant has come to a
realization that it is here to stay, and he is
therefore proceeding TO reorganiZe and build
1t UP, just as other branches of the depart
ment have been developed. He has found it
necessary, In mapping out plans for the cur
rent year, to hold up county systems PROM
ised by former Superintendent Machen.
How much this will affect Indiana cannot be
learned, as the officials are not ready at
TINS time TO make public details in this con-
neelion. Inc postmaster general gave some
Washington. He directed that the promises
of Machen should be kept, so far as it was
consistent with the general good Of the serv-
Ice. After carefully canvassing the situa-
ton and preparing estimates as to the
amount available for extensions this year
the fourth assistant came to the conclusion
that II the county systems ordered by Ma
chen Were put into operation the service as
a whole, would suffer. Under the plan
adopted new methods will prevail in con-
nection with the county systems. Rural
routes will be divided among the States,
and then TO the congressional districts as
regards the number of petitions filed. If the
senator or representative elects TO take the
county system he may do so If the number
OF routes apportioned to him is sufficient.
But if he does so it will be at the expense
, or the State or district as whole.
In a conference with Fourth Assistant
Bristow last week it was suggested by Rep
resentative Lands, of Indiana, that the
department should complete the service in
, all counties where routes are now estab-
lished General Bristow does not favor this
idea and will notAdopt it.
1t is apparent that the department will
, face strong criticism as result of the
changes made in the rural free delivery sys-
: tenn. but the officials feel certain that when
their intentions become better known their
, course will be generally approved.
{ The Department of Agriculture ,has just
made public an official estimate of the acre
age, production and value of tobacco in the
, United States in 1902, as follows: Acres
1000. 1874; production, S21, S23, 1853 pounds
? value. s57.5s3,5lo Kentucky leads with an
t output of 257, 200 pounds, valued at s15,-
As. Sl2 The figures for other tobacco
I producing States are as follows: North
t Carolina li252o,95O pounds: Virginia
136. go pounds; South Carolina. 25,-
! valued at s4.54l. 1884, Wisconsin stands fourth I
Y in quantity and fifth in the value of hel
tobacco product. The Middle and North.
{ western States make a good showing in
the returns for tobacco production for 1902
Ohio produced SO. 7o9, SOS pounds, Indiana G..
236 6l5 pounds. Illinois So, l5O pounds anC
Michigan 231, $50 pounds
Historical data of an interesting natur,
concerning grape juice are contained in Z
bulletin prepared for the Department Of
Agriculture by George c. Husmann, who
says: ''Unfermented grape juice has M
), doubt been used ever since wine has beer
r made from the grape. Galcnus, the Greel
physician and writer, says (AD. 1871: a
:, good many Asiatic wines were stored il
J, bottles which were hung in the corner o.
Z freplaces, where by evaporation, they be
| came dry. This process was called FLU
marium.' The Greeks had two kinds O.
wine 'protoplon.' or first juice of the gran,
0 before pressing. and 'denterion. or pressed
! | Juice The Romans called them 'vinum pri
| marium and vinum secondarium.' Some O
| them drank the juice before fermentation
| had started, and called IL 'mustum' Afte
the must or juice had been through q heat
4 ing process Called reduction NOWADAYS
h they called IL frutum,' and when, after Ions
e heating, IL had been reduced to one-half o.
S one-thrd its original volume they callet
. IL .saea.' This used by the Roma M
: | on their bread. and was equivalent to wha