Southern Illinoisan from Carbondale, Illinois • Page 3

Page Three Carbondale-Herrin-AAurphysboro-AAarlon SOUTHERN ILLINOISAN, SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 1980 CairbonDdc Mh hesit houses lamg close attention to what they saw and heard. City resident Al Parr said he picked up a lot of information about solar energy systems. "There's a great deal (of information) available," Parr said. "That's what I came to find Mrs. R.

D. Gordon, who lives near the university, said, "I think it's great." She said she picked up information on such products as insulating panels for windows and learned about a planned solar equipment course at SIU-C. "We saw a picture of our house," Mrs. Gordon said, "and can see that there is more heat loss in ours than in a couple of houses close by." And Evan M. Davis found out he really should do what he has known he should do for a year now put in those storm windows, and weatherstrip that door! ing through the displays with a smile on his face, "very pleased" by the show city officials were putting on.

Fischer said the photographs were the main attraction of the event. He endorsed officials' plans to have them publicly available in the city's energy office and said he would like to see similar photos taken next year as a means of comparison. "People are really concerned about saving money by saving energy," Fischer said. Potential energy-savers at Saturday's fair found several options, but most displays concentrated on insulation, solar energy and wood burning. Solar energy, in particular, dominated the floor, with governmental displays as well as private industry sales pitches.

About 300 persons attended the fair and most of those observed in the morning hours seemed to be paying out how much energy is used in the house and translates it into winter and summer energy Not surprisingly, I learned the lack of insulation in the walls of my little bungalow is probably costing me a bundle. I was surprised to find out how much differnece even two inches of attic insulation makes. The difference between the four inches I have and two inches is only about $7 but those first two inches are saving me about another $25 a month. Another surprise at the fair was the number of people who turned out. I didn't really believe all that many people were interested in energy, but there they were, demanding almost constant attention from most of the 15-20 displayers present.

Mayor Hans Fischer said he was surprised, too, at the turnout and the interest shown. I found him wander only an indication a problem exists, not any way of telling how serious it is. "It gives you a place to start," Redmond said, "to start you thinking about it." In fact, the whole idea of the photo project, he said, was to get a lot of people in Carbondale thinking about how much heat their houses lose and prompt them to better insulate. "If everybody did that, we could probably save a lot of energy," he said. Properly chastized, I eventually made my way over to a little machine that would hand me another indictment.

The machine was a Department of Energy "Home Energy Cost Savings Calculator," which features a set of dials that the user turns to appropriate settings to match the energy conditions in his own house. The machine then figures rapher had a pefect "view' of all that heat pouring out from attics, walls, windows and doors. The project was performed by Texas Instruments for $7,700. Half the cost was borne by the Illinois Institute of Natural Resources and the rest shared by the city, Southern Illinois Unlversity-Carbondale and Central Illinois Public Service. My on-the-spot energy adviser was Tom Redmond, of the city's planning division.

He told me my situation was fuzzy because the trees around my house emit radiation, too. But there was my nice, dark garage, which since it is unheated, couldn't show any heat escaping. If my house weren't leaking energy, Redmond told me, it would have shown up as dark as the garage. Redmond suggested what some of my insulation problems might be, but cautioned the infrared photos are By Evan M. Davis Of The Southern Illinoisan The little square on the photograph was my house and it was pale, paler than my garage and paler than my neighbors' houses.

That was bad hews. Around the edge of my little square was an almost pure white halo. That was more bad news. My fears were confirmed my house leaks energy. The black and white verdict came down Saturday during Carbondale city government's "Low Cost, No Cost Energy Fair" at the community Center.

The evidence was one of dozens of infrared photographs city officials were displaying to scores of Carbondale homeowners. -The photos were taken from the air on the cold, clear night of Jan. 9 when everyone in town had their furnaces cooking and the aerial photog- sS kiwi gsrft -3 yxt iszs feO'? --uft-rJ teif--: W. Ii.nl II.M 7. K- -t 5 4 Members of the Photo by JERRY LOWER Infantry units drill for today's Battle of Makanda farmers get ready to foght putting Farm Tax Bill onto effect By H.

B. Koplowitz Of The Southern Illinoisan The first day of Makanda's weekend Civil War festival went smoothly Saturday, according to festival organizer Beverly Gold. But the location of today's finale to the festival The Battle of Makanda Junction has been changed. Ms. Gold said the 1 p.m.

battle, originally scheduled to be waged in the valley, will be fought instead on Harvey Hartline's orchard on the hill at the intersection of U.S. 51 and Makanda Road. Ms. Gold said the reason for the change was that the cavalry was concerned that horses might be injured if the battle were fought in the confines of the valley. "We were lucky it didn't rain," commented Ms.

Gold on Saturday's festivities. "We were really surprised at the large turnout." The Civil War battle re-enactment will be the first of the 1980 season, and re-enactors from as far away as Florida are in Makanda renewing friendships and getting back into shape. A training workshop was held for the re-enactors Saturday, as was a competition shoot and a skirmish between Union and Confeceration troops in preparation for today's battle. The soldiers were also treated to a bean i i3n Photo by JERRY LOWER 128th, Dr. Samuel H.

Bundy of Marion, her great-grandfather. Dr. Bundy was an organizer of the Williamson County Medical Society, first Master of Herrin's Prairie Masonic Lodge, a "good doctor and minister, and a kind and compassionate man, so I believe he must have had good reason to leave the 128th IF he was a part of it," Mrs. Catlett writes. Bundy was one of a group of Williamson County residents arrested in August 1862 (before the 128th was formed) and held without charge in Cairo and later in Washington, D.C.

for several weeks, allegedly for speaking out against the Union. He had been born in Tennessee, but his descendants always thought he was loyal to the North, Mrs. Catlett writes. Bundy was released from prison on condition he join the Union Army. When Mrs.

Catlett requested Bun-dy's service records from the General Services Administration, she was sent two sets of records. One showed a Samuel H. Bundy, who was honorably discharged from the 9th Illinois Infantry Regiment. dinner by Makanda residents and attended a military ball in Anna Saturday evening. Bluegrass bands performed Saturday in the downtown area as artists and craftsmen sold their wares from booths.

The re-enactors also had their campsites set up in the valley for visitors to see how soldiers lived during the Civil War. Although the battle site has been changed, Ms. Gold said Makanda Road will still be closed on Sunday as planned, and buses will still be available at the intersection of U.S. 51 and Makanda Road to take visitors into the valley to enjoy the bluegrass music and browse through the crafts fair. She said there will be people at the intersection directing cars where to park.

A $2 parking fee will also cover bus service, she said. People may go into the valley either before or after the battle. Rain is predicted for today, but Jim Cox, commander of Company of the 31st Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry sid "unless there is a deluge," the battle will be fought as scheduled. Cox, of Carterville, said about 200 Union soldiers, 100 Confederate troops, 30 cavalrymen and six cannon are to participate in the battle. Prison gets By Jim Santori Of The Southern Illinoisan As the work stoppage by inmates at the U.S.

Penitentiary at Marion approaches its 14th day, one prison official says he expects the strike to end this week. Meanwhile, the prison administration says it has received a list of prisoner grievances and is reviewing it. J.D. Williams, assistant director of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, said Friday he expects the situation to ease this weekend and eventually end sometime this week.

"The atmosphere is calm and the (prison) staff is providing all essential services," Williams said. Prison officials said Friday they received a list of inmate concerns that include higher wages for non-industry services, quality of food, inmate approval of commissary items, improved legal room conditions, expanded hours for television viewing, expanded telephone privileges, increase in days for visitors, establishment of an inmate council and banning of hourly movements for inmates. Tuesday the prison issued a work call and said 40 percent of the inmates showed up. However, Abel said only 20 inmates appeared. The other showed a Samuel M.

Bundy who went AWOL from the 128th. The Samuel M. Bundy, who was a private in Co. (the same company as Crain and James), is listed as being transferred to the 9th. Because of mistakes in the Adjutant General's Report, they may very well have been the same man.

Bundy, whose other attributes included being trained as a lawyer and serving as publisher of a Marion newspaper, "Old Flag," apparently "became disheartened because the men of the 128th were ill-housed and ill-fed," Mrs. Catlett writes. "Maybe he saw illness and death due to this and may not have had medicines to treat the soldiers. Maybe he was granted a leave and didn't go back but was afraid not to belong somewhere and joined the 9th." "The three ancestors I have described are all buried in Hurricane Cemetery as are their wives and children," Mrs. Catlett writes.

"I will look forward to seeing what others write you. I hope people who have letters or diaries will share their information with those of us who can only speculate." grievances By Theresa Churchill 'z Of The Southern Illinoisan Southern Illinois farmers are up to fight implementation of the Farm Tax Bill, which they be-rJieve will cause agriculture assessment levels to jump more than 100 percent in portions of Southern -Illinois. "It's been changed to where it's oing to be hitting the owners of poor land the hardest," said Roger 'iMenees, of Route 2, Anna, who is a -jneraber of the American Agricul-Ttfure Movement attempting to block 3he increases. According to Miles Hartman of "Mounds, who has closely followed '-the progress of the farm bill since it first passed three years ago, nion County farmers could be among the hardest-hit in the area. Citing figures from the Illinois Department of Local Governments, JHartman said that under the law the assessment for top farm ground in Union County would go from $158 Lrper acre to $413 an increase of "T161 percent.

The figures also show possible increases of about 100 percent or more other area counties, including IWilliamson ($173 to $344 an acre), The American Agriculture Movement has sent out requests for donations to combat implementation of the assessments law and "to freeze farmland assessments (at 1979 levels) in 1980 and 1981 until the state comes up with a bill that bases assessments and taxes on the ability of the land to produce income." That was the original purpose of the Farm Tax Bill, according to Hartman. During a two-year delay to allow county supervisors of assessment to learn the new assessment procedure, the Legislature amended it to prevent assessment levels from going down. Such declines which would have been felt in Jackson and Saline counties, according to Hartman would have increased the state's contribution to school aid and other programs based on assessment levels. The bill does contain provisions allowing assessments to be reduced for such factors, but Hartman does not believe they will prevent Southern Illinois farmers from being unfairly assessed and, in turn, unfairly taxed. Area Farm Bureau members plan to meet with representatives of the Illinois Department of Local Governments Tuesday in Mount Vernon Linda at SIU-C A crowd of 7,900 fans heard Linda Ronstadt perform new songs and old favorites at the SIU Arena on the Southern Illinois Uni-versity-Carbondale campus Friday night.

Singer-guitarist Danny Kortchmar opened the program. Ronstadt, singing some of her best-known hits, such as "Poor, Poor Pitiful Me," "I Can't Help It If I'm Still in Love With You" and "Desperado," gave the audience a pleasant mixture of rock and country songs. Standing ovations called the California singer back for two encores. 2nd Texas and 11th Mississippi Johnson ($136 to $315) and Randolph ($199 to $4M). Hikes faced by other counties are smaller but nevertheless substantial, Hartman said.

Jackson County's top land would be assessed at $413 an acre instead of the current $236, for an increase of 75 percent. Franklin County prime land would go from $172 to $235 an acre, and Perry County would experience a 72-percent increase, from $193 to $332 an acre. The target of opposition by the farmers is a 1979 amendment to the bill designed to equalize assessments statewide on land of similar productivity. It will have the dual effect, however, of dramatically increasing assessment levels in Southern Illinois while actually decreasing some levels in the northern part of the state, according to Hartman. "The purpose of the law is good, but the way it's written, it discriminates against Southern Illinois counties," he said.

Menees said that area farmers cannot bear the burden of tax increases that would be caused by the higher assessment levels. "It would be tragic," he said. "The squeeze is on tight enough already." that Jeffersonville existed before Johnston City and was never actually In it, but nearby. She herself grew up in Shake Rag, a small community in the same neighborhood of Williamson County. She is interested in organizing the descendants of Co.

and would appreciate hearing from others who had relatives in that company. Her address is 8612 Peach P. O. Box California City, Calif. 93605.

Helen W. Linsenmeyer of Mur-physboro writes that her greatgrandfather, James Wiley Blair, was one of the volunteers in the 128th. He was a private in Co. A. Blair enlisted from Williamson County Sept.

26, 1862, and was officially mustered into service at Camp Butler on Nov. 4. His "desertion" took place on Jan. 16, 1863, according to official War Department records. Mrs.

Linsenmeyer writes that Blair, like many others in the regiment, was suffering from pneumonia, com Byline E.G. Wmiani madam tell relatlwes In Ill-fated llllnoi a second lieutenant in of the 128th. He was Mrs. Catlett's great-great-grandfather. Crain's son-in-law, Francis Marion James, was a sergeant in Co.

D. Both came from the Carterville-Crainville area. Barbara Burr-Hubbs' centennial history of Williamson County, "Pioneer Folks and Places," lists Jasper U. Crain and his wife Alice as charter members of the Hurricane Church east of Carterville. Crain was 50 when he enlisted in the 128th.

Mrs. Catlett writes, "my ancestors didn't leave any letters but were hard-working well-respected farmers." She believes thay were promised short-term enlistments so they could go home and plant crops. "I think after they arrived in Springfield, they found the 'enrolling' officer had lied to them. Do you suppose that's why he was murdered?" The murder of an enrolling officer was mentioned in an article by University of Illinois Professor Natalia Belting about the Civil War, the draft and the 128th Regiment that appeared earlier this year. Mrs.

Catlett also mentions another ancestor who may have been in the Z' By Ben Gelman Sunday News Editor Of The Southern Illinoisan RESPONSES to the Feb. 20 column about the ill-fated Illinois 128th Infantry Regiment have come from such faraway places as Palos Park, 111., and California City, as well as Southern Illinois. The 128th, you may remember, was the Civil War regiment from Williamson and Franklin counties that was disbanded in April 1863 after being in existence just a few months, because nearly 700 of the 861 men in it deserted. The question was, why had all these desertions taken place? Many of the soldiers in the regiment were -prominent members of their commu-i pities and all had volunteered, since "ihe regiment was formed before the War draft order by President Lincoln on March 3, 1863. Gwen Burgess of California writes that her great-grandfather, Josiah M.

Dorris of Jeffer-Tsonville, was a second lieutenant in. rCo. of the 128th. (His name was incorrectly listed as Joseph in a War rDepartment order disbanding the Txegiment.) Ms. Burgess points out plicated by asthma, which she believes was brought on by the failure of the Army to issue winter clothing to the men.

Blair, who was a mill operator, returned for duty May 26, 1863, after recovering from his illness. His papers showed he was mustered out for disability as of April 3, 1863. "I do hope that some of your readers," Mrs. Linsenmeyer writes, "will be able to find a complete record of just what happened within the 128th Regiment. I am sure there must have been some other volunteers who had to go home to recover from illnesses because of no hospital facilities and then through a sense of duty, returned to their posts after recovery, to find chaos.

James Wiley Blair was an honorable man, a responsible miller and farmer, and one of the charter members of HerrhVs Prairie Masonic Lodge." The longest letter came from Kathleen James Catlett of Palos Park, 111. She had two, and possibly three, relatives in the 128th Regiment. Jasper Urvin Crain (his middle initial was incorrectly listed as V. in the Adjutant General's Report) was.