Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-11-13

OF $3.50 an acre. The man who sold
this farm bought it in 1882 for $50 an
acre. The improvements were good but
practically all of them were construct
ed thirty-five years ago. The second
transaction involved the transfer of
two hundred and forty acres of land
for consideration of $40 an acre.
The improvements here were more
elaborate than in the first named in
stance, but were older. This land
was entered by the man who made the
sale a generation ago, at a cost of
$1.25 an acre.
West Point.-A wild panther is re-
ported to be at large on Skunk river
bottoms. 1t has been seen below
Oakland Mills, and it is said to be
large enough to tear man or small
beast to pieces. Last season an ami
NAL resembling this one was killed
in the Mississippi bottoms near Bur-
lington and this is supposed to be it's
mate.
westinghouse fine new convent
and sisters school will be erected soon
on the site of the old ST. Mary's school
OF this city. The old building has
proved inadequate to the demands OF
and the new building will not only be
convenience, but necessity. Bishop
Cosgroye, of Davenport, has given the
Sisters of Charity, who have charge of
the work here now, permission to sell
the old building and steps toward that
will be taken soon.
Woodbne.-A serious accident hap.
pened to the letter mail pouch here
Saturday evening. The sack was
caught by the crane of the train that
goes thru here at 9:20 p. M, but for
some unknown cause did not hold it
and it was hurled under the train and
with the letters it contained was
ground into thousands of pieces. 1t is
estimated that the pouch contained
300 letters and they were so badly torn
and mangled that it will not be posi-.
BILE to send them on their way or even
return them to the writer.
SIoan.-What is believed to be
genuine case of smallpox has develop,
ed here and has caused much excite
ment. Several days ago a farm hand
came to Sloan from the country where
he had been husking corn. He went
to the hotel, where he was taken i'll,
and DR.. Frear called. The doctor be.
lieved the man was suffering from an
attack Of typhoid evfer, and took him
to his own home. Now the doctor
says he believes the patient has small.
pox, and the fact that he was around
town and in the hotel has caused much
uneasiness for fear of an epidemic.
knoxvilIe.-The Burlington is buy.
ing up all its leased lines and will take
them over this week. When this is
done there is no doubt that the long.
talked-of line from Oskaloosa to Tracy
I will be built. and the B. & w. widened
4 from Oskaloosa to Burlington. The
train service between Chicago and Des
Moines will then be greatly improved,
coming by way of Oskaloosa and
Knoxville. At that time the mileage
Of the Burlington will be 1855 miles
from Des Moines to Chicago, c. R. I. &
P. 1858, Northwestern 1863, the Great
Western 372, the Milwaukee 375. The
officials of the road expect their trains
| to make the Chicago-Des Moines run
in eight and one-half hours.
| Dubuque.-A peculiar divorce case
was recently tried in this city, the
parties being rather old German peo-
pie. During the trial the defendant
said he never assaulted his wife in
this country, the inference being that
he had assaulted her in some other
country. On cross-examination the
/ fact was developed that he had had
trouble with her and that he had
gone to the village burgomaster or
mayor and laid his grievance before
him. After listening to his tale of
woe, the burgomaster, as defendant
| fncfifind ice t,
her on his return, which he did, but
he did not say as to what extent. His
grievance was that she talked too
much.
Fort Dodge.-It is believed by some
here that G. l.. Shutter, of this city,
who was found dead in the Graefe
house at DesMoines was murdered.
The deceased had been subjected to
a great deal of trouble of late. 1t
will be remembered that his two chill
dren (twins) died, following each
other very closely, but it was not
( supposed that he had ever contem-
plated suicide, and his many friends
here do not believe but that it was
simply case of asphyxiation or else
he was the victim of foul play.
Charles City.-Mrs. Chas. Palmer, a
mute, died at the room of her invalid
mother in the Park house in this city
this week. The disease which caus-
ed her death was quick consumption.
A remarkable coincidence is attached
to her ending. Before she died this
woman, who has not spoken for near,
ly thirty years, summoned up all her
strength and articulated, somewhat
brokenly, but sufficiently plain to be
understood by her mother, who re.
ceived the message from her dying
daughter, the message that all was
well with her and she was ready and
willing to die.
| WaterIoo.-A peculiar feature OF
the mulct law has been brought tc
light here by Evangelist Wharton
who has had charge of the union
meetings for several weeks past. AS
one of the features of the work he
decided to make visit to the fiji
teen grog shops of the city and con
duct gospel services. He selected q
chorus Of his best songsters an6
started on his singular mission but
struck a Snae at the first Saloon be