The Delta independent., 1923-12-14
JOSEPH ROLLINS WRITES
ABOUT TRIP AND LODGE
HOME AT CANON CITY

A letter has been received by this I
office from Joseph Rollins, one Of .
Deltas first pioneers. who last week .
went 20 Canon City 10 make his .
home al the State Odd Fellows .
Home. Mr. Rollins has lost all his
family and has decided 20 seek the /
companlOuship and protection for |
which this home was designed and is /
now maintained The letter follows |
Delta Independent:
As ] promised 70 write and tell you
about my trip and what my impres-
siOng were regarding the home, !
VIII endeayor 70 do 80, but first let
me tell you Of q surprise ] met with
just after leaving your office. A
stranger came up 20 me and inquired
II ] could direct him 10 Rollins Coal
office which ! could not do. 50 l told
him he had better enquire Of some
one who was better acquainted than I
Was Now what do you know about
that-when a man cannot tell where
his own office ig2 Wei. strange
things do happenl
After leaving Delta ! was very much
impressed With the changes all the
way up through the valley the scenes
Of thrift and especially the huge piles
! Of beets every mile or so, II surely
/ looked good 70 me. At Montrose /
met Brother Russell Hauser who
{ told me that as l had an hour 10
I wait ! must 20 home with him 70
/ dinner, AMI you may be sure I re
/ quired no urging, as eating is one Of
/ my few accomplishments. was also
| pleased 10 meet Mrs. Hauser who was
the daughter Of one OF my old neigh
| bors in Delta. also met Brother
] Walter Fleming. After leaving Mont
rose / sure enjoyed the trip over the
/ hill up through the Black Canon and
on 10 Marshall Pass The scenes
4 we're very familiar, for many Is the
| time have pumped a hand car over
/ every mile Of that route when the
road was being built We reached
Salida late in the evening, one hour
late 80 ! remained in Salida over
night, as ] wished TO go on down
through the Royal Gorge by day
light. The next morning | remember
ed that my old foreman. Frank
| Crurcher, and d comrade, Billy Halt,
after leaving the road had returned to
Salida and gone into business. After
enquiring around | soon ascertained
that Churcher was dead, but Billy
was still in Salda and you may be
sure ! looked him up and we just had
one jolly time talking over times
when we lacked lumber and pounded
nails from Poncha Springs over
Marshall Pass and on down 10 Delta
After telling him where / was going,
he arose, went to a desk and returned
with something in his hand, and right
there is where surprise No. 2 came
In for II was a twenty-five year
l. o. o. f. veterans jewel After ]
had expressed my surprise and
pleasure he replied. "Oh never mind
Brother Rollins, in three years more
will be entitled to souvenir
Grand Lodge fifty year jewel, and
when obtain IT | win bring II down
10 the home to show II to you" Az
time was passing | had to hustle to
catch the train for Canon city, where
! arrived in due time.
was met at the station by sister
Hans, the matron. and after the ex.
animation which was o. X, was TAX.
en- TO the home
Now II this does not discourage and
break you up in business, ! will try
again, for between you and me / am
going after those Delta Odd Fellows
who were instrumental in bringing
me from a low altitude and malaria
10 high one and lots of snow But
let me whisper this in confidence. /
am perfectly delighted with the
change.
Yours,
Joseph Rollins,
n n Hama