The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1899-12-28
NOTES FROM THE CAPITAL

NOTES FROM THE CAPITAL
Dies MONIES. Dec. 25.-Madison coun-
TVS insane asylum and poor house. ac-,
cording to the report by Judge Kinne,'
is very similar to other institutions of
the kind which have been visited by
the board of control. Judge Kline
finds it about as well calculated for the
care of insane persons as other institu-.
tions operated by counties, which.
means, in the view Of the board, that.
it is not calculated at all for such pur-.
poses. The board has been consider
ing whether to publish it's reports on
the private asylums of the state,
There are three of these. and they have,
been visited. Some of the newspapers
where they are located have asked for
copies of the report, but the board has
not yet indicated whether it will give
them out.
According to Washington dispatch,
there are twenty-three candidates for
the judgeship made vacant by the
death of Judge John s. Woolson. Con-
gresham Hull has three candidates in
his district, there are five in the First
district, and SO all along the line.
The school board of West Des MONIES
has decided to introduce German into
the courses of study in the grades.
Judge Bishop, in the district court
Of Polk county, has handed down de-
cision in the case of the state VS.. G. L.
Schlenker, the millsman who was tried
and found gilty of selling adulterated
milk. The verdict is reversed and the
defendant discharged from all further
liability. The opinion is lengthy
one and deals exhaustively with the
case. In the opinion of the court the
legislature erred when it went farther
in the premises than it had power to-
In this case no element of fraud app
pears, and there was nothing incident
to the commodity dealt in which rem
dered it injurious to the public health.
The opinion holds that the proposition
of the state is to protect the people
who desire to buy pure milk from hav-
ing palmed off upon them milk which
has been diluted or adulterated. There
was no fraud intended on the part of
the defendant, and inasmuch as the
ingredient used was harmless to those
who used the milk, he was not guilty
of any criminal act.
Judge Prouty, of the district court,
has finally disposed of the Highland
Park college assessment suit by reduc-
ing the assessment made against the
property from $3.50. 600 to ST. 900. The
personal assessment against the appa-
ratus and school equipment was re-
duced from 5000 to $4,000. The col
lege made the point that it could not
properly be taxed. but the Judge de-
cided that it could. An appeal will be
taken.
The trial of the famous Bonaparte
dam case is now on at Bloomfield. At,
torney General Milton Remley is hand
ling the case for the commonwealth
and Judge ]. G. Mitchell, of Ottumwa,
represents Meek Brothers, of Bona
parte, who own the dam. Mr.. Remley
is confident he will win the suit. but
the other side is equally satisfied that
its position is impregnable. Two gen
erations ago the Meeks were given by
the state q grant of state dam in the
Des Moines river at Bonaparte. The
state expressly conveyed all it's RIGHTS
to the dam. The Meeks developed it
and used it to provide power for their
big wooden mills there. In latter
years the dam has been little used for
power and has become nuisance be.
cause it prevents the passage of fish.
The Meeks contend that they are not
compelled to put in a fishway because
the fishway law was passed many years
after they acquired their rights from
the state. There has been a strong
demand from sportsmen that the dam
be removed in order to allow fish to
pass to the upper waters of the river.
The Meeks are holding out to compel
the state to pay them high price for
the dam. The state maintains it has
the power to condemn and remove the
dam as a nuisance. The case will be
concluded, it is hoped, before the adj.
journment of the legislature, and if a
clear case is made against the state an
effort will be made to pass an appro-
Priation to buy the dam. The upper
Des Moines and tributaries are entirely
cut off by this dam from drawing fish
from the Mississippi river, and the re-
suit is that the stream has fewer fish
than any other in the state, while it is.
said to be the best adapted river in
Iowa for breeding fish.
Noah Broclway Bacon, of Des
Moines, was 100 years of age on the
10th. He is vigorous in both mind
and body.
It has been discovered that the state
board of control is required by the law
to make an itemized report Of the ex-
penditures of the institutions, giving
the cost of supplies, etc, which will be
published by the executive council.
together with detailed expenditures of
other departments of the state govern
ment, Immediately after January of
each year. The board will proceed to
the work early after January. The
report thus made will be the bulk of
the book required by section 1853, which
the executive council decided to follow
in letter and spirit at arecent meeting.
The report of the committee on Sol
diers' home was filed with Adjutant
Black of the Iowa department, g. A.
B. last week, but will not be made
public until the two members of the