Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-08-11
STATE FAIR OUTLOOK
Management Making Supreme Eff.
forts to Make the Event an
Entire Success.
Railroads Make Concessions in the
Way Of Excursion Trains
and Rates.
Some Board Of Control Purchases
Cownie Talks About Convicts
and Tobacco.

Des Moines, Aug. 11.-Preparations
for the state fair are being pushed by I
the management with the result that /
everything necessary to make the com |
ing festival the greatest in the history
of the state is being arranged. The lat
est announcement is that concessions
have been gained from the railroads |
whereby daily excursion trains will be
run to Des Moines during fair week, |
from nearly all parts of the state 1t (
Is now almost assured that the visitors
to the state fair this year will have
better railway accommodations than
ever before in the history of the city |
There is now every reason to believe |
that the attendance will greatly exceed |
that of any previous year. In order
to aid those who purpose attending the
sessions of the fair a bureau of infor-
nation has been opened by the local
management in Des Moines. People
who expect to be in Des Moines at that
time have been requested to communi-l
cate with this bureau so that proper |
accommodations for board and room
can be furnished them. The number of |
letters being received by this bureau is
enormous and indicates that all Iowa |
lis planning to attend the coming meet
ing.
For the first time in many years, the
city of Des Moines is working with the
management of the state fair in order
to entertain the visitors at that time.
There is the week of solid entertain
ment at the Auditorium, which will be /
dedicated on the first evening of the
fair week. In addition to this. the Bat
+ tie of San Juan will be presented, the
streets will be Illuminated every night
sasA during the day, many street shows
will add to the attractions offered. Des
Moines Is awakening to the fact that
something is expected of it from the
rest of the people of the state, and it
intends to demonstrate this awakening
not only by the construction of the Au-
ditorium but also by its treatment of
the state fair this year.
Figures are being prepared by the
state board of control to show the num-
ber of extras purchased the past year
for the state institutions. Among the
items is eighty-nine COWS. Following
lis the list of items purchased for the
Soldiers Home at Marshalltown: LII
shirts. 1.+4o undershrts. 197 pair Of ov-
erals, 1.416 pair of drawers, 493 mems
wool hats, 55+ coats. 5S9 vests. 10is pair
of pants. ATS pair of slippers. l20 pair
Iof arctics. $50 pair of suspenders. 1,40e
pair of socks. Resides this the board
has contracted since July for: $50 over
tcoats 300 vests. 100 pair pants. 6l2 pair
shoes and slippers, 24o hats, 264 draw
ers, 1.2oo shirts. According TO the rec
Ionlmendation of Judge Kline nearly
iall of these articles could be manufac-
ltured in the state institutions at a con-
siderable saving to the state.
In reply to some of the statements
made by the press concerning action of
1.-The board in cutting down the tobacco
ration for the corviets. Hon. John Cow
Il ME in an interview says that the board
was actuated by other reasons than a
simple desire for economy. The board
| is fully cogniZant of the fact that but
ter will be a more expensive ration for
4 the convicts than tobacco. costing in the
aggregate nearly $1,000 per year more
THAN the old tobacco allowance. Mr..
Cownie says that an investigation of
1.-THE conditions at the penitentiaries.
lproves that the use of tobacco has been
Injurious TO the convicts' health. The
linen are allowed but small cells. Their
smoking had to be done in these cells
/ with the result that the air was thor
oughly filled with smoke, which the
convict inhaled all night. This could
but be injurious. Butter is esteemed by
many of the convicts as a luxury much
more to be desired than tobacco. 1t is
Hooked upon by most people as ne
cessity rather than luxury, con-
federation seldom given to tobacco.
Butter is never injurious to health and
lis on the contrary beneficial. Then 1t
! is an Iowa product and in furnishing
the conyicts with it, the state is pat
ronizing the great dairy industry and
creating a market for a home product.
Mr.. Cownie says that there have been
no riots nor mutinies at the prisons as
has been repeatedly claimed by the hos
tile press, but that from the date of
/ the issuance of the order. the best of
lorder has prevailed among the convicts,
and that continuance of this condition
i; expected.
Curator Aldricn. of the state histor-
lical deartment. is in receipt of two vol
umes of reports, containing maps and
lplates, setting forth the history Of the
London expedition to the Rocky noun
talns, in 1919, 1920, when Calhoun was
secretary of war. Edwin James, of Bur
Ilington, compiled the report as he was
an -tache of the Long party which
made the expedition. Mr.. James after
wards served six years at frontier posts
las an army surgeon, and then retired to
4 lead an agricultural life at Burlington
He was the first man to climb Pixies
Peak, and at first that mountain was
named for him. He died in 1864 The
volumes which Mr.. Aldrich has secured
have great value as n art of the library
devoted TO the Indian history of the
west, and which is already one of the
best in the country.
Secretary of State Dobson has been
threatened with m2ndamus proceedings
by the Lamb Lumber Company of Clin-
ton. This company has wished to re-
Organize. the old company going who'll