Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-04-21
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lior tlle Times- Republlcan.


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For the Times Republican.
Spencer, April 20. There is no ques-
ton but what this is fierce age Of
Icompetition. Every business man
thinks that his particular line has the
worst. The life is cut right out of it,"
This county seal is to have Il new court
house at a cost of $4,000. Bids were to
I'be opened on the 18th inst. On the 18th
there We're at the hotels here thirty
three business men. all representing
Hines of building materials. A dozen or
more bids We're made for the whole
contract. And to the surprise .of the
writer, who Is a tenderfoot. men were
here from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Min
lnesota and Wisconsin bidding against
our Iowa quarrymen. 1t seems so
lstrange are business conditions that an
llOhio man can lay down certain kinds
of paving stone In Grinnell cheaper
than they can be sold from Quarry,
Isay TWENTY-FIVE miles away. Cost of
lquarrying is in rough figures ten times
less in Ohio on this particular kind of
stone. And freight charges from Ohio
to Grinnell, many hundreds of miles,
are only. say three times as much as
for a distance of twenty-five miles
in Iowa. And here is another Interests
/ ing factor in building materials. If
contractor happens to be bidding on
job-that Is. on the same line of rail-
way, distance of d few hundred miles
does not count as against the nearby
bidder who has to ship over two lines
iof railroad.
And Mason City is to have new
court house toscost $4,000. The county
has for many years owned the lots onai
the corner west of the Park hotel and
finer location than Just opposite the
Park itself could not be obtained. The
lower foundations are now being put
In.
Mason City is playing in great luck
this year. The Chicago & Northwest
ern railway, which will be running
trains from Mason City to Blue Earth
and Belle PLANE probably by June Is, |
has bought ground for a depot right OH
lower Main street This road bought
the right of way thru town al figures
which made many a real estate man
Very glad that he owned that particu-
lar lot. This railroad work, as we'll as
the court house job, to say nothing Of
many other business houses and pri-
yatc residences. will make money plen-
ty there this year and everybody Will
get a slice Of the pie.
Again the tramp nuisance is with US
Great. big able bodied fellows are now
picking on. this scribe. and not know
Ing he is a newspaper man. trying to
borrow a quarter. Two last Monday
morning asked for division. Hotel
men tell some good stories on the tribe
OF Wearies. One landlord who is a |
Ephilanthropist, has hired three this
winter. So much and board One
bright young fellow, a good boiler
tender and willing to work went to
work in a thankful spirit. He braced
UP. saved his money. got new clothes |
pa tronlzed the barber, held his head up
and was as good a man as this landlord /
day night. With real tears III his eyes, |
and some in his voice, he camesto the
landlord with u telegram just received /
from his mother, who was dying.
Gould the landlord pay him the bal |
train 70 see his old mother before She
course he got his money and went.
Chapter IL. The telegraph operator
near the hptelasked the landlord next I
day what John, the fireman, wanted a
blank telegram form last night for.
The landlord said John received a tel i
egrain, mother very sick. probably TO i
answer it. Operator looked over the |
IN n Jnb
nor sent a telegram. bus mao said
that John went off Sunday night as
blind baggage With five other tramps;
he had been drinking with them sum
day afternoon. And John. like the
goose. Matched out n wild goose egg. no
matter how good the feed with the
tame geese. no matter if he had a good
bed 10 sleep in every night, no matter
Iif8a little sure money was coming ev-
cry week had TO go in the spring when
the other Wild geese went north.
$50 \
This kind hearted landlord had an
other experience with Johns success
sor He was bright enough, good
enough and so apparently trustworthy
that he was promoted TO BE night clerk
from midnight t0sdawn. On8one of the |
nice days last week he cleaned all III
The windows. mopped, scrubbed.
cleaned paint, and worked like u good
one. On the same night after mid
night he put two men to bed, cash in
advance so attentive was he for the 4
boss interests, took the dollar, broke
open the cigar case. got $3.50 more. 4
and disappeared. leaving two dollars in
wages due him. This fellow was
worth good wages to any hotel man
and could have laid up $3.50 to 5000 a
year by just staying in any hotel. But
this tramp told the bus man that for
ten years he had not stayed a month in
the same place.
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