Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-10-14

he secured the decision in his favor
from Judge Gamble. 1t is held that the
state law, from which municipalities
derive all their authority, does not
give them the right to tax these doc
tors, who already pay license fee of
500 to the state. The state pharmacy
commission is charged with the collec-
ton of this fee, and though many of
the pill peddlers try to avoid paying it,
they are not often successful, as many
prosecutions show. Sometimes the
agents of foreign medicine houses,
which are also taxed the same, try to
get out of paying the tax by claiming
that they are transacting interstate
right to interfere. This defense does
not work, however, as the law has been
repeatedly tested in the courts and the
right of the state to assess ana collect
this tax has been confirmed.
Sadly Disappointed.
W. W. Welday, who started for the
gold regions on the northeast coast of
Alaska last spring, has returned to his
home in Des Moines sadly disappoint-
ed man. He went with w. NJ. McFar-
land, former secretary of state, and one
or two other men on the promise of
sure thing in the shape of a gold mine
that had been located by one of the
party before. They found no mine, and
endured extreme hardship in reaching
the place and getting away from it.
They have discovered and secured a
rich nickel mine, however, and in this
way they are better off than thousands
of others who they say were lured into
the country by the Misrepresentation
Of the transportation companies, and
lost all they had. At Cape Blossom
they found more than 1000 stranded
prospectors who had found nothing
where they expected fortunes.
Chief Mastering Omcer.
Capt. j. A. Olmstead has been desig-
mated chief mastering officer for the
state of Iowa and will have complete
control of the mastering out of the
Iowa troops. The Fifty-second regi-
ment is expected to arrive here October
10, and will be formally mustered out
as soon as the necessary accounts can
be prepared and the physical examine
ton made. 1t will take till October 80.
1t is said some of the soldiers are not
we'll enough to return here for several
days while the mastering out process is
gone through with, and others fear to
come here and sleep in the barns on
the state fair grounds, now that the
weather is getting cold. They will be
relieved of the work of cooking their
own meals, and will be boarded at a
restaurant on the grounds. The Eff
tieth regiment will come two weeks or
SO later and there is no longer any
doubt about the two regiments being
mustered out as soon as possible.
Scarcity of Cars.
Complaints are beginning to come in
to the railway commissioners about
the scarcity of cars for the shipment
of grain. In answer to one of these
complaints and in anticipation OF more
General Manager Whitman, of The
Northwestern, has written to the com.
missioners explaining that the enorm.
GUS grain crop and, the fact that it is
seeking market at the same time
will render 1t impossible for the North
western, even with Its large equip
ment, to supply the demand at once
Shippers will have to wait their turf
and the railways will do the best they
can to carry the farmers grain to mar
ket as fast as possible. Already thu
railways are overwhelmed with bust
ness in excess Of their capacity to han
die in so short time.
Coal Rate Question.
Claude R. Porter, Of Appanoose coun
ty, who started the agitation of thu
coal rate question in the Legislature
and brought about the hearing before
the railway commissioners Septembe'
20, has written letter to the commits
sioners explaining his position, and thu
reason for the introduction and pass
age Of the resolution calling for tn!
investigation. The trouble, he says
is in Appanoose district, and he at
tributes the decrease in the output O.
coal from that district to discrimtna
ton In freight rates, claiming the APP
panoose coal Is as good as Illinois coal
It is claimed, on the other hand, tina
the Appanoose coal is inferior, and ha
been supplanted in the market by Iii
nois coal for that reason. The Who'll
question will be investigated by tn
commissioners November 80.
F. w. BICKNELL.
i