Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-05-10
NOTES FROM THE CAPITAL

NUlES ENUW HE SAEIl AL
DIES MONIES, May G, 1900.
James G. Berryhill claims just at
present to be the owner of the biggest
flower garden in the United States
west of Pennsylvania. 1t extends over
about 200 acres of ground, is situated
on the Norwalk road about five miles
southwest of the city, and Just at this
time is solid mass of blossoms. Mr..
Berryhill owns the second largest fruit
ranch in Iowa. On this ground are
planted 1000 apple trees, 5000 plum
trees and 1000 cherry trees, every one
of which is in bloom. The great
orchard is on the east slope of a ravine
running back from the Coon river and
up which the Great Western and Keo-
kuk & Western tracks extend to the
prairie south of the city. From the
character of the ground a view of the
entire orchard can be had from the
bluffs across the ravine and the i'm
preston is of a solid bed of white and
pink blossoms extending up the hill
side and back on the level ground.
The trees are so close together and the
blossoms so thick that the branches of
the trees and the ground underneath
are not distinguishable.
At a meeting of the army post loca-
ton committee at the Had, DIR. Lewis
Schooler, chairman of the committee,
appointed n committee on finance.
Upon this committee is to devolve the
work of raising funds with which to
purchase the site. The committee will
be permitted to devise its own ways
and means. Indications are it will
resort to the popular subscription
plan. J. G. Rounds, of the Citizens
National bank, is chairman of the
committee.
Advices from Washington say the
senate will soon take action on the bill
adopted by the house creating a new
district court in Iowa, and there is no
doubt that the action will be favorable
and speedy, as the necessity for more
court facilities is recognized. The
passage of this bill in the house was
unanimous and without question. 1t
provides that the counties of Clarke,
Lucas, Union, Adair, Fremont, Adams,
Page, Taylor, Ringgold, Wayne and
ern district of Iowa. term of a cir
cult court for this district will be held
at Creston on the third Monday of
May and fourth Monday of September,
each term to continue as long as nee
essary.
The Interstate Oratorical Associa-
ton, in which the leading colleges of
ten states, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois,
Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kansas, Ne
braska, Colorado, Iowa and Missouri
are represented, will hold its next an
nual contest under the auspices of Des
Moines college in this city early in
May, 1901. The annual convention of
the interstate association, held at
Denver recently, elected +. ID. Nelson,
of the junior class of Des Moines col
lege, vice-president for 1901. AS the
vice-presidency carries with it both
the location and general management
of the contest, the students and friends
of Des Moines college are more than
pleased to secure the privilege of
entertaining the next interstate
contest.
The board of control has completed
its list of county and private insane
asylums or poor houses which main
tain insane persons. 1t found that
there are four private hospitals, at
Dubuque, Davenport, Council Bluffs
and Iowa City. Eifty-six county in
stitutions, or poor houses, in which
insane are maintained, are reported.
This is ten more than were reported
year ago. AS soon as possible the ter
ritorv win be divided among the three
members of the board and they will
begin making the inspections.
Governor Shaw has vetoed the valued
policy insurance bill, passed in the
closing days OF the late Legislature.
lie takes his full share of responsible
ty for vetOing measure which re-
ceiyed ~ votes in the house and 80 in
the senate-enough to have passed it
over his veto in the lower, and nearly
enough to have done SO in the upper
house. The bill is sent to the secre-
tary of state without approval, and
accompanied by a lengthy statement
of his reasons for opposing it. The
governor has made an investigation of
the workings of valued policy laws in
other states. lie concludes that they
do not accomplish the desired object,
to protect the insurer; that on the
other hand their tendency is to in
crease the cost of insurance and to
drive out many companies that do |
not care to do business under such |
law. The Iowa bill simply |
provides that in case of loss of |
buildings by fire the amount of the |
insurance carried shall represent the
value of the property. 1t applies only
to real estate and not to stocks Of
goods and other personal property, OF
which the value is too huctuating.
The governor repeats the argument
that the tendency of such law is to
encourage incendiarism. The property
owner who can get excessive insurance
sees premium placed on the crime of
arson. The governor says he would
sign the bill if assured that it could
be repealed when proven disastrous;
but the almost impoSsibility of repeal
ing such measure is pointed out. lie
has learned of but one state where
such measure has been repealed
This being the case he fears that it
would be dangerous, and yet could
not be repealed, in Iowa.
The executive council during its
recent session considered the assess
ment of telegraph, telephone and ex-
press companies, under the Cheshire
and blanchard laws. The Cheshire
measure applies only to express com
panles, willie the Blanchard measure
includes both telegraph and telephone
companies. There is some question as
TO the date on which the council must
take up the matter of assessing under
the Blanchard bill. The council will
have further examination made of
the law to determine exactly what is
intended by it; and, meantime, steps