The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1900-05-25

| C>cOnOmOWOc. his theory OF lie is
that one should grow mellow as one
grows older and not allow the cares
of life to crush him.
A Yale Mans Romance.
Mr.. Lloyd Bowers, who holds the
same high position for the Northwest
ern road, is but Al years old. He led
his class at Yale in 1879 and has been
success all the way along. He is
large, hearty man, with much OF the
boy in him, genial and sympathetic,
| and has not been in the least spoiled
| by his success. Bowers spent his
| youth in Elizabeth, n. J. After grad
/ uation and the study of law, he put
| in nine years in WinOna, Mimi.
Bowers is a close friend of Judge
"BilP' Taft, the head of the Philippine
| commission, and dined with him be-
fore he sailed The greatest blow that
| the brilliant young Bowers ever suf-
| fered was in the loss Of his wife about
| three years ago. She was daughter
| of Judge Wilson, who is chief counsel
| for the Omaha road. When Bowers
| came west, looking for fame AND for
tune, he was in a st. Paul hotel and
saw a girl with her mother.
One look was enough. He said to
uIulScll, ueIc LILY IuIoAO NAAN'
It was Miss Wilson.
Found a Wife and Partner.
With characteristic Yale nerve he
sent up his card to the mother III the
parlors and it was not long after that
Bowers was seated behind desk in
Judge Wilson's office. Mr.. Bowers has
two children and is looking forward
to at least a part of the summer with
them in a Cape Cod village. While
riding with my old friend over the
Northwestern system we came TO the
little village of London, from which
the branch of Cambridge extends.
This LondOn-Cambridge road is one or
the amusing things Of life. 1t is very
useful but unpretentiOus, and the con-
ductor has listened to the alleged wit
ticisms at the expense OF his traln
service on the part OF drummers ana
other passengers for so long that he
no longer smiles, but simply looks
weary.
Bowers was frank to confess that
he had never heard of the Cambridge
branch of his great system, which
shows that even great men cannot
know it all.
The meeting was a disappointment
out as much information as was hOped.
Tn other words. it was too harmonious.
The railroad people were courteous,
but naturally not disposed to get into
things any deeper than was necessary,
and there was little to draw them out.
However, they promised detailed state
ments to be filed with the commission
within sixty days, and there will be
other data. It would not have been
dignified to specially invite Assembly
man A. r. Hall or some other we'll
posted radical to throw a few bomb
shells for the enlivening of the railroad
people. but it would have opened to
some leads of information that the pre-
vailing courtesy and formality blocked.
Gathered to Discuss Taxes.
One of the propositions was whether
the present license fees on gross earn
ings (the st. Paul and other big roads
pay per cent. to the state) should be
abolished and railroad property as
sessed and taxed according to its value
like other property. Without definite
ly saying so. the railroads evidently
prefer the present system. OF course,
it would be out of the question to have
railroad property assessed locally, that
is, to have every little town assess the
freight yards and water tanks within
their limits, for the burden would be
thrown maliciously on the corporation.
If this substitute method should be
adopted in Wisconsin railroad proper
ty might be assessed as in Illinois by
a board composed of one member from
each congressional district; or, as in
Iowa and other states, by board OF
state officers. The present license syS-
TEN is very convenient. The question
of how to ascertain the value Of rail
road is most difficult. 1t seemed to
be conceded, very generously ny the
big railroad representatives, tle,t the
little railroads whose gross earnings
per mile are small, should be taxed
less than those Of large earnings.
Wisconsin Versus Other States.
Mr.. Peck, to prove his contention
that Wisconsin collects more tax from
the st. Paul railroad than does any
other state, put it this way:
Our entire taxes in all states were
81 1856, 166.40, of which our tax in Wis
consin were $5OS, S39.3S, or almost one
half. while our mileage here is only
a fraction over % per cent. Of our en-
| tire mileage. Suppose the taxes were
to be based on gross earnings. In
Wisconsin we pay 4 per cent, in the
states outside of Wisconsin an average
of. 2:65 per cent. There has been
no time in the last ten years
when the tax on gross earnings
was as high in any state outside of
Wisconsin, as it has been here, as far
as our system is concerned. Here it
is uniformly per cent; outside the
highest it ever reached was 3.S2 per
cent. and the lowest 2:39 per cent"
City Officials Plan Betterments.
The reform of cities is going for
ward steadily, if annual meetings of
city officers are a test. For the fourth
time the League of Wisconsin Munich
palities gets together, this time at
GAINESVILLE, and the dates are June
and s. Mayor Richardson will make a
speech of welcome on Thursday even
ing, June Z, and Mayor Douglas Of
Monroe will give the annual address.
The other speakers are all from Madi-
son. Governor Scofeld will speak on
"The Responsibilities of citizenship"
NJ