Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-02
Both of Leading Parties Held Large
Number of Meetings.
WAKING UP FEDERAL EMPLOYEES
object IL 60 Induce Them to Go Home
TO Vote, as They May he Needed
In Number of Close Com
GressiOnaI Districts.
fFrom a staff correspondentN

Two great pOntlCdi parties III lne ldst Two
months than ever before in the history of
the capital.
These meetings have been generally
largely attended, the department clerks be-
ing greatly in the majority, although there
have been a fate proportion of navy yard
employees present, these men living In the
main in the states Of Maryland. Virginia,
Delaware ard Pennsylvania and many Of
whom will go to their homes to vote on
election day.
But the greatest effort has been put
forth to get the vote out in the depart
ments, there being 1900 men with the
right of franchise whose ballots might
easily make the house OF representatives
republican or democratic and therefore Of
especial need to all parties at this time.
It has been shown that the change Of $50
votes in New York in the Blaine-C Cleveland
campaign Of 1888 would have given the
Empire state to the 'uncrowned Ameri-
can." as his followers loved to call James
G. Blaine
There are thirty representative districts
now held by republicans by majorties
ranging from thrty-five to 400 and the
republican congressional committee has
beer pounding away at the voters mot to
forget election day and not to be found
at their desks, but TO be at their homes
and vote.'
While the democrats do not have as many
close districts as the republicans there are
dozen where the majorities run from
sevcnty-five to 600 and these are being
fought for with all the strength the "un-
terrified can put forth
1t is therefore patent why the SPELL
binders are at work in the District of Co
the largest exodus Of voters from Wash
ington today and tomorrow since the estab-
lishment of the "joint ticket agent" who
does business with the accredited voter
and who has been granted leave by his
department.
Soldier Cemetery Too Small.
The cemetery at the Preside, San Frary-
CISCO is becoming so congested that 1t is
only question of a year or So according
to Quartermaster General Aleshire. when
one of two things will have to be done
either establish an incinerating plant and
cremate the soldiers of Uncle Sam VIII, die
ir the Philippines and whose bodies are
unclaimed by relatives or congress ap-
propriate money to enlarge the cemetery.
General Aleshire appeared before the an
preparations committee OF the house last
spring and asked for $4,000 to be used for
the purposes of putting the grounds I'm
shape and extending the fence witch surz
rounds the present cemetery Congress-
mad streak OF economy, however. ana
Notwithstanding that the estimate mas
recommended by the Treasury department
ana the secretary of war. nothing was done
toward relieving the congestion.
There are about 400 interments in the
Preside cemetery yearly, and It is thought
that In year or two at most the present
grounds will be completely filled and then
Will come cremation II congress does moth
ing at the coming session.
The bodies buried in the cemetery are NJ
soldiers OF the United States who died in
lhe Phillpplnes, or at the Preside and
whose bodies are unclaimed by relatives
Nheh the question Of enlarging the pres
cnt cemetery at the Preside was suggested
to the committee on appropriations by Cen
eral Aleshire. Chairman Tawney asked the
direct question, whether the ouartermas-
ters department had seriously considered
cremation for the bodies of Uncle Sans de-
tenders" Gen eral Aleshire stated that but
little attention had been given the subject
except to get some figures on the erection
OF an incinerstor and the construction of
retorts and building which he estimated
would cost about $4,000 including a colum-
barium to hold the ashes
Big Price For Old Paper.
Fifty dollars for eleven old newspapers
That Is the price which was paid TODAY bv
a university whose files were incomplete
The newspapers were the Washington Post
and the Washington Star, issued on various
days during the last twenty years
Eighteen years ago a newsdealer in this
city, Mr.. T. s. Leisenring, began the col
lection Of back numbers" He had only
a small store at the time and his store
room, cellar and loft soon filled I'D with
copies of daily newspapers published In all
parts of the country. His stock increased
in volume much more rapidly than It was
depleted by the orders which came in
About a year ago he moved into an old
residence in which he secured seven large
rooms. In that place today he has nearly
100000 newspapers. principally the publl-
cations Of Washington and New York.
1t seems incredible that there should be
a sufficient demand for old newspapers to
warrant a man in devotlng his time to their
collection, sorting and sale and yet this
man has created business which has
grown TO wonderful proportions He looks
upon old newspapers very much as the
collector regards rare examples OF Chip
and whenever he hears of a collection Of
old newspapers Leisenring is right on the
sob with bid for the pile. Thus a few
weeks ago he discovered, somehow, that
there was a wagon load-A0OO In ALTO
be had in Virginia He bought them and
enjoys the work OF sorting them out and
arranging them chronologically fully as
much as j. p. Morgan enjoys the sight OF
his collection of miniatures
The Washington Star was first issued in
1852 and the Post made it's initial appear
ance in 1871. Leisewring has copies OF every
issue OF both newspapers from the date of
the original publication down to the current
issues
Newspapers, like wine, improve with age
That is to say, their value enhances in
direct proportion to the remoteness OF the
period at which they were first issued. The
original price OF the Washington Post pub
lished on the 18th day of October, 1871, was
cents. The price which you would have
TO pay for copy Of that particular issue
today would be cents plus cents for
every month Of its age, or about SlsOs for
single copy Of a newspaper the original
price OF which was only 3 cents.
There are constant demands for old news
nanara DollaQaa and lfhrarfa a. ....t,-...