Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-12-11
THE oTTUMwA. CoURIER: TUESDAY. DFCEMBER IL 1900

at stated intervals and re-enact laws
of this kind, but that the rule must
be a basic one that debts shall be
paid.
To show how the present bankrupt
law has worked and what it has ac-
complished in the short time it has
been in force it is stated that during
the past year down to Oct. l there
have been approximately 10000 petit
lions in bankruptcy filed in the coun-
try. The liabilities in about 10000
voluntary cases reported by referees
amounted to the enormous sum of
$265 100000, and the aggregate of as
sets scheduled in these cases was the
small total of $33,000,000. This will
give some idea of the outworking of
the law.
An official in Washington has sug-
gested some amendments to the law
to make it still more equitable and to
prevent subsequent attempts to take
advantage of the statutes upon the
same plane as the first. These fea-
lures will probably be adopted and the
law etained.-Marshallto Times
Republican.
An observation-There is one thing
no Iowa man will ever be able to
understand, and that is why Iowa
people, when they contemplate erect
ing a house, usually wait until along
in the fall to begin operations, and are
sure to be caught in bad weather,
have to work at great disadvantage
and additional cost. Just why they
don't begin operations in the spring
and get thru before bad weather will
never be known.-New Sharon Star.
The Amendment-The Burlington
Hawkeye claims to have discovered
fatal defect in the Titus amendment
which invalidates it to such an ex-
tent that it will prove ineffective and
must fail. Whether the Hawkeye is
correct or not, the public is fully con-
WINGED that as a whole nothing equals
that amendment for laundering in the
legislative history Of Iowa. If one
thing is not wrong with it another is,
and in it present condition if uncer-
tainly it bothers the people and is far
from complimentary to the wisdom of
some of Iowa's Observation-Disclosures
port Republican.
No Tickets-Leading railroad
financiers are trying to develop plan
to do away with tickets. Their de-
sign is to let passengers pay on the
train, directly to the conductor 1t is
said that in favor of this plan is the saw
ing of an immense sum for selling
tickets, maintaining ticket offices,
etc.; and also that it would eliminate
all possibility of the scalper success
fully operating his plan. If no tick
cts were sold there would be nothing
for the scalper to scalp. 1t is said
$50,000,000 is fair figure for the ex-
pense of maintaining the ticket sys-
tenn; most of it would be saved if
tickets could be abolished and all
fares collected by the conductors.
That Isl assuming the conductors
would turn them all in. At present
passenger men say the dishonest con-
ductor, who is the exception, is able
to profit by cash fares, and his
chances would not be much better I'M
der an all-cash system.-Sioux City
Tribune.
. A Recommend ation.-A young man
residing near Grant City, wishing to
go out in the world, received the for
lowing certificate from his employer:
'The bearer has been in my employ
and have found him to be honest, in
dustrious, intelligent and sober. l
have also observed that his services
around the house were very satisfac-
tory to my wife, and anyone who can
get along with her is peach.-Ring.
gold Record.
Lonely Sinners.-Two travelling
evangelists struck Tarkio, a little
town in northern Missouri several
weeks ago, and before they quit drew
81, 1900 for their labors and they had
600 conversions. AS the town had a
population of some 1900, and consid-
ering the fact that there must have
been some Christian people there be-
fore the arrival of the evangelists, a
sinner in Tarkio must feel lonely. AS
a result of the revival every druggist,
every lawyer, every gambler and every
doctor in town was converted. The
gamblers destroyed their devices, the
druggists their whisky, and the law
yers have pooled and will refuse to de-
fend a sinner. Right now would be
an suspicious time for great many
citizens to die and take no chances on
future Observation-Disclosures Re
publican.
CHINESE cULPABlLITY.
From President McKinlev's mes.