Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-10-31
The TRIP 70 FRISCO
Secretary Dobson and Auditor hier.
riam Highly Pleased With
Their Hearty Reception.
We're Given Every Attention and
Courtesy by the officers Of
the Troops
Tell Of Scenes Aboard Transport
The Home Coming Convict
Labor Question.

Special to Times-Re publican
Des Moines, Oct. 31.--G. l.. Dobson,
secretary OF state, and Frank f. Mer-
riam, auditor of tate, returned Sun
day from San Francisco, where they
went to meet the Fifty-first regiment.
They Were very glad they went, for the
boys on the Senator We're so glad to see
them and the people of California Were
so kind to them and the Iowa boys that
their visit was one continual round OF
u pleasure. The governor of California
! placed tug at their disposal, with a
member OF his staff to attend to their
/ wants all the tim e they were in San
Francisco, and the tug and the officer
We're ready at a moments notice to be
OF service to the Iowa party. Mr.. Dob
son and Mr., Merriam, followed by Mrs
MacRae, wife of the assistant surgeon
We're the first to go on board the trans
port. Adj Gen. B yers and the neyspa-
per tugs Were far behind, as they de-
pended on other arrangements. The
4 governors representatives,, Messrs
Dobson and Merriam, did not waste
half minute. for they went UP the side
of the Senator as soon as the health Of
ficer came down. They got "a reception
that was worth going across the con-.
tinent to receive.
The boys fell on and hugged u.s.
grabbing whoever they could reach,
said MIR. Merriam, they We're so glad to
see my one from home. any one who
could speak Eng glish. 1t was great
4 sight to see the boys as they came into
Il the harbor."
And then you should have seen them
half an hour later said Secretary Dob
son, when the mail arrived and was
passed around. The boys hadn't heard
from horne since July, and the news
seemed to be all good, judging from the
demonstrations the boys made. Every
I little while some fellow reading letter
! would jump up and yell and kick up his
i heels in the midst of it, expressing his
joy over the good news from home
Yes, the boys with very few exceptions
look We'll. They are in good health and
spirits almost toa man believe in push
ing the war vigorously TIL the nsur-
gents re stibdued and made to espect
the flag; they are just as strong in sup
port of the admnistra ton. We shall
have no trouble from them"
There seems to be no doubt now that
the soldiers will reach home Nov g.
being given a 5 tate reception at Council
BUNS where Governor Shaw will ex-
press he form al welcome of the state.
The men of tn Fifty-first keenly ap-
preciated the courtesy shown them by
the governor in going to San Francisco
at this time to meet them. and though
they had all gone to bed when he
reached the transport at midnight the
day they arrived. going directly from
his train they nearly all got up and
each one received his personal greeting
and concentrations upon their proud
record and safe return.
Now the only danger of the home
coming of the regiment Is that attempts
VIII be made to put them through with
formal RECEIPT Ions and parades the day
of their arrival. This the boys VIII not
relish and the managers of these recep-
: tions ought to see ii. What tie boys
viii want to do when they get home is
to go to their homes at once and see
their families and their sweethearts be-
fore there Is any celebrating. And what
is more, a good many of them viii do Ii,
in spite of the desires of any reception
! committee. They Will be free and nde-
pend ent priv ate citizens then and very
much disposed to do as they please. Old
soldi ers of the civil war say that II was
the custom when they came home from
the war TO give them a day or two at
tlon . quietly resting and talking it over
With the folks before the public assert
ed its claim on them. That is What
should be done next week when the Eff
ty-ffrst gets home 1t will, of course,
| hIa bnlf
election day or night so they Will prob
ably be held on Wednesday, the Sth
and perhaps some of them later.
The pearl button contract has been
Completed all the conditions of the
board of control complied With ard the
con tract viii undoubtedly be approved.
1t goes into effect Jan. l. 1900. The
more 1t is looked at the smaller this
whole thing becomes. 1t was the only
business-like thing the board could do
under the circumstances, it now APP
pears. There We're idle men to be put
to work, as all agree. The convict in
the penitentiary is as much entitled to
work az he is to food. The board had
to hire them out as has been done in
Iowa for forty or fifty years, or estab-
lish some kind of an Industry for the
men to work in. The latter plan was
I'M possible. as the board had no funds
and would have hardly felt authorized
to make such an innovation, involving z
the state in heavy expense and risk,
without the approval of the legislature.
i0nly one other offer was made for the
la Dor of men, and that by the Huis-
kamp Company. shoe manu- facturers.
W no formerly had a prison contract for
mary years. This company withdrew
the contract because it could do
tsr with free labor. Now that labor
s scarce and consequently higher
cad. the Huiskamps Were willing to
Sc the convicts again; but the best
lffer they would make was 40 cents a
/. ,ay and they wanted concessions tn at
ould have brought it down to about
cents a day net. The board refused
d consider this proposition and accept
ed the pearl button offer Of So cents a
day The state furnishes nothing but
! building and water. The employment of
these fifty men will not cut any figure
in the price of buttons or affect the in