Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-11-21
SEES A MORAL DECAY
Editor of Denison Review Makes Pes
simistic Observations on Towns
"Wide Open" State.
Drunkenness and Street Fights a
Common Occurrence The
Cause and Cure.
Geologist Balm Preparing Report on
Availability Of Iowa shales
For Cement.
Republican.

4
Des Moines, Nov 21.-The editor of
the Denison Review, Frederick William
Meyers, is constrained to say that he
has not observed any vast Improvement
/ Mr.. Meyers was provoked to this pessi-
rnistic observation by the drunkenness
he sees around him in Denison. This
4 was raised above the average by the
celebration of the receipt of some dam
age money from the Illinois Central
i Railway Company for injuries done to
some laboring men in a wreck near De-
lott. The claim agent went to Denison
and settled with the injured ones and
the Review complains of the manner
in which some of the men used the
money. "At least half of the money
must have been expended for drink,
says the Review, "and for the past few
days on every corner one met a poor,
battered up piece of humanity, leaning
on crutch or with head bandaged
and as drunk as a lord" The Review
thinks there have been some offsets to
the good done by the new railroad in
Crawford county, and that the eases
of beastly intoxication and bloody fist
fights" are not good thing for young
people to look upon. From a moral
Istandpoint." the paper goes on to say,
there has been decided deterora-
ton"
1t is the common lot of country towns
Invaded by "ralroaders." The writer
can remember with what a5horrence
many good people looked upon the COM
ing of just such gangs as these into the
peaceful and sober community where as
la boy he remembers drunkenness and
lighting to have been something almost
utterly foreign TO the place. The fact
4 remains, the story goes on, that Den
ison is becoming 'wide-open town
Land that our people have drawn back
from any Interference, saying that the
I trunks We're only railroad men and
they We're not their brothers keepers.
If this state of drunkenness and
lighting is not stopped the good people
Iof Denison may rise up and put in force
much more drastic measures than
there is any inclinati to do at pres
4 Jent." 1t is said that this state of af-
4 fairs prevails elsewhere in the county
uu't i3ieit t'uIldttS - io cNISEtllpll ~
4 Denison or elsewhere, and one saloon,
Iother tax. The Review wants to know
what the people are going to do about
lit. for the matter is up to them.
Some of the papers of the state are
making fun of the Registers predic-
tion of an early and severe winter. be-
Uncle Richard says he is satisfied, since
he has accomplished the object he had
lin view--that of soaring the farmers
into getting their corn husking done
learly.
4 Assistant State Geologist H. F. Balm
is preparing report on an investga-
i ton into the availability of the lime
stones and shales of Iowa for the man
Iufacture of Portland cement which
/ will be part of the next annual re-
4 port. DR.. Balm has spent good share
of his time the past year in this inyes
/ tigation and has made it very thor
Tough. and his report will be reliable. 1t
Will be worth, in a practical way, many
thousands of dollars to the people of
Iowa, for it shows how a great industry
may be developed within the state.
Through a suggestion of DR.. Bains
new zinc bed was developed near Du-
buque. renewing operations that We're
labout to be abandoned, reviving the in
|dustry and continuing the employment
of large force. DR.. Boyer. of the state
agricultural college. is preparing a
monograph on the clay industries OF
the state, which is also the result of ex-
tensive and painstaking investigation,
a
Ilished next year. During the past
been worked by the representatives of
the Iowa geographical survey, to he re-
ported upon next year. They are:
Dubuque-Finshed by Samuel Cal
vim, state geologist. and H. F. Balm, as
sistant.
! Hardin county-Dr Boyer.
4 Cedar and Bremer-Professo Norton,
of Cornell College, Mt. Vernon.
Louisa county-Professo Udden. of
Augustana College, Rock Island.
Marion county-Professor Miller, of
Penn College.
| Dickinson and Osceoia-Professor T
H. MacBride of the state university
Worth county-Professor Williams,
|of Ames.
Henry county-Professor 7. H. Saw
'lage, of Western College.
The state historical department. has
acquired a copy of the great history
of the Episcopal church in America,
written by Bishop Perry about a dozen
Tor fifteen years ago, and just as it was
coming out the firm failed and the en-
tire edition became involved in litiga-
ton. Very soon after this all that re-
mained We're destroyed by fire. SO that
|only a few hundred We're circulated. 1t
was life work lost by the bishop, be-
sides about $4,000 in cash which he had
put into it. 1t was most valuable
work, extensively and very profusely
Illustrated, and would have been in
great demand. 1t was never reprinted,
as the pictures We're lost and there We're
no plates. One copy the bishop gave to.
his then secretary. DR.. A. G. Stilson,
now engaged in business in Des
Moines, and Dr. Stilson has recently
given 1t to the historical department,